Gregory Jarvis
Encyclopedia
Gregory Bruce Jarvis was an American
engineer
who died during the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger
on mission STS-51-L
, where he was serving as Payload Specialist
.
, in 1962. He received a B.S. in electrical engineering
from the University at Buffalo
(SUNY
) in 1967, and a Master's in the same discipline from Northeastern University in 1969. Jarvis joined the Air Force
the same year and served until 1973, and was honorably discharged as a Captain. Thereafter he worked for Hughes Aircraft
. While working at Hughes, Jarvis completed all of the coursework for a Masters in Science Management at West Coast University
in Los Angeles.
in Bedford, Massachusetts, where he was involved in circuit design on the SAM-D missile. In July 1969, he entered active duty in the U.S. Air Force and was assigned to the Space Division in El Segundo, California
. As a Communications Payload Engineer, in the Satellite Communications Program Office, he worked on advanced tactical communications satellites. He was involved in the concept formulation, source selection, and early design phase of the FLTSATCOM communications payload. After being honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1973, with the rank of Captain, he joined Hughes Aircraft Company's Space and Communications group, where he worked as a Communications Subsystem Engineer on the MARISAT Program.
In 1975, Jarvis became the MARISAT F-3 Spacecraft Test and Integration Manager. In 1976, the MARISAT F-3 was placed in geosynchronous orbit. Jarvis became a member of the Systems Applications Laboratory in 1976, and was involved in the concept definition for advanced UHF and SHF communications for the strategic forces. Joining the Advanced Program Laboratory in 1978, he began working on the concept formulation and subsequent proposal for the SYNCON IV/LEASAT Program. In 1979, Jarvis became the Power/Thermal/Harness Subsystem Engineer on the LEASAT Program. In 1981, he became the Spacecraft Bus System Engineering and in 1982, the Assistant Spacecraft System Engineering Manager. He was the Test and Integration Manager for the F-1, F-2, and F-3 spacecraft and the cradle in 1983, where he worked until the shipment of the F-1 spacecraft and cradle to Cape Kennedy for integration into the Space Shuttle. Both the F-1 and F-2 LEASAT spacecraft successfully achieved their geosynchronous positions. Jarvis was working on advanced satellite designs in the Systems Application Laboratory when he was selected as a payload specialist candidate in July 1984.
which was launched from the Kennedy Space Center
, Florida, at 11:38:00 EST on January 28, 1986. The crew on board the Orbiter Challenger included the spacecraft commander, Dick Scobee
, pilot Michael J. Smith (USN), mission specialists Dr. Ronald McNair
, Lieutenant Colonel Ellison Onizuka
(USAF), Dr. Judith Resnik, and fellow civilian payload specialist, Christa McAuliffe
. The entire STS 51-L crew died on January 28, 1986 when Challenger exploded during launch.
The remains of all seven astronauts from the Challenger disaster were discovered in the crew decks on the ocean floor. Gregory Jarvis' remains were discovered in the lower mid-deck along with fellow astronaut Ronald McNair and school teacher Christa McAuliffe. During salvage operations to raise the crew deck from the ocean floor, Jarvis' body escaped from the wreckage, floated to the surface, and disappeared back into the sea. On April 15, 1986, on the last scheduled attempt to recover wreckage, Jarvis' body was rediscovered and returned to shore.
(SUNY
) north campus was renamed Jarvis Hall after Gregory Jarvis' death. Students nailed the name "Jarvis Hall" onto the side of the building, and in 1987 the name was made official with a dedication ceremony. Jarvis Hall is devoted largely to Aerospace Engineering
and engineering support services.
Mohawk Central High School in Mohawk, NY was renamed, "Gregory B. Jarvis Jr/Sr High School."
Jarvis was portrayed by Richard Jenkins
in the 1990 TV movie Challenger
.
In 2004, Jarvis was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
who died during the destruction of the Space Shuttle 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...
on mission STS-51-L
STS-51-L
STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time an ordinary civilian, schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, had flown aboard the Space Shuttle. The mission used Space Shuttle Challenger, which lifted off from the Launch Complex 39-B on 28 January...
, where he was serving as Payload Specialist
Payload Specialist
A Payload Specialist ' was an individual selected and trained by commercial or research organizations for flights of a specific payload on a NASA Space Shuttle mission...
.
Education
Jarvis graduated from Mohawk Central High School, in Mohawk, New YorkMohawk, New York
Mohawk is the name of some places in the U.S. state of New York:*Mohawk, Herkimer County, New York, a village*Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, a town...
, in 1962. He received a B.S. in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
from the University at Buffalo
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
(SUNY
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
) in 1967, and a Master's in the same discipline from Northeastern University in 1969. Jarvis joined 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...
the same year and served until 1973, and was honorably discharged as a Captain. Thereafter he worked for Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded in 1932 by Howard Hughes in Culver City, California as a division of Hughes Tool Company...
. While working at Hughes, Jarvis completed all of the coursework for a Masters in Science Management at West Coast University
West Coast University
West Coast University is a for-profit, healthcare oriented university located in southern California and Dallas, Texas. WCU was founded in 1909 as an ophthalmology school . It has campuses in North Hollywood, Anaheim and Ontario, California...
in Los Angeles.
Career
While pursuing his masters degree at Northeastern, Jarvis worked at RaytheonRaytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
in Bedford, Massachusetts, where he was involved in circuit design on the SAM-D missile. In July 1969, he entered active duty in the U.S. Air Force and was assigned to the Space Division in El Segundo, California
El Segundo, California
El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on the Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is one of the Beach Cities of Los Angeles County and part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments...
. As a Communications Payload Engineer, in the Satellite Communications Program Office, he worked on advanced tactical communications satellites. He was involved in the concept formulation, source selection, and early design phase of the FLTSATCOM communications payload. After being honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1973, with the rank of Captain, he joined Hughes Aircraft Company's Space and Communications group, where he worked as a Communications Subsystem Engineer on the MARISAT Program.
In 1975, Jarvis became the MARISAT F-3 Spacecraft Test and Integration Manager. In 1976, the MARISAT F-3 was placed in geosynchronous orbit. Jarvis became a member of the Systems Applications Laboratory in 1976, and was involved in the concept definition for advanced UHF and SHF communications for the strategic forces. Joining the Advanced Program Laboratory in 1978, he began working on the concept formulation and subsequent proposal for the SYNCON IV/LEASAT Program. In 1979, Jarvis became the Power/Thermal/Harness Subsystem Engineer on the LEASAT Program. In 1981, he became the Spacecraft Bus System Engineering and in 1982, the Assistant Spacecraft System Engineering Manager. He was the Test and Integration Manager for the F-1, F-2, and F-3 spacecraft and the cradle in 1983, where he worked until the shipment of the F-1 spacecraft and cradle to Cape Kennedy for integration into the Space Shuttle. Both the F-1 and F-2 LEASAT spacecraft successfully achieved their geosynchronous positions. Jarvis was working on advanced satellite designs in the Systems Application Laboratory when he was selected as a payload specialist candidate in July 1984.
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
Jarvis was Payload Specialist 2 on STS-51-LSTS-51-L
STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time an ordinary civilian, schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, had flown aboard the Space Shuttle. The mission used Space Shuttle Challenger, which lifted off from the Launch Complex 39-B on 28 January...
which was launched from the Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy 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, at 11:38:00 EST on January 28, 1986. The crew on board the Orbiter Challenger included the spacecraft commander, Dick Scobee
Dick Scobee
Francis Richard "Dick" Scobee was an American astronaut. He was killed commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission.-Early life:...
, pilot Michael J. Smith (USN), mission specialists Dr. Ronald McNair
Ronald McNair
Ronald Ervin McNair, Ph.D. was a physicist and NASA astronaut. McNair died during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L.-Background:...
, Lieutenant Colonel Ellison Onizuka
Ellison Onizuka
was a Japanese American astronaut from Kealakekua, Kona, Hawaii, who successfully flew into space with the Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-51-C, before losing his life to the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger, where he was serving as Mission Specialist for mission STS-51-L...
(USAF), Dr. Judith Resnik, and fellow civilian payload specialist, Christa McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe was an American teacher from Concord, New Hampshire, and was one of the seven crew members killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster....
. The entire STS 51-L crew died on January 28, 1986 when Challenger exploded during launch.
The remains of all seven astronauts from the Challenger disaster were discovered in the crew decks on the ocean floor. Gregory Jarvis' remains were discovered in the lower mid-deck along with fellow astronaut Ronald McNair and school teacher Christa McAuliffe. During salvage operations to raise the crew deck from the ocean floor, Jarvis' body escaped from the wreckage, floated to the surface, and disappeared back into the sea. On April 15, 1986, on the last scheduled attempt to recover wreckage, Jarvis' body was rediscovered and returned to shore.
Awards and honors
The East Engineering building on University at BuffaloUniversity at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
(SUNY
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
) north campus was renamed Jarvis Hall after Gregory Jarvis' death. Students nailed the name "Jarvis Hall" onto the side of the building, and in 1987 the name was made official with a dedication ceremony. Jarvis Hall is devoted largely to Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
and engineering support services.
Mohawk Central High School in Mohawk, NY was renamed, "Gregory B. Jarvis Jr/Sr High School."
Jarvis was portrayed by Richard Jenkins
Richard Jenkins
Richard Dale Jenkins is an American stage, film, and television actor. After beginning his career in theatre, Jenkins made his film debut in 1974, and appeared in supporting roles in numerous film productions in the 1980s and the 1990s. His breakthrough came in the 2000s for playing the deceased...
in the 1990 TV movie Challenger
Challenger (TV film)
Challenger is an ABC TV-movie based on the events surrounding the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Its production was somewhat controversial as the families of the astronauts generally objected to it. The film concentrates on the safety inspections and arguments surrounding the O-rings that...
.
In 2004, Jarvis was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor
Congressional Space Medal of Honor
The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized by the United States Congress in 1969 to recognize "any astronaut who in the performance of his duties has distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the Nation and mankind." The highest award...
.
See also
- Space Shuttle Challenger disasterSpace Shuttle Challenger disasterThe Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. The spacecraft disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of central Florida at 11:38 am EST...
- Congressional Space Medal of HonorCongressional Space Medal of HonorThe Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized by the United States Congress in 1969 to recognize "any astronaut who in the performance of his duties has distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the Nation and mankind." The highest award...