NASA ANNOUNCES STS-134 CREW

[Orbinaut Pete]

--NASA ANNOUNCES STS-134 CREW--

Another all-veteran crew:

CDR - Mark Kelly (Will be his 4th spaceflight) [STS-108, 121, 124]
PLT - Greg "Box" Johnson (Will be his 2nd spaceflight) [STS-123]
MS1 - Mike Fincke (Will be his 3rd spaceflight) [Soyuz TMA-4, ISS Ex. 9, Soyuz TMA-13, ISS Ex. 18]
MS2 - Greg Chamitoff (Will be his 2nd spaceflight) [STS-124, ISS Ex. 17, ISS Ex. 18, STS-126]
MS3 - Roberto Vittori *ESA* (Will be his 3rd spaceflight) [Soyuz TM-34, Soyuz TM-33, Soyuz TMA-6, Soyuz TMA-5]
MS4 - Drew Feustel (Will be his 2nd spaceflight) [STS-125]

-----

Feustel is getting assigned to another mission pretty quickly, having only landed from STS-125 about 2 and a half months ago.

And Mike Fincke is getting another flight pretty quickly also - he only landed from Expedition 18 in April!

And it's less than a year since Chamitoff was in space....

 

[Donamy]

No rookies !!

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

No rookies !!

The last crew announcement (STS-132) had no rookies either.

All the rookies in the Astronaut Office must be getting a little edgy now - with only 1 currently manifested Shuttle mission left with an unassigned crew (STS-133), then at least a 7 year gap before a new launch system is ready. The PLT rookies must be especially worried, as PLT’s aren’t usually assigned to ISS crews either.
(Although 2-3 year Shuttle extension now seems likely, it is not confirmed yet - and so that won't stop the rookies from worrying)!

I wonder if NASA managers are deliberately assigning all-veteran crews, just to annoy the rookies?
It would not be the first time that NASA managers had played games with, and deliberately tried to anger the Astronaut Office.

The STS-133 crew assignment is expected within a month, so I guess we'll see. But I'd be willing to bet right now that there won't be a single rookie on that flight.....

 

[tblaxland]

Feustel is getting assigned to another mission pretty quickly, having only landed from STS-125 about 2 and a half months ago.

The first of Group 18 to get a second flight.

 

[Kyle]

I think a veteran Shuttle Astronaut will get the last one.
My bets are on Steve Lindsey, plus It would be appropriate. First Shuttle flight had the Chief Astronaut as CDR, the last one should.

 

[tblaxland]

The STS-133 crew assignment is expected within a month, so I guess we'll see. But I'd be willing to bet right now that there won't be a single rookie on that flight.....

Probably right. The more they cram into these last few missions, the more you want experienced people. Especially since the crews are getting smaller, too. I think all of Group 18 & 19 have had a flight, or are assigned to one. There are only couple from Group 17 without a mission (one dead and one retired). Group 20 (2009) couldn't really expect an assignment, could they?

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Group 20 (2009) couldn't really expect an assignment, could they?

No. Group 20 won't be qualified for a flight assignment until at least early 2011.

---------- Post added at 02:24 ---------- Previous post was at 02:19 ----------

I think a veteran Shuttle Astronaut will get the last one.
My bets are on Steve Lindsey, plus It would be appropriate. First Shuttle flight had the Chief Astronaut as CDR, the last one should.

The rumours at the moment are that some of the first-time flyers from STS-125 are in for another flight assignment (Greg "Ray J" Johnson, Mike Good, Megan McArthur).

---------- Post added at 02:27 ---------- Previous post was at 02:24 ----------

Also, it appears that Mike Good is replacing Karen Nyberg as MS2 on STS-132 due to personal reasons. So Good won't be a candidate for STS-133.

 

[Kyle]

I meant CDR's Pete lol sorry.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Mark Kelly will be going to the ISS on 29 Jul 2010 on STS-134, and his brother, Scott Kelly will be going there on 29 Sep 2010 as Flight Engineer for Expedition 25 & ISS CDR for Expedition 26.

So they'll miss flying in space together by just two months! I think NASA could really take more advantage of having two brothers both as Astronauts - if they both flew together, it would be the first time that two brothers had ever been in space together. That would surely bring a lot of press coverage, especially since they are identical twins! If they did it on the last Shuttle mission, it would bring even more coverage.

Just imagine: Mark Kelly as CDR, Scott Kelly as PLT - how would you tell the difference!

Mark Kelly:

Scott Kelly

---------- Post added at 03:11 ---------- Previous post was at 02:55 ----------

Here's the predictions for the STS-133 crew (UNCONFIRMED AT THIS TIME):

CDR: Chris Ferguson (Would be 3rd spaceflight)
PLT: Greg "Ray J" Johnson (Would be 2nd spaceflight)
MS1: Mike Good (Would be 2nd flight) *Good is now assigned to STS-132, so MS1 will change. My guess is that Megan McArthur will be MS1 for STS-133.
MS2: Peggy Whitson (Would be 3rd spaceflight)
MS3: Lee Morin (Would be 2nd spaceflight)

 

[Kyle]

They sure liked that Hubble Crew now didn't they?

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

They sure liked that Hubble Crew now didn't they?

Probably something to do with the 5 back-to-back EVA's, and the crew still managing to find time to do extra tasks!!!!

 

[ryan]

NASA announcing the last shuttle crews really shows that they are serious about retiring the shuttles, soon they will be announcing the first Orion crew.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Soon they will be announcing the first Orion crew.

*pfft* Yeah, in about 2047! :lol:

NASA might as well start training kindergarten kids to fly Orion. By the time those kids are 30, they should just about be ready to fly the first ever crewed Orion mission! :rofl:

 

[Kyle]

Any speculation on the first Orion crew? Chris Cassidy acts like he wants to be the first man to walk on the moon in 50+ years (when the Orion lands) He'll be in his mid-late 40's if he sticks around. So I'm betting Orion 2 will be:

CDR Christopher Cassidy (STS-127)
PLT Gregory R. Wiseman (rookie)

 

[ryan]

Any speculation on the first Orion crew? Chris Cassidy acts like he wants to be the first man to walk on the moon in 50+ years (when the Orion lands) He'll be in his mid-late 40's if he sticks around. So I'm betting Orion 2 will be:

CDR Christopher Cassidy (STS-127)
PLT Gregory R. Wiseman (rookie)

I would want a former CDR from the shuttle and another former CDR to be PLT, and thats all counting that the first manned flight will be a two-man flight.

 

[Kyle]

I would want a former CDR from the shuttle and another former CDR to be PLT, and thats all counting that the first manned flight will be a two-man flight.

But by the time an Orion fly's, most of them will be old and or retired.
Cassidy's not even 40, nor is McArthur (she'll get an Orion)

Take note also, everyone on this crew has flown within the last year.

 

[Moonwalker]

NASA announcing the last shuttle crews really shows that they are serious about retiring the shuttles,

I wonder what people do expect. At least some don't seem to carefully listen to NASA. Hopefully, those crew announcements may finally make speculators wake up and arrive in reality.

Regarding future manned space flight into deep space, these days NASA is going to perform its most wise decisions since the 1970's.

soon they will be announcing the first Orion crew.

Depends basically on how "soon" is being defined. It is most likely that we'll get crew names in late 2013 / mid-end 2014. This is a good target date, beside the fact that the whole pre and current Shuttle program includes significantly more delays than Constellation does for now and is indicating to do in near future.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

It's official - here's the press release:

www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/aug/HQ_09-187_STS-134_crew.html

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

STS-134 CDR Mark Kelly is now on Twitter! :speakcool: He will be providing updates on the training for his mission!

http://twitter.com/ShuttleCDRKelly


Also, his brother, Scott Kelly, is now on Twitter as well, and will be providing training updates for his mission (he is currently assigned as FE-3 of ISS Expedition 25, & CDR of Expedition 26 from Sep 2010 - Mar 2011).

http://twitter.com/StationCDRKelly

 

[Star Voyager]

I think a veteran Shuttle Astronaut will get the last one.
My bets are on Steve Lindsey, plus It would be appropriate. First Shuttle flight had the Chief Astronaut as CDR, the last one should.

I thought 134 was the scheduled last one for now. But my thoughts exactly with Lindsey!