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Topic: Bill Thornton, NASA astronaut (1929-2021)
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Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 45546 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 01-14-2021 11:19 AM
collectSPACE Astronaut William Thornton, who invented space shuttle treadmill, dies at 91Former NASA astronaut William "Bill" Thornton, who used his own inventions to measure and combat the ill-effects of microgravity while on board two space shuttle missions, has died at the age of 91. Thornton's death on Jan. 11 was reported by NASA on Thursday (Jan. 14). "NASA is saddened to learn of the loss of former physician-astronaut, Dr. William Thornton, who died last week at his home in Boerne, Texas," the agency stated. |
MSS Member Posts: 763 From: Europe Registered: May 2003
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posted 01-14-2021 11:22 AM
RIP William Edgar |
MarylandSpace Member Posts: 1383 From: Registered: Aug 2002
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Lasv3 Member Posts: 441 From: Bratislava, Slovakia Registered: Apr 2009
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sts205cdr Member Posts: 683 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Jun 2001
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East-Frisian Member Posts: 606 From: Germany Registered: Apr 2005
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Jeff Member Posts: 526 From: Fayetteville, NC, USA Registered: May 2009
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Starfighter1 Member Posts: 113 From: Registered: Feb 2007
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Kevin T. Randall Member Posts: 1268 From: Chesham, Bucks UK Registered: Dec 2008
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Henk Boshuijer Member Posts: 455 From: Netherlands Registered: May 2007
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OV-105 Member Posts: 848 From: Ridgecrest, CA Registered: Sep 2000
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SkyMan1958 Member Posts: 977 From: CA. Registered: Jan 2011
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Ken Havekotte Member Posts: 3165 From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard Registered: Mar 2001
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Neil DC Member Posts: 166 From: Middletown, NJ, USA Registered: May 2010
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posted 01-14-2021 01:54 PM
Had a chance to meet him back in the early nineties when he presented at Imperial Collage in London. Gave a very interesting presentation on how he had redesigned the space shuttle toilet. A serious matter in those early days with crews of 7 in a confined space. Then in about 2006 at an award ceremony for him in his home state of North Carolina. A large but gently spoken man. Condolences to his family on his passing. |
Delta7 Member Posts: 1623 From: Bluffton IN USA Registered: Oct 2007
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JohnPaul56 Member Posts: 211 From: Montclair, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2010
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Kite Member Posts: 926 From: Northampton UK Registered: Nov 2009
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ManInSpace Member Posts: 207 From: Brooklin, ON Canada Registered: Feb 2018
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randy Member Posts: 2385 From: West Jordan, Utah USA Registered: Dec 1999
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SpaceAholic Member Posts: 4760 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
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Dave Shayler Member Posts: 149 From: Halesowen, West Mids, UK Registered: Dec 2009
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posted 01-14-2021 02:55 PM
I was saddened to hear of the loss of another pioneering astronaut, Dr. Bill Thronton, whom I had known for about 40 years since his help in the early 1980s for my compilation of the AIS booklet on the Group 6 astronauts.I first met with Bill for a formal interview at Johnson Space Center in August 1988 and we hit it off straight away to the point where at the end of that first interview he invited me to his home a couple of days later. On the appointed day he picked me up in his vintage Mercedes from where I was staying. On the way to his house, he stopped by a drive through butchers, to pick up some steaks, which was an eye-opening experience for this Englishman on his first trip to the United States and a novel way to order meat for that night's dinner! This was the start of a friendship lasting over 30 years involving many visits to his home in Friendswood and San Antonio and getting to know the man behind the astronaut wings and his English wife Jennifer. Bill was always interested in my work and contributed in many ways over the years in many publications including supplying information to fill one complete issue of my self-published fanzine ORBITER. It was Bill who, after my nearly five years of trying, secured a personal interview for me with John Young, and who accompanied me on a guided tour of JSC's Building 9 Shuttle training facilities and the new Space Station Freedom mockup. Of course, Bill was instrumental in my research for my book on Skylab, Jerry Carr's biography and the cooperative work with Colin Burgess on NASA's Scientist Astronauts. Each time Bill and I met he was enthusiastic to hear the latest news on the Soviet programme. He was also always open to share his experiences as a scientist-astronaut, from his flights, training, experiences on SMEAT and work in developing the Spacelab design, and the latest space equipment he was working on including the treadmill and Shuttle toilet. In October 1991, we shared a memorable lecture tour I had arranged of the English Midlands notably with Bill presenting papers at Oxford and Birmingham Universities and some wonderful formal dinners there. Another memorable image from that time was when we visited a local school in the Midlands at the same time as Helen Sharman.
It was during this visit that Bill and Jennifer had a wonderful tour of Worcester Cathedral and famous Pottery Museum. His visit to the Black Country Museum was especially exciting for him due to his interest in the history of technology. In particular, seeing up close and personal Thomas Newcomen's invention of the first practical steam engine for pumping water in 1712. Bill was a warm and engaging man, interesting in a wide variety of subjects, passionate about human spaceflight and the medical aspects of such an endeavour. He was also at times frustrated about the pace of such developments or rather the lack of them. One memorable story, he told me from the 1979 tropical storm Elena, was when the floodwaters threatening their Friendswood home, they could see fish hitting the patio windows from the outside trying to get in. Then, once the floods had subsided, they returned to find fish on the inside of their lounge hitting the window trying to get out! I always enjoyed hearing his recollections and experiences in the American space programme, and he equally enjoyed hearing the latest news about my family. Both Bill and Jennifer were close family friends and I treasure the hours spent with them in Houston, San Antonio (especially with Jennifer's horses), and here in England. I am thankful for his support of my work and my archives are much richer in detail and my understanding of the programme greater for his help and the hours spent taping interviews and making notes. I regret I had not been able to see them in person in recent years, but treasure the photos I have from those earlier meetings. He deserved a third or fourth spaceflight, but it was not to be, but from the two he participated in and the decades of dedicated research there is a rich archive of material for researchers to explore and enjoy. RIP Dr. Bill, and thank you for your friendship over many years. |
Neil DC Member Posts: 166 From: Middletown, NJ, USA Registered: May 2010
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posted 01-14-2021 02:58 PM
Dr. Thornton and his wife were full of praise for your work Dave. |
Grounded! Member Posts: 430 From: Bennington, Vermont, USA Registered: Feb 2011
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David C Member Posts: 1224 From: Lausanne Registered: Apr 2012
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minipci Member Posts: 403 From: London, UK Registered: Jul 2009
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star51L Member Posts: 410 From: Vilano Beach, FL, USA Registered: Aug 2002
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Lou Chinal Member Posts: 1361 From: Staten Island, NY Registered: Jun 2007
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gareth89 Member Posts: 321 From: Ireland Registered: May 2014
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Fra Mauro Member Posts: 1732 From: Bethpage, N.Y. Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 01-14-2021 07:12 PM
.A moving tribute David. |