{"id":12919,"date":"2025-01-17T12:01:30","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T16:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/35-years-ago-nasa-selects-its-13th-group-of-astronauts\/"},"modified":"2025-01-17T12:01:30","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T16:01:30","slug":"35-years-ago-nasa-selects-its-13th-group-of-astronauts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/35-years-ago-nasa-selects-its-13th-group-of-astronauts\/","title":{"rendered":"35 Years Ago: NASA Selects its 13th Group of Astronauts\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

35 Years Ago: NASA Selects its 13th Group of Astronauts\u00a0<\/h2>\n

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On Jan. 17, 1990, NASA announced the selection of its 13th<\/sup> group of astronaut candidates. The diverse group comprised 23 candidates \u2013 seven pilots and 16 mission specialists. The group included one African American, one Asian American, and five women including the first female pilot and the first Hispanic woman. Following one year of astronaut candidate training, all 23 became eligible for technical assignments within the astronaut office and for assignment to space shuttle crews. All members of the group completed at least one spaceflight, making significant contributions to the space shuttle program, the Shuttle Mir program, important science missions, and assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station. Several went on to serve in key NASA management positions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Outdoor<\/a><\/figure>
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The Group 13 NASA astronaut candidates pose for a group photo \u2013 front row kneeling, Charles Precourt, left, Janice Voss, Ellen Ochoa, David Wolf, Eileen Collins, and Daniel Bursch; standing, William Gregory, left, Jeffrey Wisoff, Carl Walz, Richard Searfoss, Donald Thomas, James Halsell, Thomas Jones, James Newman, Kenneth Cockrell, Bernard Harris, Leroy Chiao, Ronald Sega, Susan Helms, William McArthur, Nancy Sherlock, Richard Clifford, and Terrance Wilcutt. <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The newest class of NASA astronaut candidates included pilot candidates Kenneth Cockrell<\/a>, Eileen Collins<\/a>, William Gregory<\/a>, James Halsell<\/a>, Charles Precourt<\/a>, Richard Searfoss<\/a>, and Terrence Wilcutt<\/a> and mission specialist candidates Daniel Bursch<\/a>, Leroy Chiao<\/a>, Rich Clifford<\/a>, Bernard Harris<\/a>, Susan Helms<\/a>, Thomas Jones<\/a>, William Mc Arthur<\/a>, James Newman<\/a>, Ellen Ochoa<\/a>, Ronald Sega<\/a>, Nancy Sherlock<\/a>, Donald Thomas<\/a>, Janice Voss<\/a>, Carl Walz<\/a>, Jeffrey Wisoff<\/a>, and David Wolf<\/a>. From the 1,945 qualified applicants, NASA invited 103 candidates for interviews and medical exams at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston between September and November 1989.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Two<\/figure>
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Group 13 astronaut candidates Bernard Harris, left, Susan Helms, and William McArthur during wilderness survival training.<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
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\"A<\/figure>
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Group 13 astronaut candidates William Gregory, left, and Susan Helms during water survival training.<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
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\"A<\/figure>
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Group 13 astronaut candidate Eileen Collins listens to a lecture on parachute ejection. <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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