THOMAS P. STAFFORD
LIEUTENANT GENERAL, USAF (RET.)
NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)
PERSONAL DATA: Born September 17, 1930, in
Weatherford, Oklahoma. Married to the former Linda Ann Dishman of Chelsea,
Oklahoma. They have two sons, Michael Thomas and Stanislav “Stas” Patten. First
marriage was to the former Faye L. Shoemaker. They have two daughters, Dionne
Kay and Karin Elaine as well as two grandsons, Thomas P. Stafford II and Andrew
Alexi Harrison. Linda has two children from a previous marriage, Kassie Neering
and Mark Hill, and four grandchildren: Sloane, Lee, Marcus and Tara. He enjoys
hunting, scuba diving, fishing and deep sea fishing and swimming.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Weatherford High School,
Weatherford, Oklahoma; received a Bachelor of Science degree from the United
States Naval Academy in 1952. In addition, General Stafford is the recipient of
several honorary degrees. These include a doctorate of laws from the University
of Cordoba, Argentina, a doctorate of humane letters, University of Oklahoma and
a masters of humane letters, Southwestern University, Weatherford, Oklahoma; a
doctorate of science from Oklahoma City University; a doctorate of laws, Western
State University, Los Angeles California; doctorate of communications, Emerson
College, Boston, Massachusetts; a doctorate of aeronautical engineering,
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida, and a doctorate of
humanities, Oklahoma Christian College, Edmond, Oklahoma.
ORGANIZATION: Fellow of the American Astronautical
Society, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Society of
Experimental Test Pilots, and a member of the Masonic Lodge.
SPECIAL HONORS: NASA Distinguished Service Medals
(2), NASA Exceptional Service Medals (2), Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf
Cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force
Commendation Medal, Air Force Command Pilot Astronaut Wings. Other awards
include the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Chanute
Flight Award, the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Space Award, National
Geographic Society's General Thomas D. White USAF Space Trophy, Federation
Aeronautique Internationale Gold Space Medal. In 1966, he was co-recipient of
the IAAA Award. He was honored with the Harmon International Aviation Trophy in
1966 and 1976. In 1969 he received the National Academy of Television Arts and
Sciences Special Trustees Award and in 1978 the Los Angeles Area Chamber of
Commerce Kitty Hawk Sands of Time Award; received the Society of Experimental
Test Pilots James H. Doolittle Award for Management, September 1979, October
1979, received the NASA Medal for outstanding leadership, one of the Agency's
highest awards. In 1993 General Stafford was the eighth recipient of the
Congressional Space Medal of Honor. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of
Fame and received the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA). He
served as the Chairman of the Operations Oversight Committee of the first Hubble
Telescope Spacecraft Servicing and Repair Mission that corrected the design and
manufacturing defect of the instrument. In 1994, NASA recognized his tremendous
efforts and presented him with the NASA Public Service Award for the Hubble
Telescope Service and Repair Mission. General Stafford was inducted into the
Oklahoma Commerce and Industry Hall of Honor in October 1994, and to the
National Aviation Hall of Fame and the Aerospace Walk of Honor in 1997.
EXPERIENCE: General Stafford graduated with honors in
1952 from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, and was commissioned a
second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He received his pilot wings at
Connally AFB, Waco, Texas, in September 1953. He completed advanced interceptor
training and was assigned to the 54th Flight Interceptor Squadron, Ellsworth
AFB, Rapid City, South Dakota. In December 1955 he was assigned to the 496th
Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Hahn Air Base, Germany, where he performed the
duties of pilot, flight leader, and flight test maintenance office, flying
F-86Ds. He was an instructor in flight test training and specialized academic
subjects-establishing basic textbooks and directing the writing of flight test
manuals for use by the staff and students. He is co-author of the Pilot's
Handbook for Performance Flight Testing and the Aerodynamics Handbook for
Performance Flight Testing.
General Stafford was selected among the second group of
astronauts in September 1962 by the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) to participate in Projects Gemini and Apollo. In December
1965, he piloted Gemini VI the first rendezvous in space, and helped develop
techniques to prove the basic theory and practicality of space rendezvous. In
June 1966 he commanded Gemini IX and performed a demonstration of an early
rendezvous that would be used in Apollo, the first optical rendezvous, and a
lunar orbit abort rendezvous. From August 1966 to October 1968 he headed the
mission planning analysis and software development responsibilities for the
astronaut group for Project Apollo.
General Stafford was the lead member of the group, which
helped formulate the sequence of missions leading to the first lunar landing
mission. He demonstrated and implemented the theory of a pilot manually flying
the Saturn booster into orbit and the translunar injection maneuver.
General Stafford was commander of Apollo 10 in May 1969,
first flight of the lunar module to the moon, performed the first rendezvous
around the Moon, and performed the entire lunar landing mission except the
actual landing.
He also made reconnaissance and tracking on future Apollo
landing sites. General Stafford was cited in the Guinness Book of World Records
for highest speed ever attained by man, that occurred during Apollo 10 reentry
when the spacecraft attained 24,791 statute miles per hour.
He was assigned as head of the astronaut group in June 1969,
responsible for the selection of flight crews for projects Apollo and Skylab. He
reviewed and monitored flight crew training status reports, and was responsible
for coordination, scheduling, and control of all activities involving NASA
astronauts.
In June 1971, General Stafford was assigned as Deputy
Director of Flight Crew Operations at the NASA Manned Space flight Center. He
was responsible for assisting the director in planning and implementation of
programs for the astronaut group, the Aircraft Operations, Flight Crew
Integration, Flight Crew Procedures, and Crew Simulation and Training Divisions.
He logged his fourth space flight as Apollo commander of the
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission, July 15-24, 1975, a joint space flight
culminating in the historic first meeting in space between American Astronauts
and Soviet Cosmonauts.
General Stafford was the first member of his Naval Academy
Class of 1952 to pin on the first, second and third stars of a General Officer.
He has flown six rendezvous in space; logged 507 hours and 43 minutes in space
flight and wore the Air Force command Pilot Astronaut Wings. He has flown over
127 different types of aircraft and helicopters and four different types of
spacecraft.
General Stafford assumed command of the Air Force Flight
Test Center November 4, 1975. He was promoted to the grade of Major General
August 9, 1975, with date of rank of June 1, 1973.
Gen. Stafford was promoted Lt. Gen. on March 15, 1978 and on
May 1, 1978 assumed the duties as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Research,
Development and Acquisition, HQ USAF, Wash., DC. During this time Gen. Stafford
was personally involved in initiating the F-117A Stealth Fighter. In early 1979,
he wrote the initial desired specifications on and started the advanced
technology bomber development, now designated the B-2 “Stealth Bomber”. Gen.
Stafford retired from the Air Force in November 1979.
In June of 1990, Vice President Quayle and Admiral Richard
Truly, then NASA Administrator, asked General Stafford to Chair a team to
independently advise NASA how to carry out President Bush's vision of returning
to the Moon, this time to stay, and then go on to explore Mars. General Stafford
assembled teams of 40 full-time and 150 part-time members from the DOD, DOE and
NASA, and completed the study called "America at the Threshold", a road
map for the next 30 years of the U.S. Manned Space Flight Program. General
Stafford and Vice President Quayle held a joint Press Conference at the White
House in June 1991 to announce the recommendations to the public. The Clinton
Administration directed a review of all federally-funded research and
development plans of the Executive Branch in 1994. Gen. Stafford chaired the
committee to review and make recommendations to enhance the efficiency of the
R&D initiatives of the NASA Human Exploration Enterprise that included JSC, KSC,
MSFC and SSFC.
He co-founded the Technical Consulting Firm of Stafford,
Burke, and Hecker, Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia. He sits on the Board of
Directors of six corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange, one listed
on the American Exchange, and two others, including Seagate Technology, Inc.
Seagate Technology is the largest independent hard disk drive maker in the
world. He has served as an advisor to a number of governmental agencies
including NASA and the Air Force Systems Command. He was a defense advisor to
Ronald Reagan during the presidential campaign and a member of the Reagan
transition team. He served on the National Research Council's Aeronautics and
Space Engineering Board; the Committee on NASA Scientific and Technological
Program Reviews and Vice President Quayle's Space Policy Advisory Council. He
was Chairman of the NASA Advisory Council Task Force on Shuttle-Mir Rendezvous
and Docking Missions, is currently Chairman of the NASA Advisory Council Task
Force on ISS Operational Readiness, and Co-Chairman of the Stafford-Covey Space
Shuttle Return to Flight Task Group.
