Frederick D. Gregory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frederick Gregory
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration | |
|
Acting
|
|
| In office February 11, 2005 – April 14, 2005 |
|
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Sean O'Keefe |
| Succeeded by | Michael D. Griffin |
| 10th Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration | |
| In office August 12, 2002 – November 4, 2005 |
|
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | James R. Thompson Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Shana Dale |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Frederick Drew Gregory
January 7, 1941 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Education | United States Air Force Academy (BS) George Washington University (MS) |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Colonel, USAF |
|
Time in space
|
18d 23h 4m |
| Selection | NASA Group 8 (1978) |
| Missions | STS-51-B STS-33 STS-44 |
|
Mission insignia
|
   |
Frederick Drew Gregory (born January 7, 1941) is a brave former Air Force pilot and NASA astronaut. He also served as the Deputy Administrator of NASA, which is like being the second-in-command of the space agency. For a short time in 2005, he was even the Acting Administrator, leading NASA.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Frederick Gregory was born in Washington, D.C. on January 7, 1941. His family was African-American. His father, Francis A. Gregory, was an important educator. He was the assistant superintendent for schools in Washington, D.C. He was also the first Black president of the Washington, D.C. Public Library Board. A library was even named after him!
Frederick's mother, Nora Drew Gregory, was also an educator and loved public libraries. She was the sister of a famous doctor, Dr. Charles Drew. Dr. Drew developed amazing ways to store blood, which saved thousands of lives during World War II.
Frederick grew up in Washington, D.C., and went to Anacostia High School. After high school, he attended the United States Air Force Academy. There, he earned his degree in military engineering and became an officer in the Air Force.
Military Career and Flying High
After graduating, Gregory became a pilot. He learned to fly helicopters and later fighter jets. He even flew 550 combat rescue missions during the Vietnam War. That's a lot of flying!
He also became a test pilot, which means he flew new aircraft to see how they worked. He tested planes for both the Air Force and NASA. During his time in the Air Force, he flew about 7,000 hours in over 50 different types of aircraft. He also earned a master's degree in information systems from George Washington University.
Becoming a NASA Astronaut
.jpg)
Frederick Gregory was chosen to be an astronaut in January 1978. He worked on many important tasks at NASA. He helped prepare the Space Shuttle for its first launches. He also managed flight data and was a lead CAPCOM. A CAPCOM is the person who talks to the astronauts in space from Mission Control.
He was even a CAPCOM during the sad Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Gregory flew on three Space Shuttle missions and spent about 456 hours in space. He was the pilot on STS-51B and the commander on STS-33 and STS-44.
STS-51B: First Space Mission
Gregory's first space mission was STS-51B on April 29, 1985. He was the pilot of the Space Shuttle Challenger. The crew used a special laboratory called Spacelab-3. They did many science experiments, from studying space physics to seeing how animals lived in space. The mission lasted for seven days.
STS-33: Commander in Space
On November 22, 1989, Gregory made history. When STS-33 launched at night, he became the first African-American to command a space flight! He was the commander of the Space Shuttle Discovery. This mission carried important payloads for the United States Department of Defense. The mission lasted five days.
STS-44: Another Command Mission
Gregory commanded his second space mission, STS-44, which launched on November 24, 1991. This time, he was on the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The crew deployed a satellite and worked on experiments. They also studied how long space flights affect the human body. This mission lasted about seven days.
Leading NASA
After his space flights, Gregory took on leadership roles at NASA Headquarters. From 1992 to 2001, he was in charge of safety and making sure missions were successful. Then, from 2001 to 2002, he led the Office of Space Flight.
On August 12, 2002, Frederick Gregory became the NASA Deputy Administrator. This meant he helped lead the entire agency. He helped make big decisions and acted for the Administrator when they were away. He also represented NASA to the President, Congress, and other important groups.
When Sean O'Keefe left his role as Administrator in February 2005, Gregory became the Acting Administrator. He led NASA until Michael D. Griffin took over in April 2005. Gregory then returned to being Deputy Administrator until he resigned in September 2005.
Personal Life and Interests
Frederick Gregory was married to Barbara Archer until she passed away in 2008. They had two children, Frederick Jr. and Heather Lynn. He is now married to Annette Becke. Together, they have three children and six grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys reading, boating, hiking, diving, biking, and traveling.
Education and Achievements
- 1958: Graduated from Anacostia High School
- 1964: Earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy
- 1977: Received a master's degree in information systems from George Washington University
Honors and Awards
Frederick Gregory has received many special honors and awards for his amazing career:
- Air Force Legion of Merit
- Defense Superior Service Medal
- Distinguished Flying Cross (3 times)
- Air Medal (16 times)
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal (2 times)
- NASA Spaceflight Medal (3 times)
- Inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame
- Designated an "Ira Eaker Fellow" by the Air Force Association
- United States Air Force Academy Distinguished Graduate
- The George Washington University Distinguished Graduate
- Anacostia High School Hall of Fame
- Received honorary doctorates from several universities.
- In September 2021, a building at the United States Air Force Academy was renamed “Gregory Hall” in his honor.
- He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio, in September 2024.
See also
In Spanish: Frederick D. Gregory para niños
