Gregory Jarvis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gregory Jarvis
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Jarvis in 1985
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| Born | August 24, 1944 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
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| Died | January 28, 1986 (aged 41) North Atlantic Ocean
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| Other names | Gregory Bruce Jarvis |
| Alma mater | University at Buffalo (BS) Northeastern University (MS) West Coast University |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Awards | Congressional Space Medal of Honor |
| Space career | |
| Hughes Aircraft payload specialist | |
| Rank | Captain, USAF |
| Missions | STS-51-L (disaster) |
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Mission insignia
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Gregory Bruce Jarvis (born August 24, 1944 – died January 28, 1986) was an American engineer and astronaut. He worked as a payload specialist for Hughes Aircraft. Sadly, he passed away during the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L.
Learning and Early Career
Gregory Jarvis grew up in Mohawk, New York. He finished Mohawk Central High School in 1962. This school was later renamed in his honor.
He went on to study electrical engineering. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1967. Then, he got a Master of Science degree from Northeastern University in 1969.
After college, Jarvis joined the United States Air Force in 1969. He served as a Captain until 1973. After leaving the Air Force, he began working for Hughes Aircraft.
The Challenger Mission
In June 1984, Gregory Jarvis was chosen as a candidate for the Space Shuttle program. He was one of two employees from Hughes Aircraft selected. His job was to do experiments in space. He wanted to study how liquids behave when there is no gravity.
Jarvis was first supposed to fly in April 1985. However, his spot on that flight was given to U.S. senator Jake Garn. His flight was then rescheduled for early January 1986. But again, he was replaced, this time by U.S. representative Bill Nelson.
Finally, Jarvis was payload specialist 2 on mission STS-51-L. The mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on January 28, 1986. The crew on board the Orbiter Challenger included Commander Dick Scobee, pilot Michael J. Smith, mission specialists Dr. Ronald McNair, Lt. Col. Ellison Onizuka, Dr. Judith Resnik, and fellow civilian payload specialist Christa McAuliffe.
Sadly, the entire STS-51-L crew passed away on January 28, 1986. The Challenger broke apart shortly after launch.
Awards and Special Honors
After Gregory Jarvis's death, the East Engineering building at the University at Buffalo was renamed Jarvis Hall. This building is mostly used for Aerospace Engineering and related services.
His old high school in Mohawk, New York, was also renamed. It is now the Gregory B. Jarvis Middle School.
A special sculpture called "Jarvis Memorial" was created by artist Tony Paterson. It honors Jarvis and is part of the art collection at the University at Buffalo.
In 2004, Jarvis was given the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. This is a very important award for astronauts.
The Gregory B. Jarvis Dam in New York is also named after him. This dam helps produce electricity.
See also
In Spanish: Gregory Jarvis para niños
- List of human spaceflights
- List of Space Shuttle missions
- List of Space Shuttle crews
