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Author Topic:   STS-335 [STS-135]: Crew assignments
Robert Pearlman
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posted 09-14-2010 08:06 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
NASA release
NASA assigns crew for final launch-on-need shuttle mission

NASA announced the four astronauts who will make up the crew of STS-335, the rescue mission that would fly only if needed to bring home the members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission, currently the final scheduled shuttle flight.

Chris Ferguson, a retired U.S. Navy captain and veteran of two previous shuttle missions, would command the flight. Astronaut and U.S. Marine Col. Doug Hurley would serve as pilot, and astronauts Sandy Magnus and retired U.S. Air Force Col. Rex Walheim would be the mission specialists.

Based on recommendations made after the loss of space shuttle Columbia in February 2003, NASA has trained a launch on need crew to be ready to fly in the event of irreparable damage to a shuttle while in orbit. Typically, the next crew to fly serves as the rescue crew for the current mission. The STS-335 crew will prepare for a potential rescue mission and preserve flexibility if another shuttle flight is added to the launch manifest.

"These astronauts will begin training immediately as a rescue crew as well as in the baseline requirements that would be needed to fly an additional shuttle flight," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate in Washington. "The normal training template for a shuttle crew is about one year prior to launch, so we need to begin training now in order to maintain the flexibility of flying a rescue mission if needed, or alter course and fly an additional shuttle mission if that decision is made."

If required, the STS-335 rescue mission would launch on shuttle Atlantis in June 2011 to bring home the STS-134 crew from the International Space Station. STS-134 currently is scheduled to lift off on Feb. 26, 2011, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

If converted to an additional shuttle flight, STS-335 would be redesignated STS-135 and targeted to launch in June 2011.

Ferguson, who was born in Philadelphia, flew on two prior shuttle missions, STS-115 in 2006 and STS-126 in 2008. Hurley, who was born in Endicott, N.Y., but considers Apalachin, N.Y., his hometown, served as the pilot on STS-127 in 2009. Magnus, of Belleville, Ill., flew on STS-112 in 2002 and launched to the space station in 2008 on STS-126, where she served four and a half months as a flight engineer and science officer on Expedition 18 before returning to Earth on STS-119 in 2009. Walheim was born in Redwood City, Calif., and considers San Carlos, Calif., his hometown. He flew on STS-110 in 2002 and STS-122 in 2008.

BMckay
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posted 09-14-2010 08:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for BMckay   Click Here to Email BMckay     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Congrats to Ferguson, Hurley, Walheim and Magnus. Glad they "might" another flight.

issman1
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posted 09-14-2010 08:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for issman1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I predicted Ferguson as CDR. It was either Hurley or Butch Wilmore for PLT, but I assumed (wrongly as it turned out) the MS slots would go to Stan Love and Chris Cassidy.

Are they now in the reckoning for a long-duration ISS mission in the future? Or something else perhaps?

Delta7
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posted 09-14-2010 08:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Delta7   Click Here to Email Delta7     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Chris Cassidy is apparently assigned to the backup crew of Expedition 33.

Delta7
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posted 09-14-2010 08:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Delta7   Click Here to Email Delta7     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Will Chris Ferguson maintain his position as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office for the time being, or will he be replaced?

Hart Sastrowardoyo
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posted 09-14-2010 09:35 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Hart Sastrowardoyo   Click Here to Email Hart Sastrowardoyo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
One out of four (Hurley). Guess I shouldn't play the lottery.

Delta7
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posted 09-15-2010 07:34 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Delta7   Click Here to Email Delta7     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
If they actually fly, this would be the second launch together for Ferguson and Magnus, having launched together on STS-126.

robsouth
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posted 09-15-2010 08:34 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for robsouth     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
If it’s standard practice for every shuttle mission to have a standby crew just in case of failure, will STS-135 have one too if it launches? If it does, then why won’t that crew get to launch into space? What’s the difference between a standby crew for STS-135 and a standby crew for STS-134 that makes it possible for the STS-335 crew to fly? Why not just stop after STS-134?

Robert Pearlman
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posted 09-15-2010 08:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
If STS-135 is approved, the rescue plan is to use two Soyuz spacecraft. Please see the discussion under STS-135: Extending shuttle by one mission.

Hart Sastrowardoyo
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posted 09-15-2010 08:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Hart Sastrowardoyo   Click Here to Email Hart Sastrowardoyo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ferguson was also commander of STS-400, the proposed Hubble rescue. Were any of the other crew assigned to Launch on Need missions?

(And on another though, STS-400 was Endeavour rescuing Atlantis; STS-335 would be Atlantis rescuing Endeavour.)

issman1
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posted 09-15-2010 09:05 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for issman1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Delta7:
If they actually fly, this would be the second launch together for Ferguson and Magnus, having launched together on STS-126.
I'm guessing Commander Ferguson had some input in the selection of Magnus?

Mike Isbell
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posted 09-15-2010 03:05 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mike Isbell     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I guessed that either Chris Ferguson or Lee Archambault would be the CDMR and that either Douglas Hurley or Barry Wilmore would be the PLT. As for the MS's I had guessed that Timothy Creamer would get one of the slots and that the other would go to either Karen Nyburg or to Megan McArther. I reckon that makes my guess correct for 2 of 4.

Hart Sastrowardoyo
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posted 09-18-2010 11:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Hart Sastrowardoyo   Click Here to Email Hart Sastrowardoyo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Here's a thought: suppose that one of the crew on STS-134 gets a cold or hurts their ankle and can't make the flight. Would then the STS-335 crew en masse move up to be the 134 crew or would they do just a one-for-one substitution?

Delta7
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posted 09-18-2010 12:14 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Delta7   Click Here to Email Delta7     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Chris Ferguson's recently updated NASA bio reflects the new assignment, and no longer lists himself as Deputy Astronaut Office Chief in the title. I suspect an announcement of a new Deputy Chief is forthcoming.

George Zamka?

Delta7
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posted 09-18-2010 12:17 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Delta7   Click Here to Email Delta7     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Hart Sastrowardoyo:
Would then the STS-335 crew en masse move up to be the 134 crew or would they do just a one-for-one substitution?
My guess is that it would be a single substitution, and how close it is to the actual flight would be a factor. If a crew member had to be replaced now, they'd simply select someone from the pool of available astronauts. At some point, they might consider someone from another crew who's well into the training flow. Or who has recently flown (i.e. STS-133).

Robert Pearlman
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posted 09-18-2010 12:33 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The STS-335 crew are not intended as back-ups to the STS-134 crew, so in that regard they would not automatically step in to fly.

NASA has said in the past that were a shuttle crew member unable to launch due to a temporary medical problem, the mission would be delayed until such time s/he could. Were the medical issue of a more permanent nature, time would be needed to train the replacement, which could also result in a delay.

Michael Cassutt
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Registered: Mar 2005

posted 10-05-2010 11:23 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Michael Cassutt   Click Here to Email Michael Cassutt     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Delta7:
I suspect an announcement of a new Deputy Chief is forthcoming. George Zamka?
It's Sturckow.

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