Still Serving

Former NASA astronaut Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford, USAF (Ret.) received a commemorative moon rock as part of NASA's Ambassador of Exploration program at 1400 EDT Tuesday. NASA presented the lunar sample to him at the Thomas P. Stafford Air & Space Museum in Weatherford, Oklahoma.

The program honors the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts who made lunar landings from 1969 to 1972. The awards remain the property of NASA; however, each lunar sample will be on long-term loan to the museum or learning institution of the recipient's choice. His sample will be on long-term loan to the Stafford museum in Weatherford.

Stafford has a long military and aviation history, receiving his pilot wings in September 1953. He became a fighter pilot and by 1959 had graduated as the outstanding graduate at the Air Force Experimental Flight Test Pilot School. He became an instructor, and authored various text books and handbooks before selected for the space program in 1962.

Stafford conducted the first rendezvous in space as pilot of Gemini VI in 1965. He commanded Gemini IX in 1966 and demonstrated three different types of rendezvous, one of which was later used in the Apollo program.

He was heavily involved in the planning for the Apollo missions, and was the commander of Apollo 10 in May of 1969. He performed the first rendezvous around the Moon and descended to within 9 miles of the lunar surface while testing the lunar landing module. He selected the site for the first landing that occurred with Apollo 11, two months later.

Stafford was assigned as the head of the astronaut group in June 1969, and became responsible for Apollo and Skylab crew selections. He became Deputy Director of Flight Crew Operations at the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center in 1971.

He was the Apollo commander of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission, July 1975, for the first meeting in space between astronauts and cosmonauts. He became the commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center in November 1975.

Stafford became Deputy Chief of Staff, Research Development and Acquisition, Headquarters USAF, in 1978. He was involved in the development of the F-117A Stealth Fighter and the initial development of the specs for the B-2. Bomber. General Stafford retired from the Air Force in November 1979.

He has served as an advisor to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Air Force Systems Command. He has chaired numerous governmental committees including, the Operational Oversight Committee to service and repair the Hubble Telescope, the Shuttle-MIR Independent Oversight  Review Committee and the International Space Station Independent Oversight Review Committee for Safety and Operational Readiness.

He has also served as Co-Chairman of the Independent NASA Oversight Committee for the Shuttle Return to Flight.

FMI: http://returntoflight.org, www.staffordairandspacemuseum.com