Story Musgrave facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Story Musgrave
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Musgrave in 1979
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Franklin Story Musgrave
August 19, 1935 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Awards | NASA Distinguished Service Medal |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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53d 9h 55m |
| Selection | NASA Group 6 (1967) |
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Total EVAs
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4 |
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Total EVA time
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26h 19m |
| Missions | |
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Mission insignia
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| Retirement | September 2, 1997 |
Franklin Story Musgrave (born August 19, 1935) is an American physician and a retired NASA astronaut. He is also a public speaker and a consultant for companies like Disney's Imagineering group. In 1996, he became one of only two astronauts to fly on six space missions. He is also one of the most educated astronauts, holding six university degrees. Story Musgrave is the only astronaut to have flown on all five different Space Shuttles.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Story Musgrave was born on August 19, 1935, in Boston, Massachusetts. He grew up in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, but he considers Lexington, Kentucky, his hometown.
Musgrave attended Dexter School and St. Mark's School. He left St. Mark's during his final year after a car accident.
After leaving high school, Musgrave joined the United States Marine Corps in 1953. He worked as an aviation electrician and aircraft crew chief. He served in places like Korea, Japan, and Hawaii. He also served on the aircraft carrier USS Wasp.
While in the Marines, he earned his high school diploma (GED). After leaving the military, he went to college. He earned many degrees, including a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Syracuse University in 1958. He also earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1959. He received a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Marietta College in 1960. In 1964, he earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Columbia University. He continued his studies, earning a Master of Science in physiology from the University of Kentucky in 1966. Later, in 1987, he earned a Master of Arts in literature from the University of Houston–Clear Lake.
Musgrave has flown over 17,700 hours in 160 different types of aircraft. He has also made more than 800 free-fall parachute jumps.
Becoming an Astronaut
Musgrave was chosen by NASA to become an astronaut in August 1967. He was part of NASA Astronaut Group 6. After his training, he helped design equipment for the Skylab program. In 1973, he was a backup pilot for Skylab 2. This was his first potential space mission assignment.
He helped design all the equipment for Space Shuttle spacewalks. This included spacesuits, life support systems, and Manned Maneuvering Units. From 1979 to 1982, he worked as a test pilot for the Shuttle.
Musgrave also worked as a CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator) for several missions. This meant he was the main person talking to the astronauts from mission control.
Space Missions
Story Musgrave flew on six space missions. He spent a total of 1,281 hours (about 53 days) in space. He also spent nearly 27 hours doing spacewalks. He is the only astronaut to have flown on all five different Space Shuttles. Before John Glenn's return to space in 1998, Musgrave held the record for the oldest person in orbit at age 61. He retired from NASA in 1997 after 30 years as an astronaut.
STS-6: First Shuttle Spacewalk
Musgrave's first space flight was on STS-6. It launched on April 4, 1983. This was the first flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger. During this mission, Musgrave and Don Peterson performed the first ever spacewalk from a Space Shuttle. They tested new spacesuits and tools for building and repairing things in space. The mission lasted about 5 days.
STS-51-F: Spacelab-2 Mission
His second mission was STS-51-F/Spacelab-2 on the Space Shuttle Challenger. It launched on July 29, 1985. This mission carried 13 major experiments. These experiments were in areas like astronomy and life sciences. Musgrave worked as a systems engineer during this flight. The mission lasted almost 8 days.
STS-33: Secret Mission
On STS-33, Musgrave flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. It launched at night on November 22, 1989. This was a secret mission for the United States Department of Defense. The mission ended on November 27, 1989, after 79 orbits around Earth. It lasted about 5 days.
STS-44: Satellite Deployment
STS-44 also launched at night, on November 24, 1991. The main goal was to deploy a Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite. The crew also did experiments on radiation and medical tests for longer space flights. The mission lasted almost 7 days.
STS-61: Repairing the Hubble Space Telescope
STS-61 was a very important mission. It was the first mission to service and repair the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). It launched on December 2, 1993, on the Endeavour. During this 11-day flight, the HST was fixed by astronauts doing a record 5 spacewalks. Musgrave performed 3 of these spacewalks. He became the first astronaut-physician to do spacewalks on two different missions. The mission lasted almost 11 days.
STS-80: Longest Shuttle Flight
His final mission was STS-80, from November 19 to December 7, 1996. He flew on the Space Shuttle Columbia. The crew deployed and retrieved two satellites: the Wake Shield Facility (WSF) and the Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (ORFEUS). The WSF helped grow special materials for electronics. The ORFEUS studied stars.
During the return to Earth, Musgrave filmed the plasma streams outside the Shuttle's windows. He was the first and only astronaut to see them up close. This mission was the longest Space Shuttle flight ever, lasting over 17 days. He completed a record 278 orbits around Earth.
Unusual Observations in Space
In 1995, during an interview for a documentary, Musgrave mentioned seeing something unusual on two of his missions. He described them as "snakes" floating in space. He later thought they might have been rubber seals.
Organizations and Hobbies
Story Musgrave is a member of many different organizations. These include the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Geographic Society.
He has seven children. His hobbies include chess, flying, gardening, poetry, parachuting, photography, reading, running, and scuba diving.
Awards and Honors
Story Musgrave has received many awards for his service and achievements:
- United States Air Force Post-doctoral Fellowship (1965–1966)
- National Heart Institute Post-doctoral Fellowship (1966–1967)
- Flying Physicians Association Airman of the Year Award (1974 and 1983)
- Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1994)
- International Space Hall of Fame (1995)
- National Aviation Hall of Fame (2022)
See also
In Spanish: Story Musgrave para niños
