Payload Specialist

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Requirement: Provide technicians to operate specific payloads on shuttle missions. Qualification: Vision 20/40 in one eye; hear a whisper at 1 m; blood pressure under 160/100; pulse rate 176-190 after 12-15 minutes on treadmill; no history of tuberculosis, glaucoma, heart disease, anemia, ulcers, or kidney stones.

Payload specialists were named by the payload's sponsor (a commercial entity, foreign government or Agency, US government Agency, etc.) The legitimate purpose was to have aboard an engineering or scientific specialist intimately familiar with a particular experiment and able to operate and trouble-shoot it in orbit. Less legitimate, prior to the Challenger disaster, was the flying of representatives from companies or agencies that had paid for a commercial payload, or propaganda selections (politicians, teachers, journalists). The latter practice stopped after the Challenger disaster, but was just starting up again when the Columbia was lost...

Payload specialists were not trained in distinct selections or groups. They were named as needed and received a few months training in shuttle flight safety procedures, zero-G environment, etc.

	Acton	Dr Loren Wilber Acton. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 7 March 1936.

	Akbar	Taufik Akbar. Indonesian Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 8 January 1951.

	Al-Bassam	Abdul Moshin Hamad Al-Bassam. Saudi Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 12 December 1948.

	Al-Saud	Sultan Salman Abdel-aziz Al-Saud. Saudi Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 27 June 1956. First Arab in space.

	Aldridge	Edward Cleveland 'Pete' Aldridge Jr. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 18 August 1938.

	Anderson Lloyd	Lloyd Lynn Anderson Jr. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 28 February 1952.

	Aufderhaar	Grant Clifford Aufderhaar. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 20 August 1948.

	Bailey	Palmer Kent Bailey. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 27 October 1947.

	Bartoe	Dr John David Francis Bartoe. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 17 November 1944.

	Batalli Cosmovici	Cristiano Batalli Cosmovici. Italian Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 2 June 1943.

	Bechis	Kenneth Paul Bechis. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 22 July 1949.

	Belt	Michael Eugene Belt. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 9 September 1957.

	Bhat	Nagapathi Chidambar Bhat. Indian Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 1948.

	Boesen	Dennis Lee Boesen. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 9 August 1942.

	Bondar	Roberta Lynn Bondar. Canadian Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 4 December 1945. Neurologist. First Canadian female astronaut.

	Boyle	Anthony Hugh Boyle. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 18 January 1941.

	Bruemmer	Renate Luise Bruemmer. Swiss Engineer Astronaut. Born 4 May 1955. Meterologist.

	Buckey	Jay Clark Buckey Jr. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 6 June 1956.

	Butterworth	Louis William Butterworth. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 17 July 1948.

	Carvalho Benoliel	Jose Augusto Carvalho Benoliel. Brazilian Mission Specialist Astronaut. .

	Cenker	Robert Joseph Cenker Jr. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 5 November 1948.

	Chappell	Charles Richard Chappell. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 2 June 1943.

	Clegg	Robert Henry Clegg. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 23 August 1946.

	Cocentino Munaretto	Luiz Alberto Cocentino Munaretto. Brazilian Mission Specialist Astronaut. .

	Crouch	Dr Roger Keith Crouch. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 12 September 1940.

	Cunningham Stephen	Stephen Lee Cunningham. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 10 September 1945.

	DeLucas	Dr Lawrence (Larry) James DeLucas. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 11 July 1950.

	Dunlap	Dr Alexander William Dunlap. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 15 July 1960.

	Durrance	Dr Samuel (Sam) Thornton Durrance. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 17 September 1943.

	Farrimond	Richard Alfred Farrimond. British Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 15 September 1947.

	Favier	Dr Jean-Jacques Favier. French Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 13 April 1949.

	Fettman	Dr Martin Joseph Fettman. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 31 December 1956.

	Frimout	Dirk Dries David Damian Frimout. Belgian Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 21 March 1941. First Belgian astronaut.

	Furrer	Dr Reinhard Alfred Furrer. German Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 25 November 1940. Died 19 September 1995.

	Gaffney	Dr Francis Andrew (Drew) Gaffney. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 9 June 1946.

	Garn	Edwin Jacob (Jake) Garn. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 12 October 1932.

	Golfetto	Wander Almodovar Golfetto. Brazilian Mission Specialist Astronaut. .

	Hawker	John Edward (Hawk) Hawker. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 12 November 1954.

	Hennen	Thomas (Tom) John Hennen. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 17 August 1952.

	Hoernig	Otto William Hoernig Jr. British Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 21 July 1938.

	Hoffpauir	Michael Edward Hoffpauir. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 17 November 1957.

	Holmes	Christopher John Nicholas Holmes. British Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 10 July 1950.

	Holt	Dr Ray Glynn Holt. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 28 November 1959.

	Hughes-Fulford	Dr Millie Elizabeth Hughes-Fulford. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 21 December 1945. Biochemist.

	Jarvis	Gregory Bruce Jarvis. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 24 August 1944. Died 28 January 1986. Died in Challenger accident.

	Johnston	Mary Helen Johnston. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 17 September 1945. Engineer.

	Konrad	John Harrison Konrad. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 12 March 1949.

	Koszelak	Stanley Norbert Koszelak Jr. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 20 October 1953.

	Lampton	Dr Michael Logan Lampton. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 1 March 1941.

	Leslie	Dr Fred Weldon Leslie. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 19 December 1951.

	Lewis	Fred Parker Lewis Jr. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 2 March 1949.

	Lichtenberg	Dr Byron Kurt Lichtenberg. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 19 February 1948.

	Linteris	Dr Gregory Thomas Linteris. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 4 October 1957.

	Longhurst	Peter Hervey Longhurst. British Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 8 March 1943.

	Lorenzoni	Andrea Lorenzoni. Italian Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 8 August 1946.

	Louzada	Mozart Marques Louzada. Brazilian Mission Specialist Astronaut. .

	Magilton	Gerard Edward 'Jerry' Magilton. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 7 May 1942.

	Malerba	Franco Egidio Malerba. Italian Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 10 October 1946. First Italian astronaut.

	Matthiesen	Dr David Henry Matthiesen. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 31 August 1958.

	Mayo	Itzhak Mayo. Israeli Pilot Astronaut. Born 14 September 1954.

	McAuliffe	Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 2 September 1948. Died 28 January 1986. Was to have been the first teacher in space. Died in Challenger accident.

	McKay Michael	Michael John McKay. Canadian Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 10 May 1963.

	Merbold	Dr Ulf Dietrich Merbold. German Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 20 June 1941.

	Messerschmid	Dr Ernst Willi Messerschmid. German Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 1 May 1945.

	Money	Kenneth Eric Money. Canadian Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 4 January 1935.

	Mukai	Chiaki Mukai. Japanese Medical Doctor Astronaut. Born 6 May 1952. Surgeon, first Japanese female astronaut.

	Nair	Paramaswaren Radhakrishnan Nair. Indian Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 10 October 1943.

	Nelson Bill	Clarens William (Bill) Nelson. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 29 September 1942.

	Neri Vela	Rodolfo Neri Vela. Mexican Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 19 February 1952. First Mexican astronaut.

	Nordsieck	Dr Kenneth Hugh Nordsieck. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 9 February 1946.

	Ockels	Dr Wubbo Johannes Ockels. Dutch Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 28 March 1946. First Dutch astronaut.

	Parise	Dr Ronald Anthony (Ron) Parise. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 24 May 1951. Died 9 May 2008.

	Patat	Frederic Patat. French Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 24 June 1958.

	Pawelczyk	James Anthony 'Jim' Pawelczyk. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 20 September 1960.

	Peralta y Fabi	Ricardo Peralta y Fabi. Mexican Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 15 August 1950.

	Philips Robert	Dr Robert Ward Phillips. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 21 January 1929.

	Prahl	Dr Joseph Markel Prahl. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 30 March 1943.

	Prinz	Dr Dianne Kasnic Prinz. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 29 September 1938. Died 12 October 2002. Physicist.

	Pustovyi	Dr Yaroslav Ihorovych Pustovyi. Ukrainian Engineer Astronaut. Born 29 December 1970.

	Ramon	Ilan Ramon. Israeli Pilot Astronaut. Born 20 June 1954. Died 1 February 2003. First Israeli astronaut. Perished in Columbia shuttle disintegration during re-entry.

	Ronney	Paul David Ronney. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 1 May 1957.

	Rossitto	Franco Rossitto. Italian Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 1 February 1940.

	Sacco	Dr Albert Sacco Jr. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 3 May 1949.

	Scully-Power	Paul Desmond Scully-Power. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 28 May 1944.

	Simon	Dr George Warren Simon. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 22 April 1934.

	Skantze	Lawrence Albert Skantze. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 24 June 1928.

	Stevenson	Robert Everett Stevenson. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 15 January 1921. Died 12 August 2001.

	Sudarmono Pratiwi	Pratiwi Pujilestari Sudarmono. Payload specialist Astronaut. Born 31 July 1952.

	Thirsk	Dr Robert Brent Thirsk. Canadian Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 17 August 1953.

	Townsend	Ronald Dean Townsend. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 19 June 1948.

	Trinh	Dr Eugene (Gene) Huu-Chau Trinh. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 14 September 1950.

	Urbani	Luca Urbani. Italian Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 11 May 1957.

	van den Berg	Dr Lodewijk van den Berg. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 24 March 1932.

	Vangen	Scott Duane Vangen. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 12 December 1959.

	Walker	Charles David Walker. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 29 August 1948.

	Walter	Dr Ulrich Hans Walter. German Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 9 February 1954.

	Wang	Dr Taylor Gun-Jin Wang. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 16 June 1940.

	Weaver	Carol Lynn Belt Weaver. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 30 January 1953. Payload Specialist.

	Williams Bill	Bill Alvin Williams. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 9 February 1942.

	Wood Nigel	Nigel Richard Wood. British Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 21 July 1949.

	Wood Robert	Robert James Wood. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 26 June 1957.

	Young Lawrence	Lawrence Retman Young. American Payload Specialist Astronaut. Born 19 December 1935.