Richard A. Searfoss
- STS -58 (1993)
- STS -76 ( 1996)
- STS -90 ( 1998)
Richard Alan Searfoss ( born June 5, 1956 in Mount Clemens, Michigan, United States) is a former American astronaut.
Searfoss in 1978 received a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 1979 and a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the California Institute of Technology.
After joining the U.S. Air Force in 1980 Searfoss received his pilot's license. From 1981 to 1984 he was stationed as an F- 111F pilot in Lakeneath in England. Then he was up in 1987 at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho pilot instructor and weapons system officer on the F -111A. In 1988 he received training as a test pilot and worked until 1990 as a pilot instructor at Edwards Air Force Base.
Astronauts activity
In January 1990, Searfoss was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate. After training as a shuttle pilot, he worked in various areas of the Astronaut Office.
STS -58
On 18 October 1993 Searfoss began as a pilot of the space shuttle Columbia for its first mission into space. These were the Spacelab mission SLS -2 and served the research into the effects of weightlessness on the human body. The landing occurred at Edwards Air Force Base.
STS -76
On 22 March 1996 Searfoss began as a pilot of the space shuttle Atlantis to the Russian space station Mir. The third rendezvous mission, the astronaut Shannon Lucid was taken to the Mir space station. In addition, supplies, equipment and Experimentiergut were delivered. In addition, supplies, equipment and Experimentiergut were delivered, different devices mounted outboard of the station as well as technological and biological experiments conducted in Spacehab.
STS -90
On 17 April 1998 Searfoss took part in his second Spacelab mission STS -90 as commander of the space shuttle Columbia. The Neurolab 16-day mission served mainly the study of the effects of weightlessness on the brain and nervous system.
According to the NASA
After retiring from NASA and the Air Force in 1998 Searfoss worked as a test pilot at the Dryden Flight Research Center NASA. He served as referee for the Ansari X Prize, which named on 4 October 2004, the SpaceShipOne as the winner in the competition for the first private space flight. He is also a test pilot instructor in the National Test Pilot School at Mojave Air & Space Port. As a test pilot, he flew the rocket plane EZ- Rocket Company of XCOR Aerospace.
Private
Richard Searfoss is married and has three children.