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posted 04-10-2006 03:14 PM               

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Did Deke Slayton ever fly the space shuttle during its landing tests? I mean during the phase before STS-1.

And why didn't he actually fly the shuttle into orbit?

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From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
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posted 04-10-2006 04:38 PM               

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Slayton never piloted any of the shuttle orbiter Enterprise approach and landing flight tests in 1977. They were piloted by Fred Haise, Gordon Fullerton, Joe Engle and Dick Truly.

After Slayton's Apollo-Soyuz space feat in 1975, he had no interest in going back to flight crew operations for a possible future flight assignment. He didn't see any new flights on the horizon in the immediate future, also, he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Dr. Kraft hired Deke to run the Shuttle Approach and Landing Test (ALT) program even before his Apollo-Soyuz flight. Apparently, his single flight assignment on ASTP satisfied him in not flying again.

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posted 04-10-2006 06:53 PM               

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That answers that. Did he ever ride in it while others operated the controls?

Was there something about ASTP that turned him off about future flights?

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posted 04-10-2006 07:18 PM               

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I am sure that all qualified active astronauts would have loved to fly one of the early OFT missions. I remember in asking Slayton a similar question in Cocoa Beach, Florida, during one of our Space Congress functions that he was a guest speaker for. When asked if he wanted to fly again, during the late 1970s, his answer was that there wasn't an available flight assignment until much later on and that he had no interest whatsoever in waiting so long for any possible flight opportunity.

Perhaps in using the word "satisfied" wasn't my best choice of words, Michael, but didn't he tell his first wife that he would settle down a bit and not fly a second time? I recall such a conversation with one of the first seven (Shepard?) many years back.

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posted 04-10-2006 10:06 PM               

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It seems (Michael probably knows best), that Deke did have a lung disorder, possibly a tumor (seems it was not life threatening?) that was discovered by accident when he was being checked out for the inhalation of the hydrazine or whatever fuel that was not dumped prior to re-entry.

I got the impression that that incident (mid 70's) was not connected to his ultimately fatal sickness, which was the early 90's. I also don't think it (at least officially) affected his flight status. I could easily be wrong here and will gladly be corrected.

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posted 04-11-2006 01:28 PM               

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There's also a great photo in "Deke!" where he's in front of the Enterprise being interviewed by a very young reporter.

It's obvious that Mr. Slayton is enjoying his conversation.

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From: Chester, Cheshire, UK
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posted 04-11-2006 05:41 PM               

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Yes it was Deke Slayton that piloted a NASA T-38/Talon jet aircraft (#924) that flew "chase" alongside the Shuttle Orbiter Columbia atop its NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. I remember that day well — March 24, 1979 — as I was stationed near the Shuttle Orbiter Landing Facility, or runway, covering Columbia's arrival at Kennedy from Rockwell's Palmdale assembly factory and flight transport from Edwards AFB, CA. As the big 747/SCA with OV-102 flying piggyback made her final approach and touchdown, our team was only a few years away, literally, as it just blew me away!

We took many photos with our Hasselblad cameras and those are still some of my all-time favorite shuttle images and memories. Those were the days, huh, as there was so much excitement and enthusiasm toward ushering in a new era of manned space travel. That was in late March 1979 and Columbia was still more than 2 years away before her maiden space voyage.

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posted 04-11-2006 08:39 PM               

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ken Havekotte:
Perhaps in using the word "satisfied" wasn't my best choice of words, Michael, but didn't he tell his first wife that he would settle down a bit and not fly a second time?

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Deke's attitudes — and relationships — changed from the beginning of ALT (early 1976) to the end of his participation in OFT (early 1982). For one thing, his marriage to Marge ended about mid-way through that span, so whatever he was saying about her wishes probably evolved a bit...

All I know is that when I asked him this in 1991-2, he said he would have liked to command one of the early post-OFT missions, let that wish be known, got nothing in return. (Kraft was probably not involved, since in 1981 he was in the process of leaving JSC under less than happy circumstances.)

Had he been offered something like STS-9, would he have taken it? I suppose it depends on when. I think that seeing the exodus of so many of his colleagues — Kraft, Faget, etc. — in 1981 he might have been encouraged make other plans for himself.

As for his physical status, he was cleared to fly T-38s solo. As far as I know, that means he was okay for a shuttle crew.

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posted 04-12-2006 03:41 PM               

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ken Havekotte:
Yes it was Deke Slayton that piloted a NASA T-38/Talon jet aircraft (#924) that flew "chase" alongside the Shuttle Orbiter Columbia atop its NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

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Why was it Deke who was chase pilot? Was it supposed to be symbolic, was it just "his turn," or did he flex some muscle?

I realise that this is a footnote to spaceflight history but, in the light of other knowledge, including Michael's comments, I am interested in why somebody (albeit of Deke's legendary status) on the way out of NASA was in this prime role?

(Please don't infer any criticism of Deke; as a famous Paranoid Android once said, "I ask merely for information.")

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posted 04-12-2006 04:42 PM               

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Not knowing for sure, but since Slayton was the manager for the shuttle program's Approach and Landing Test Project since 1975, I would think the flight assignment as "Chase Pilot" would not be too much out of the ordinary for him. As NASA's Shuttle ALT top man, in which he still maintained astronaut T-38 jet-clearance, it would be natural to have the project manager fly in this capacity, wouldn't you think?

I can't even recall if Young and Crippen were at the Cape when Columbia's first arrived. I'll check my notes, programs, and news releases just to make sure as they were probably at JSC or elsewhere preparing and/or training for the maiden trip.

One of Deke's responsibilities as the ALT manager was to oversee all ferry operations with the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft as I am sure this helped in flying chase for such a milestone SCA arrival. Just for the record, after the successful flight test phase of ALT/Enterprise, Slayton was manager of the Shuttle's Orbital Flight Test program from Nov. 1977 through Feb. 1982. The first two shuttle orbital test flights were conducted under his superb leadership.

Right after that he retired from NASA and went into the commercial launch business and as a consultant to several aerospace companies, among other positions.

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