Frederick D. Gregory
Encyclopedia
Frederick Drew Gregory (Colonel, USAF, Ret.) is a former NASA
astronaut
and former NASA Deputy Administrator. He also served briefly as NASA Acting Administrator in early 2005, covering the period between the departure of Sean O'Keefe
and the swearing in of Michael Griffin
.
, the nephew of Dr. Charles Drew. Married to the former Barbara Archer of Washington, D.C. until her death in 2008. They had two grown children. Frederick, D., Jr., is a Lieutenant Colonel
in the Air Force
, and a graduate of Stanford University
. Heather Lynn is a social worker and graduate of Sweet Briar College
. He is now married to the former Annette Becke of Washington, D.C. Recreational interests include reading
and traveling.
and STS-2
; Flight Data File Manager; lead spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM); Chief, Operational Safety, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.; Chief, Astronaut Training; and a member of the Orbiter Configuration Control Board and the Space Shuttle Program Control Board. A veteran of three Shuttle missions he has logged about 456 hours in space. He served as pilot on STS-51B (April 29 to May 6, 1985), and was the spacecraft commander on STS-33
(November 22–27, 1989), and STS-44
(November 24 to December 1, 1991).
Gregory served at NASA Headquarters as Associate Administrator for the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (1992–2001), and was Associate Administrator for the Office of Space Flight (2001–2002). On August 12, 2002 Mr. Gregory was sworn in as NASA Deputy Administrator. From the departure of Sean O'Keefe
on February 20, 2005, to the swearing in of Michael D. Griffin
on April 14, 2005, he was the NASA Acting Administrator. He returned to the post of Deputy Administrator and on September 9, 2005, submitted his resignation. He was replaced on November 29, 2005 by Shana Dale
.
, Florida, on April 29, 1985 with Gregory serving as pilot. The crew aboard the Orbiter Challenger
included spacecraft commander, Robert Overmyer; mission specialists, Norman Thagard
, William E. Thornton
, and Don Lind; and payload specialists, Taylor Wang
and Lodewijk van den Berg
. On this second flight of the laboratory developed by the European Space Agency
(ESA), the crew conducted a broad range of scientific experiments ranging from space physics to the suitability of animal-holding facilities. The crew also deployed the Northern Utah Satellite (NUSAT). After seven days of around-the-clock scientific operations, Challenger and its laboratory cargo landed on the dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base
, California, on May 6, 1985. Mission duration was 168 hours, 8 minutes, 47seconds.
When STS-33
launched at night, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 22, 1989, Gregory became the first African-American to command a space flight.http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/features/F_Diversity_in_Space.html On board the Orbiter Discovery
, Gregory’s crew included the pilot, John Blaha, and three mission specialists, Manley (Sonny) Carter
, Story Musgrave
, and Kathryn Thornton. The mission carried Department of Defense
payloads and other secondary payloads. After 79 orbits of the Earth, this five-day mission concluded on November 27, 1989, with a hard surface landing on Runway 04 at Edwards AFB, California. Mission duration was 120 hours, 7 minutes, 32 seconds.
STS-44
launched at night from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 24, 1991. During 110 orbits of the Earth, the crew successfully deployed their prime payload, the Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite. They worked on a variety of secondary payloads ranging from the Military Man in Space experiment designed to evaluate the ability of a space borne observer to gather information about ground troops, equipment and facilities, and also participated in extensive studies evaluating medical countermeasures to long duration space flight. The crew aboard the Orbiter Atlantis
included the pilot Tom Henricks
; three mission specialists, Story Musgrave, Jim Voss
, and Mario Runco, Jr.
; and payload specialist Tom Hennen
. The mission concluded on December 1, 1991, with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Mission duration was 166 hours, 50 minutes, 42 seconds.
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
and former NASA Deputy Administrator. He also served briefly as NASA Acting Administrator in early 2005, covering the period between the departure of Sean O'Keefe
Sean O'Keefe
Sean O'Keefe is the CEO of EADS North America, a subsidiary of the European aerospace firm EADS, a former Administrator of NASA, and former chancellor of Louisiana State University . O'Keefe is also a former member of the board of directors of DuPont...
and the swearing in of Michael Griffin
Michael D. Griffin
Michael Douglas Griffin is an American physicist and aerospace engineer. From April 13, 2005 to January 20, 2009 he served as Administrator of NASA, the space agency of the United States...
.
Personal data
Gregory was born on January 7, 1941, in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the nephew of Dr. Charles Drew. Married to the former Barbara Archer of Washington, D.C. until her death in 2008. They had two grown children. Frederick, D., Jr., is a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, and a graduate of Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. Heather Lynn is a social worker and graduate of Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar College is a liberal arts women's college in Sweet Briar, Virginia, about north of Lynchburg, Virginia. The school's Latin motto translates as: "She who has earned the rose may bear it."...
. He is now married to the former Annette Becke of Washington, D.C. Recreational interests include reading
Reading (process)
Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols for the intention of constructing or deriving meaning . It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas...
and traveling.
Education
- 1958: Graduated from Anacostia High School, Washington, D.C.
- 1964: Received a bachelor of science degree from the United States Air Force AcademyUnited States Air Force AcademyThe United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
- 1977: Received a master’s degree in information systems from George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityThe George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
Organizations
- Order of DaedaliansOrder of DaedaliansThe Order of Daedalians is a fraternal and professional order of American military pilots. The namesake of the order is Daedalus who according to Greek mythology was the first person to achieve heavier-than-air flight.-History:...
- The Air Force AssociationAir Force AssociationThe Air Force Association is an independent, 501 non-profit, civilian education organization, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia...
- The Tuskegee Airmen, IncTuskegee Airmen, IncTuskegee Airmen, Inc. is a non-profit organization with 50 chapters nation-wide dedicated to:* Honoring the accomplishments and perpetuating the history of African-Americans who participated in air crew, ground crew and operations support training in the Army Air Corps during WWII.* Introducing...
- United States Air Force Academy Endowment
- Omega Psi PhiOmega Psi PhiOmega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
fraternity
Special honors
- Awarded the Presidential Rank Award
- Awarded the Defense Superior Service MedalDefense Superior Service MedalThe Defense Superior Service Medal is a senior United States military decoration of the Department of Defense, awarded to members of the United States armed forces who perform "superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility."...
- The Air Force Legion of Merit
- 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses
- The Defense Meritorious Service MedalDefense Meritorious Service MedalThe Defense Meritorious Service Medal is the third-highest award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense...
- The Meritorious Service MedalMeritorious Service Medal (United States)The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...
- 16 Air Medals
- The Air Force Commendation Medal
- 2 NASA Distinguished Service Medals
- 3 NASA Space Flight Medals
- Recipient of the NASA Outstanding Leadership Award
- The National Society of Black EngineersNational Society of Black EngineersNational Society of Black Engineers , founded in 1975 at Purdue University, is one of the largest student-run organizations in the US, centered on improving the recruitment and retention of African-American engineering students.-History:...
Distinguished National Scientist Award (1979) - An honorary doctor of scienceDoctor of ScienceDoctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
degree from the University of the District of ColumbiaUniversity of the District of ColumbiaThe University of the District of Columbia is a historically black, public university located in Washington, D.C. UDC is one of only a few urban land-grant universities in the country and a member of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
(1986) - The George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityThe George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
Distinguished Alumni Award - Designated an "Ira Eaker Fellow" by the Air Force Association
- Recipient of numerous NASA group and individual achievement awards as well as civic and community awards.
NASA experience
Gregory was selected as an astronaut in January 1978. His technical assignments included: Astronaut Office representative at the Kennedy Space Center during initial Orbiter checkout and launch support for STS-1STS-1
STS-1 was the first orbital flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program. Space Shuttle Columbia launched on 12 April 1981, and returned to Earth on 14 April, having orbited the Earth 37 times during the 54.5-hour mission. It was the first American manned space flight since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project...
and STS-2
STS-2
STS-2 was a Space Shuttle mission conducted by NASA, using the Space Shuttle Columbia. The mission launched on 12 November 1981. It was the second shuttle mission overall, and was also the second mission for Columbia...
; Flight Data File Manager; lead spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM); Chief, Operational Safety, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.; Chief, Astronaut Training; and a member of the Orbiter Configuration Control Board and the Space Shuttle Program Control Board. A veteran of three Shuttle missions he has logged about 456 hours in space. He served as pilot on STS-51B (April 29 to May 6, 1985), and was the spacecraft commander on STS-33
STS-33
-Crew notes:S. David Griggs, the originally scheduled pilot for STS-33, died in a plane crash in June 1989, five months prior to the scheduled launch, and was replaced by John E...
(November 22–27, 1989), and STS-44
STS-44
-Mission parameters:**Launch: **Orbiter landing with payload: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 28.5°*Period: 91.9 minutes-Mission highlights:The launch was on 24 November 1991 at 6:44:00 pm EST...
(November 24 to December 1, 1991).
Gregory served at NASA Headquarters as Associate Administrator for the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (1992–2001), and was Associate Administrator for the Office of Space Flight (2001–2002). On August 12, 2002 Mr. Gregory was sworn in as NASA Deputy Administrator. From the departure of Sean O'Keefe
Sean O'Keefe
Sean O'Keefe is the CEO of EADS North America, a subsidiary of the European aerospace firm EADS, a former Administrator of NASA, and former chancellor of Louisiana State University . O'Keefe is also a former member of the board of directors of DuPont...
on February 20, 2005, to the swearing in of Michael D. Griffin
Michael D. Griffin
Michael Douglas Griffin is an American physicist and aerospace engineer. From April 13, 2005 to January 20, 2009 he served as Administrator of NASA, the space agency of the United States...
on April 14, 2005, he was the NASA Acting Administrator. He returned to the post of Deputy Administrator and on September 9, 2005, submitted his resignation. He was replaced on November 29, 2005 by Shana Dale
Shana Dale
Shana L. Dale is an American politician and lawyer. She served as the Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the George W...
.
Space flight experience
STS-51B/Spacelab-3 launched from Kennedy Space CenterKennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
, Florida, on April 29, 1985 with Gregory serving as pilot. The crew aboard the Orbiter Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
included spacecraft commander, Robert Overmyer; mission specialists, Norman Thagard
Norman Thagard
Norman Earl Thagard is an American scientist and former NASA astronaut. He is the first American to ride to space on board a Russian vehicle, and can be considered the first American cosmonaut...
, William E. Thornton
William E. Thornton
William Edgar Thornton is a former NASA Astronaut. Thornton was born in Faison, North Carolina, and is married with two sons to the former Elizabeth Jennifer Fowler of Hertfordshire, England.-Education:...
, and Don Lind; and payload specialists, Taylor Wang
Taylor Wang
Taylor Gun-Jin Wang is an American scientist and in 1985, became the first ethnic Chinese person to go into space. While an employee of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Wang was a payload specialist on the Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-51-B.-Early life and education:With ancestry in...
and Lodewijk van den Berg
Lodewijk van den Berg
Lodewijk van den Berg is a Dutch American chemical engineer, specializing in crystal growth, who flew on a 1985 Space Shuttle Challenger mission as a Payload Specialist....
. On this second flight of the laboratory developed by the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
(ESA), the crew conducted a broad range of scientific experiments ranging from space physics to the suitability of animal-holding facilities. The crew also deployed the Northern Utah Satellite (NUSAT). After seven days of around-the-clock scientific operations, Challenger and its laboratory cargo landed on the dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
, California, on May 6, 1985. Mission duration was 168 hours, 8 minutes, 47seconds.
When STS-33
STS-33
-Crew notes:S. David Griggs, the originally scheduled pilot for STS-33, died in a plane crash in June 1989, five months prior to the scheduled launch, and was replaced by John E...
launched at night, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 22, 1989, Gregory became the first African-American to command a space flight.http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/features/F_Diversity_in_Space.html On board the Orbiter Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
, Gregory’s crew included the pilot, John Blaha, and three mission specialists, Manley (Sonny) Carter
Sonny Carter
Manley Lanier "Sonny" Carter, Jr. was an American physician, professional soccer player, naval officer, and NASA astronaut who flew on STS-33.-Early life:...
, Story Musgrave
Story Musgrave
Franklin Story Musgrave is an American physician and a retired NASA astronaut. He is currently a public speaker and consultant to both Disney's Imagineering group and Applied Minds in California.-Personal life:...
, and Kathryn Thornton. The mission carried Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
payloads and other secondary payloads. After 79 orbits of the Earth, this five-day mission concluded on November 27, 1989, with a hard surface landing on Runway 04 at Edwards AFB, California. Mission duration was 120 hours, 7 minutes, 32 seconds.
STS-44
STS-44
-Mission parameters:**Launch: **Orbiter landing with payload: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 28.5°*Period: 91.9 minutes-Mission highlights:The launch was on 24 November 1991 at 6:44:00 pm EST...
launched at night from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 24, 1991. During 110 orbits of the Earth, the crew successfully deployed their prime payload, the Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite. They worked on a variety of secondary payloads ranging from the Military Man in Space experiment designed to evaluate the ability of a space borne observer to gather information about ground troops, equipment and facilities, and also participated in extensive studies evaluating medical countermeasures to long duration space flight. The crew aboard the Orbiter Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...
included the pilot Tom Henricks
Terence T. Henricks
Terence Thomas "Tom" Henricks is a retired colonel in the United States Air Force and a former NASA astronaut. He served on four Space Shuttle missions.-Personal data:...
; three mission specialists, Story Musgrave, Jim Voss
James S. Voss
James Shelton Voss is the Vice President of Engineering at SpaceDev. He is a retired U.S. Army Colonel and NASA astronaut. During his time with NASA, Voss flew in space five times on board the Space Shuttle and International Space Station...
, and Mario Runco, Jr.
Mario Runco, Jr.
Mario Runco, Jr. , is a former mission specialist for NASA. He is an Earth and planetary scientist.- Personal data :Mario was born in the Bronx, New York on January 26, 1952. Raised in the Highbridge section of the Bronx near Yankee Stadium, his family moved to Yonkers, New York in his early teen...
; and payload specialist Tom Hennen
Thomas J. Hennen
Thomas John Hennen is an American military officer who flew aboard NASA Space Shuttle mission STS-44 as a Payload Specialist.-Personal:...
. The mission concluded on December 1, 1991, with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Mission duration was 166 hours, 50 minutes, 42 seconds.
See also
- List of African-American astronauts