Frederick D. Gregory
- STS 51 -B ( 1985)
- STS -33 ( 1989)
- STS -44 (1991)
Frederick Drew Gregory ( born January 7, 1941 in Washington DC, Federal District Washington DC, USA ) is a former American astronaut and was the beginning of 2005 Acting for a short time Administrator of NASA.
Gregory received a bachelor's degree in 1964 from the United States Air Force Academy in 1977 and a Masters in Information Systems from George Washington University.
1964 Gregory began his training as a helicopter pilot at Stead Air Force Base. From June 1966 to July 1967 he was employed as a helicopter pilot for 550 combat missions in the Vietnam War. In January 1968, he graduated at the Randolph Air Force Base training on the jet T -38. After a deployment as an F- 4 Phantom fighter pilot in Arizona, he attended from September 1970, the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. After training as a test pilot, he was employed at Wright - Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio from June 1971 in tests of combat aircraft and helicopters. In June 1974 Gregory came to NASA Langley Research Center, where he also worked as a test pilot.
Astronauts activity
Gregory was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate in January 1978. It was used as a representative of the Astronaut Office at Kennedy Space Center in testing and support for the start of the first two Space Shuttle missions STS -1 and STS -2. He was the lead speaker connection ( CAPCOM ), Head of Operational Safety at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, head of astronaut training and member of the Orbiter Configuration Control Board as well as the Space Shuttle Program Control Board.
From 1992 to 2001, Gregory Associate Administrator in the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA Headquarters and from 2001 to 2002 he was Associate Administrator for the Office of Space Flight. On 12 August 2002 he was sworn in as Deputy NASA Administrator. In the time of retirement of the NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe on 20 February 2005 until the swearing in his successor, Michael Griffin on 14 April 2005 Gregory took over as acting the Office of the NASA Administrator. He then returned to the position of deputy administrator, but handed in his resignation on 9 September. On 29 November 2005, he was replaced by Shana Dale.
STS -51- B
On April 29, 1985 Gregory flew as pilot of the space shuttle Challenger for the first time into space. The payload of the mission consisted of the Spacelab the European Space Agency ( ESA). Were carried 15 experiments, especially for the study of fluids and materials in weightless space. For biological studies also were two monkeys and 24 rodents on board. 14 experiments were successfully carried out. In addition, the scientific satellite NUSAT was suspended.
STS -33
Gregory's second spaceflight was as commander of the Discovery (STS -33). The launch was on 22 November 1989. During the flight, a satellite of the Defense Department has been suspended. After 79 orbits of the Discovery returned on November 27 back to Edwards Air Force Base.
STS -44
On November 24, 1991 Gregory started as commander of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS - 44th It was a mission for the U.S. Department of Defense. The non-secret payload contained, besides other military experiments, a DSP satellite and its upper-stage engine to carry the satellite into a higher orbit.
Private
Frederick Gregory is married and has two children.