Rusty Schweickart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rusty Schweickart
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Schweickart in 1971
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| Born |
Russell Louis Schweickart
October 25, 1935 Neptune, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Awards | NASA Distinguished Service Medal |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Captain, USAF |
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Time in space
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10d 1h 0m |
| Selection | NASA Group 3 (1963) |
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Total EVAs
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1 |
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Total EVA time
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1h 17m |
| Missions | Apollo 9 |
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Mission insignia
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| Retirement | 1977 |
Russell Louis "Rusty" Schweickart (born October 25, 1935) is an American aeronautical engineer and a former NASA astronaut. He was also a research scientist, a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, and later a business executive and government leader.
Schweickart was chosen in 1963 to join NASA's third group of astronauts. He was the pilot for the Lunar Module on the 1969 Apollo 9 mission. This was the first time the lunar module was tested with a crew in space. During this mission, he performed the first test of the special backpack system that Apollo astronauts used to walk on the Moon.
Later, as a backup commander for the first crewed Skylab mission in 1973, he helped create the tools and plans for the crew to fix the Skylab space station in orbit. After his time with Skylab, he worked at NASA helping to share NASA's technology with others.
In 1977, Schweickart left NASA. He worked for California Governor Jerry Brown for two years, helping with science and technology. Then, Governor Brown appointed him to the California Energy Commission, where he served for five and a half years, including three years as its leader.
In the mid-1980s, Schweickart helped start the Association of Space Explorers. In 2002, he co-founded the B612 Foundation. This group works to protect Earth from asteroid impacts. He started it with fellow former astronaut Ed Lu and two planetary scientists.
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Early Life and Education
Rusty Schweickart was born on October 25, 1935, in Neptune Township, New Jersey. He grew up on a farm that produced hay and vegetables and raised animals. When he was young, he dreamed of becoming a pilot and a cowboy.
After finishing Manasquan High School in 1952, he went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on a scholarship. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering in 1956. He later earned a Master of Science degree in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT in 1963.
He was active in the Boy Scouts of America and reached the rank of First Class Scout. His hobbies include golf, bicycling, and hiking. He has been married twice and has seven children.
Military and NASA Career
Schweickart served in the U.S. Air Force and the Massachusetts Air National Guard from 1956 to 1963. He flew for over 4,000 hours, with 3,500 hours in fast jet aircraft.
Before joining NASA, Schweickart was a research scientist at MIT's Experimental Astronomy Laboratory. There, he studied the upper atmospheric physics and how to track stars. His master's degree research focused on light from the stratosphere, a layer of Earth's atmosphere.
In October 1963, Schweickart was chosen as part of NASA Astronaut Group 3. He was the youngest person in this group. He was named as a backup pilot for Roger B. Chaffee on Apollo 1 in March 1966. This was supposed to be the first crewed Apollo flight, but it was destroyed during a ground test. His backup crewmates were James McDivitt and David Scott. In December 1966, this team was chosen to fly the first crewed test of the Apollo Lunar Module (LM) in Earth orbit. Schweickart was the Lunar Module Pilot.
Spaceflight Experience: Apollo 9
The Apollo 9 mission took place in March 1969. Schweickart spent just over 10 days in space. He performed the first extravehicular activity (EVA), or spacewalk, of the Apollo program. During this spacewalk, he tested the special backpack system that would later be used by astronauts walking on the Moon.
The original plan was for him to practice moving from the lunar module to the command module using handrails. However, he felt sick during the first day in orbit, which is known as space adaptation syndrome. This caused the spacewalk to be delayed.
Eventually, he felt better and performed a short spacewalk. He stood on the LM's "porch," a platform used to get to the ladder. Meanwhile, Command Module Pilot Scott performed a stand-up spacewalk from the open hatch of the command module. During a five-minute break outside his spacecraft, Schweickart felt a deep connection as he looked at Earth. He thought about its place in the universe. After this experience, he began to practice Transcendental Meditation.
Skylab and Beyond
After his Apollo 9 mission, Schweickart experienced space sickness. Because of this, he was not assigned to the next lunar missions. He decided to become a "motion sickness guinea pig" for six months to help NASA understand space adaptation syndrome better.
When he returned to Houston, he was assigned to the Skylab program. He became the backup commander for Skylab 2, the first crewed American space station mission, which flew in 1973. During the launch, the space station's heat shield was damaged. Schweickart was in charge of creating the tools and plans to put up an emergency sunshade and fix a stuck solar panel. These actions were very important and saved the space station.
After his work on Skylab, Schweickart was more interested in management roles. He was reassigned to NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., in 1974. There, he worked to share NASA's technology with the outside world. He also worked with people who used this technology to understand their needs. He found this job challenging because people were often hesitant to try new processes. This, along with fewer opportunities for space flights, led him to leave NASA in 1977.
Post-NASA Career
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After leaving NASA, Schweickart worked for California Governor Jerry Brown for two years. He was the governor's assistant for science and technology. Then, Governor Brown appointed him to the California Energy Commission for five and a half years.
Schweickart helped create the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) in 1984–85. He started it with cosmonauts Alexei Leonov, Vitaly Sevastyanov, and Georgi Grechko. This organization is for anyone who has flown in orbit around Earth. He also led the ASE's committee on near-Earth objects. This committee wrote an important report about asteroid threats and sent it to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS).
Schweickart also worked in the business world. He was the President and CEO of ALOHA Networks, Inc., a company focused on wireless internet. Before that, he was an Executive Vice President at CTA Commercial Systems, Inc. He also founded Courier Satellite Services, Inc., a company that developed satellites for global communication.
His work with satellites and telecommunications involved him in creating international communication rules. He participated in global conferences on this topic. He also worked a lot in Russia on science and telecommunications.
In 2002, he co-founded the B612 Foundation with former astronaut Ed Lu and two planetary scientists. This non-profit group is dedicated to protecting Earth from asteroid impacts. He served as its Chair and is now its Chair Emeritus.
In May 2005, Schweickart spoke to the U.S. Congress about the dangers of an asteroid impact, specifically mentioning 99942 Apophis. In 2010, he co-chaired a task force for NASA about planetary defense. He has suggested increasing NASA's budget to find more near-Earth objects that could threaten Earth and develop ways to deflect them.
Organizations
Schweickart is a member of the American Astronautical Society and the International Academy of Astronautics. He is also a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is an honorary trustee and member of the California Academy of Sciences.
Awards and Honors
He received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 1969 and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale De la Vaulx Medal in 1970 for his Apollo 9 flight. He also won a special Emmy Award in 1969 for sending the first live TV pictures from space.
In 1973, Schweickart was given the NASA Exceptional Service Medal for his important role in the Skylab rescue efforts. He was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1983 and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1997. An asteroid, 17033 Rusty, was named in his honor.
In 2012, Schweickart was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
His grandfather moved from Lembach, a small town in Alsace, France, to the United States in 1892. After visiting Lembach several times, Schweickart was given honorary citizenship of the town.
Biographies and Portrayals
In the 1998 HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, Kieran Mulroney played Schweickart. He also appeared in the TV series The Universe in episodes about deep space threats and stopping armageddon.
See also
In Spanish: Russell Schweickart para niños
- B612 Foundation
- Spaceguard
- The Astronaut Monument
