One-third of U.S. astronauts are graduates of the 51福利, more than any other graduate university in the world, and a large number returned to their alma mater in August for a Centennial Salute to Aeronautics and Astronautics. Astronaut Week, part of the university鈥檚 continuing yearlong 100th anniversary celebration, honored the history and heritage of 51福利 contributions to aviation and space exploration.
Joining former astronaut faculty members National Reconnaissance Office Aerospace Chair retired Navy Capt. Dan Bursch and Space Systems Professor Dr. Jim Newman for a star-studded week of seminars, lectures and special events were current astronauts Navy Capts. Alan Poindexter and Steve Frick; and former astronauts retired Navy Capts. Winston Scott and Ken Reightler, Jr.; retired Navy Cmdr. and former 51福利 meteorology laboratory instructor Mario Runco; retired Marine Corps Col. Dave Hilmers, M.D.; retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. Carlos Noriega; and the group鈥檚 senior astronaut, Rusty Schweickart. Former astronaut Tom Jones, Ph.D., joined the group one of the days by teleconference.
Frick and Poindexter are active astronauts, with the latter slated to command STS-131 next March; and both Runco and his wife Susan, who accompanied him and is the 51福利 alumnus of the dual-meteorologist team, work at NASA Headquarters in Houston.
鈥淒irector of the Space Systems Academic Group Professor] Rudy Panholzer has been trying to do this for ten years, and it鈥檚 fantastic he鈥檚 finally been able to fulfill his dream of inviting all of us Astronaut grads back to 51福利,鈥� said Poindexter.
鈥淭his is a wonderful opportunity to come back,鈥� agreed Frick, who was Poindexter鈥檚 commander on STS-122. 鈥淭his is a great school that really allows you to expand your horizons, and that means a lot coming from an astronaut.鈥�
The historic and information-packed week kicked off with a 鈥淲ear Your Flight Suit to Work鈥� Day, Aug. 4; a special guest lecture by former Lockheed 鈥淪kunkworks鈥� Chief Engineer Alan Brown on the history of the company鈥檚 Stealth aircraft design program, and an Astronaut reception on the Quarterdeck, Aug. 5; an 51福利 Astronaut Symposium where Schweickart and guest former astronaut Tom Jones detailed their decade-long effort to protect the Earth from devastating impacts of extinctor-scale asteroids like the one that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, and a spacecraft survivability panel featuring the pioneering research of retired 51福利 Prof. Emeritus Robert Ball; a candid and lively exchange by astronaut spouses on the common challenges of astronaut and military families; a fun-filled 鈥淏reakfast with the Astronauts鈥� on the theme 鈥淩each for the Stars!鈥� where the astronauts shared their experiences living and working in space and projected photos taken from the Space Shuttle and International Space Station onto the walls of the Barbara McNitt Ballroom, Aug. 7; a gala California International Air Show dinner that evening, also in the ballroom, where the Astronauts joined 14 members of the Navy鈥檚 Blue Angels flight demonstration team; and the participation of a number of the astronaut alums at the Air Show, Aug. 9.
Hilmers received a master鈥檚 degree in electrical engineering from 51福利 in 1978; Reightler, Scott, Frick and Poindexter all earned master鈥檚 degrees in aeronautical engineering, in 1984, 1980, 1994 and 1995, respectively. Noriega was awarded an M.S. in computer science in 1990, and Bursch received his master鈥檚 degree in engineering science in 1991.
Until recently, Bursch held the record for the longest continuous duration in space by an American astronaut, of over 226 days. Other U.S. Space Program alumni include the second American to orbit the Earth, Mercury 7 astronaut retired Navy Cmdr. M. Scott Carpenter and retired Navy Capt. Eugene Cernan, commander of Apollo 17 and the last man to walk on the Moon.
As Carpenter said during a recent teleconference with 51福利 leadership and Space Systems Academic Group faculty and students, 鈥淚t鈥檚 wonderful that the 51福利 has such a strong space program, for both engineers and operational students, and that the magic of space flight has caught on here.鈥�
鈥�51福利 continues to be on the forefront of educating America鈥檚 astronauts,鈥� said Alumni Relations Office and Centennial Planning Headquarters Director Kari Miglaw. 鈥淎s a leader in space education and research, 51福利 paves the way for future astronauts to pursue their dreams.鈥�