Frederick D. Gregory

Infobox Astronaut
name =Frederick Drew Gregory


type =Astronaut
status ="Retired"
nationality =American
date_birth =Birth date and age|1941|1|7
place_birth =Washington, D.C.
occupation =Test Pilot
rank =Colonel, USAF
selection =1978 NASA Group
time =18d 23h 04m
mission =STS-51-B, STS-33, STS-44
insignia =

Frederick Drew Gregory (Colonel, USAF, Ret.) is a former NASA astronaut and former NASA Deputy Administrator. He also served briefly as NASA Acting Administrator in early 2005, covering the period between the departure of Sean O'Keefe and the swearing in of Michael Griffin.

Personal data

Born January 7, 1941, in Washington, D.C., the nephew of Dr. Charles Drew, Gregory was active in the Boy Scouts of America where he achieved its second highest rank, Life Scout. Married to the former Barbara Archer of Washington, D.C. They have two grown children. Frederick, D., Jr., is a Colonel (sel) in the Air Force, and a graduate of Stanford University. Heather Lynn is a social worker and graduate of Sweet Briar College. Recreational interests include reading, and traveling.

Education

*1958: Graduated from Anacostia High School, Washington, D.C.
*1964: Received a bachelor of science degree from the United States Air Force Academy
*1977: Received a master’s degree in information systems from George Washington University

Organizations

*Member, Society of Experimental Test Pilots
*Order of Daedalians
*American Helicopter Society
*Air Force Academy Association of Graduates
*The Air Force Association
*Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity
*The National Technical Association
*The Tuskegee Airmen, Inc
*Board of Directors for the Young Astronaut Council
*The "Challenger" Center for Space Science Education
*The Virginia Air and Space Center-Hampton Roads History Center.
*Member, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

pecial honors

*Awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal
*2 Distinguished Flying Crosses
*The Defense Meritorious Service Medal
*The Meritorious Service Medal
*16 Air Medals
*The Air Force Commendation Medal
*2 NASA Distinguished Service Medals
*3 NASA Space Flight Medals
*Recipient of the NASA Outstanding Leadership Award
*The National Society of Black Engineers Distinguished National Scientist Award (1979)
*An honorary doctor of science degree from the University of the District of Columbia (1986)
*The George Washington University Distinguished Alumni Award
*Designated an "Ira Eaker Fellow" by the Air Force Association
*Recipient of numerous NASA group and individual achievement awards as well as civic and community awards.

Experience

NASA experience

Gregory was selected as an astronaut in January 1978. His technical assignments included: Astronaut Office representative at the Kennedy Space Center during initial Orbiter checkout and launch support for STS-1 and STS-2; Flight Data File Manager; lead spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM); Chief, Operational Safety, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.; Chief, Astronaut Training; and a member of the Orbiter Configuration Control Board and the Space Shuttle Program Control Board. A veteran of three Shuttle missions he has logged about 456 hours in space. He served as pilot on STS-51B (April 29 to May 6, 1985), and was the spacecraft commander on STS-33 (November 22-27, 1989), and STS-44 (November 24 to December 1, 1991).

Gregory served at NASA Headquarters as Associate Administrator for the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (1992-2001), and was Associate Administrator for the Office of Space Flight (2001-2002). On August 12, 2002 Mr. Gregory was sworn in as NASA Deputy Administrator. From the departure of Sean O'Keefe on February 20, 2005, to the swearing in of Michael D. Griffin on April 14, 2005, he was the NASA Acting Administrator. He returned to the post of Deputy Administrator and on September 9, 2005, submitted his resignation. He was replaced on November 29, 2005 by Shana Dale.

pace flight experience

STS-51B/Spacelab-3 launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on April 29, 1985. The crew aboard the Orbiter "Challenger" included spacecraft commander, Robert Overmyer; mission specialists, Norman Thagard, William E. Thornton, and Don Lind; and payload specialists, Taylor Wang and Lodewijk van den Berg. On this second flight of the laboratory developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), the crew conducted a broad range of scientific experiments ranging from space physics to the suitability of animal-holding facilities. The crew also deployed the Northern Utah Satellite (NUSAT). After seven days of around-the-clock scientific operations, "Challenger" and its laboratory cargo landed on the dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on May 6, 1985. Mission duration was 168 hours, 8 minutes, 47seconds.

When STS-33 launched at night, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 22, 1989, Gregory became the first African-American to command a space flight. [http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/features/F_Diversity_in_Space.html] On board the Orbiter "Discovery", Gregory’s crew included the pilot, John Blaha, and three mission specialists, Manley (Sonny) Carter, Story Musgrave, and Kathryn Thornton. The mission carried Department of Defense payloads and other secondary payloads. After 79 orbits of the Earth, this five-day mission concluded on November 27, 1989, with a hard surface landing on Runway 04 at Edwards AFB, California. Mission duration was 120 hours, 7 minutes, 32 seconds.

STS-44 launched at night from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 24, 1991. During 110 orbits of the Earth, the crew successfully deployed their prime payload, the Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite. They worked on a variety of secondary payloads ranging from the Military Man in Space experiment designed to evaluate the ability of a space borne observer to gather information about ground troops, equipment and facilities, and also participated in extensive studies evaluating medical countermeasures to long duration space flight. The crew aboard the Orbiter "Atlantis" included the pilot Tom Henricks; three mission specialists, Story Musgrave, Jim Voss, and Mario Runco, Jr.; and payload specialist Tom Hennen. The mission concluded on December 1, 1991, with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Mission duration was 166 hours, 50 minutes, 42 seconds.

References

* [http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/gregory_bio.html February 2005 NASA Bio]
* [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/gregory-fd.html October 2005 NASA Bio]
* [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/gregory_frederick.htm Spacefacts biography of Frederick D. Gregory]