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Mike Mullane | |
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| Born | Richard Michael Mullane (1945-09-10)September 10, 1945 (age 80) Wichita Falls, Texas, U.S. |
| Education | United States Military Academy (BS) Air University (MS) |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Colonel,USAF |
Time in space | 14d 20h 20m |
| Selection | NASA Group 8 (1978) |
| Missions | STS-41-D STS-27 STS-36 |
Mission insignia |    |
Richard Michael Mullane (born September 10, 1945;Col,USAF, Ret.) is anengineer and weapon systems officer, a retiredUSAF officer, and a formerNASAastronaut. During his career, he flew as a mission specialist onSTS-41-D,STS-27, andSTS-36.
Richard Michael Mullane was born September 10, 1945, inWichita Falls, Texas.[1] At the time of his birth, his father, Hugh, was serving as aflight engineer on aB-17 in thePacific War. His family moved regularly until his father was diagnosed with polio and lost the use of his legs, causing the family to move toAlbuquerque, New Mexico.[2]: 7–12 He was aSecond Class Scout in theBoy Scouts of America.[3] He graduated fromSt. Pius X High School, Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1963, then received aBachelor of Science degree inmilitary engineering from theUnited States Military Academy in 1967 and was awarded aMaster of Science degree inaeronautical engineering from the U.S.Air Force Institute of Technology in 1975.
Mullane, an air force colonel, graduated fromWest Point in 1967. He completed 134 combat missions as anRF-4Cweapon systems officer while stationed atTan Son Nhut Air Base,Vietnam, from January to November 1969. He subsequently served a 4-year tour of duty, in England. In July 1976, upon completing the USAF Flight Test Engineer Course atEdwards Air Force Base,California, he was assigned as a flight test weapon systems officer to the 3246th Test Wing atEglin Air Force Base,Florida.[1][4]
Selected by NASA in January 1978,[5] Mullane became an astronaut in August 1979. He flew on threeSpace Shuttle missions, serving as a mission specialist on the crew ofSTS-41-D in August 1984, onSTS-27 in December 1988, and onSTS-36 in March 1990.
On his first mission Mullane served as a mission specialist on the crew of STS-41-D, which launched fromKennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 30, 1984. This was the maiden flight of theOrbiterDiscovery. During this seven-day mission the crew successfully activated the OAST-1solar cell wing experiment, deployed threesatellites, operated the CFES-III experiment, the studentcrystal growth experiment, andphotography experiments using theIMAX motion picturecamera. STS 41-D completed 96 orbits of the Earth in 145 hours before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 5, 1984.
Mullane then was assigned toSTS-62-A, the first Shuttle mission scheduled to launch fromVandenberg Air Force Base, but the mission was canceled after theSpace ShuttleChallenger disaster. After the Shuttle returned to service, he flew aboard the OrbiterAtlantis, onSTS-27, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on December 2, 1988. The mission carried aDepartment of Defense (DOD) payload, as well as a number of secondary payloads. After 68 orbits of the earth, the mission concluded with a dry lakebed landing on Runway 17 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on December 6, 1988. Mission duration was 105 hours. The mission is noteworthy due to the severe damage Atlantis sustained to its critical heat-resistant tiles during ascent.
On his third flight, Mullane served on the crew of STS-36, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on February 28, 1990, aboard the Space ShuttleAtlantis. This mission carried DOD payloads and a number of secondary payloads. After 72 orbits of the earth, the STS-36 mission concluded with a lakebed landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on March 4, 1990.
With the completion of his third flight, Mullane logged a total of 356 hours in space. He retired from NASA and the Air Force July 1, 1990.[6]
In 2006, Mullane published an autobiography,Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut, that details his life before and during the space program, and expresses critical views towards the culture of the NASA Astronaut Corps.[7] Mullane appeared on the United States television showThe Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Monday, February 13, 2006, to promote his book.[citation needed]
He is a member of theAir Force Association and a member of the Leadership Board ofFor All Moonkind, Inc.[8]
NASA Astronaut Group 8, "TFNG (Thirty-Five New Guys)", 1978  | |||||||
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