Space News
space history and artifacts articles

Messages
space history discussion forums

Sightings
worldwide astronaut appearances

Resources
selected space history documents

  collectSPACE: Messages
  Space Explorers & Workers
  Bill Thornton, NASA astronaut (1929-2021) (Page 1)

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search


This topic is 2 pages long:   1  2 
next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Bill Thornton, NASA astronaut (1929-2021)
Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 45546
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 01-14-2021 11:19 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
collectSPACE
Astronaut William Thornton, who invented space shuttle treadmill, dies at 91

Former 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

posted 01-14-2021 11:22 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for MSS     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
RIP William Edgar

MarylandSpace
Member

Posts: 1383
From:
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 01-14-2021 11:23 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for MarylandSpace   Click Here to Email MarylandSpace     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Lasv3
Member

Posts: 441
From: Bratislava, Slovakia
Registered: Apr 2009

posted 01-14-2021 11:36 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lasv3   Click Here to Email Lasv3     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

sts205cdr
Member

Posts: 683
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 01-14-2021 11:45 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for sts205cdr   Click Here to Email sts205cdr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

East-Frisian
Member

Posts: 606
From: Germany
Registered: Apr 2005

posted 01-14-2021 11:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for East-Frisian     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Jeff
Member

Posts: 526
From: Fayetteville, NC, USA
Registered: May 2009

posted 01-14-2021 12:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jeff   Click Here to Email Jeff     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Starfighter1
Member

Posts: 113
From:
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 01-14-2021 12:34 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Starfighter1   Click Here to Email Starfighter1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Kevin T. Randall
Member

Posts: 1268
From: Chesham, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008

posted 01-14-2021 12:52 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Kevin T. Randall   Click Here to Email Kevin T. Randall     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Henk Boshuijer
Member

Posts: 455
From: Netherlands
Registered: May 2007

posted 01-14-2021 12:58 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Henk Boshuijer   Click Here to Email Henk Boshuijer     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

OV-105
Member

Posts: 848
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 01-14-2021 01:32 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for OV-105   Click Here to Email OV-105     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

SkyMan1958
Member

Posts: 977
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011

posted 01-14-2021 01:32 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SkyMan1958   Click Here to Email SkyMan1958     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 3165
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 01-14-2021 01:53 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Neil DC
Member

Posts: 166
From: Middletown, NJ, USA
Registered: May 2010

posted 01-14-2021 01:54 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Neil DC   Click Here to Email Neil DC     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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

posted 01-14-2021 02:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Delta7   Click Here to Email Delta7     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

JohnPaul56
Member

Posts: 211
From: Montclair, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2010

posted 01-14-2021 02:01 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for JohnPaul56     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Kite
Member

Posts: 926
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009

posted 01-14-2021 02:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Kite     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

ManInSpace
Member

Posts: 207
From: Brooklin, ON Canada
Registered: Feb 2018

posted 01-14-2021 02:15 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for ManInSpace     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

randy
Member

Posts: 2385
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 01-14-2021 02:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for randy   Click Here to Email randy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

SpaceAholic
Member

Posts: 4760
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 01-14-2021 02:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceAholic   Click Here to Email SpaceAholic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Dave Shayler
Member

Posts: 149
From: Halesowen, West Mids, UK
Registered: Dec 2009

posted 01-14-2021 02:55 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Dave Shayler   Click Here to Email Dave Shayler     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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

posted 01-14-2021 02:58 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Neil DC   Click Here to Email Neil DC     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Dr. Thornton and his wife were full of praise for your work Dave.

Grounded!
Member

Posts: 430
From: Bennington, Vermont, USA
Registered: Feb 2011

posted 01-14-2021 03:03 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Grounded!   Click Here to Email Grounded!     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

David C
Member

Posts: 1224
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012

posted 01-14-2021 03:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for David C     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

RobertB
Member

Posts: 210
From: Israel
Registered: Nov 2012

posted 01-14-2021 03:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for RobertB   Click Here to Email RobertB     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

SpaceCadet1983
Member

Posts: 311
From: Pacific NW, United States
Registered: May 2012

posted 01-14-2021 03:14 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceCadet1983   Click Here to Email SpaceCadet1983     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

india-mike
Member

Posts: 96
From: Linnich, Northrine Westfalia, Germany
Registered: Jan 2012

posted 01-14-2021 03:41 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for india-mike   Click Here to Email india-mike     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Panther494
Member

Posts: 484
From: London UK
Registered: Jan 2013

posted 01-14-2021 03:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Panther494   Click Here to Email Panther494     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

MCroft04
Member

Posts: 1708
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 01-14-2021 03:45 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for MCroft04   Click Here to Email MCroft04     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Mike Isbell
Member

Posts: 563
From: Silver Spring, Maryland USA
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 01-14-2021 03:52 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mike Isbell     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

alcyone
Member

Posts: 157
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Sep 2010

posted 01-14-2021 04:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for alcyone     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

minipci
Member

Posts: 403
From: London, UK
Registered: Jul 2009

posted 01-14-2021 04:26 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for minipci     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

oly
Member

Posts: 1156
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015

posted 01-14-2021 05:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for oly   Click Here to Email oly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

star51L
Member

Posts: 410
From: Vilano Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 01-14-2021 05:28 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for star51L   Click Here to Email star51L     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Lou Chinal
Member

Posts: 1361
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007

posted 01-14-2021 05:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lou Chinal   Click Here to Email Lou Chinal     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Jurg Bolli
Member

Posts: 1066
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 01-14-2021 06:01 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jurg Bolli   Click Here to Email Jurg Bolli     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

goose77
Member

Posts: 66
From: Marion, Iowa
Registered: Jul 2019

posted 01-14-2021 06:35 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for goose77   Click Here to Email goose77     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

gareth89
Member

Posts: 321
From: Ireland
Registered: May 2014

posted 01-14-2021 06:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for gareth89   Click Here to Email gareth89     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

David Carey
Member

Posts: 865
From:
Registered: Mar 2009

posted 01-14-2021 06:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for David Carey   Click Here to Email David Carey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Fra Mauro
Member

Posts: 1732
From: Bethpage, N.Y.
Registered: Jul 2002

posted 01-14-2021 07:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Fra Mauro   Click Here to Email Fra Mauro     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

A moving tribute David.


This topic is 2 pages long:   1  2 

All times are CT (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts

Copyright 2021 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a





advertisement