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Conrad, Charles Jr 'Pete'
Conrad
Conrad
Credit: www.spacefacts.de
American test pilot astronaut 1962-1974. Third person on the moon. Only astronaut to fly Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab. Commander of first successful space station mission.

Status: Deceased; Active 1962-1974. Born: 1930-06-02. Died: 1999-07-09. Spaceflights: 4 . Total time in space: 49.15 days. Birth Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

US Naval aviator prior to astronaut selection. Died in a motorcycle crash.

Official NASA Biography as of June 2016:CHARLES CONRAD, JR., (CAPTAIN, USN, RET.)
NASA ASTRONAUT (DECEASED)

PERSONAL DATA: Born June 2, 1930, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Died July 8, 1999, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Ojai, California. Conrad, who divorced his first wife, is survived by his wife Nancy, three sons and seven grandchildren. A son preceded him in death.

EDUCATION: Attended primary and secondary schools at Haverford School in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and the Darrow School, New Lebanon, New York; received a bachelor of science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Princeton University in 1953; an honorary master of arts degree from Princeton in 1966; an honorary doctorate of laws degree from Lincoln-Weslyan University in 1970, and an honorary doctorate of science degree from Kings college, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1971.

ORGANIZATIONS: Fellow, American Astronautical Society; New York Academy of Science; American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.

SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded Congressional Space Medal of Honor (October 1978); awarded two NASA Distinguished Service Medals, two NASA Exceptional Service Medals, the Navy Astronaut Wings, two Navy Distinguished Service Medals, and two Distinguished Flying Crosses; recipient of Princeton's Distinguished Alumnus Award for 1965; the U.S. Jaycee's 10 Outstanding Young Men Award in 1965; American Astronautical Society Flight Achievement Award for 1966; Pennsylvania's Award for Excellence in Science and Technology in 1967 and 1969; the Rear Admiral William S. Parsons Award for Scientific and Technical Progress in 1970; Godfrey L. Cabot Award in 1970; Silver Medal of the Union League of Philadelphia in 1970; the FAI Yur Gagarin Gold Space Medal and the De La Vaulx Medal in 1970 for Apollo 12; National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Special Trustees Award in 1970; Federal Aviation Agency's Space Mechanic Technician Award in 1973; the Collier Trophy in 1973; FAI gold Medal and the De La Vaulx Medal in 1974 for Skylab I, and the AIAA Haley Astronautics Award in 1974 for Skylab I; the Harmon Trophy in 1974; enshrined in the Aviation Hall of Fame in 1980.

AEROSPACE AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Following graduation from Princeton University in 1953, Mr. Conrad entered the Navy and became a naval aviator. He then attended the Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland, where he was assigned as a Project Test Pilot. Mr. Conrad also served as a flight instructor and performance engineer at the Test Pilot School. After completing his tour of duty at Patuxent River, he served as instructor pilot in F4H Phantoms on VF-121 and was then assigned duty in VF-96 on board USS Ranger.

In September of 1962, Mr. Conrad was selected as an astronaut by NASA. His first flight was Gemini V, which established the space endurance record and placed the United States in the lead for man-hours in space. As commander of Gemini XI, Mr. Conrad helped to set a world's altitude record. He then served as commander of Apollo XII, the second lunar landing. On Mr. Conrad's final mission, he served as commander of Skylab II, the first United States Space Station.

In December 1973, after serving 20 years (11 of which were as an astronaut in the space program), Mr. Conrad retired from the U.S. Navy to accept a position as Vice President - Operations and Chief Operating Office of American Television and Communications Corporation (ATC). At ATC, he was responsible for both the operation of existing systems and the national development of new cable television systems. In 1976, he resigned from ATC to accept the position of Vice President and consultant to McDonnell Douglas Corporation. In 1978, he became Vice President of marketing and was responsible for all commercial and military sales for Douglas Aircraft Company. Mr. Conrad then became Senior Vice President-Marketing in 1980. He was appointed as Senior Vice President Marketing and Product Support in 1982 and 1984, was named Staff Vice President of International Business Development for McDonnell Douglas Corporation.

In 1990, Mr. Conrad became Staff Vice President - New Business for McDonell Douglas Space Company, where he participated in research and development for the Space Exploration Initiative. Included for research and development in the Space Exploration Initiative are the construction of Space Station Freedom, the return to and colonization of the Moon, and the exploration of Mars. Mr. Conrad contributed his expertise on SSTO, the Single-Stage-To-Orbit and return space transportation system called the Delta Clipper. In 1993, Mr. Conrad became Vice President-Project Development.

Mr. Conrad died July 8, 1999 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Ojai, California.

JULY 1999


Official NASA Biography (Amended 1999 July 9)

NAME: Charles Conrad, Jr., Captain, USN (Ret.)

BIRTHPLACE AND DATE: Born June 2, 1930, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Conrad is 5 feet 6 1/2 inches tall and weighs 145 pounds.

EDUCATION: Attended primary and secondary schools at Haverford School in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and the Darrow School, New Lebanon, New York; received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Princeton University in 1953; an Honorary Master of Arts degree from Princeton in 1966; an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from Lincoln- Weslyan University in 1970, and an Honorary Doctorate of Science degree from Kings College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1971.

MARITAL STATUS: Married to the former Jane DuBose of Uvalde, Texas, and has four sons: Peter, December 25, 1954; Thomas, May 3, 1957; Andrew, April 30, 1959; and Christopher, November 26, 1960.

OTHER ACTIVITIES: His hobbies include golf, water skiing and automobile racing.

ORGANIZATIONS: Fellow, American Astronautical Society; New York Academy of Science; American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.

SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded Congressional Space Medal of Honor (October 1978); awarded two NASA Distinguished Service Medals, two NASA Exceptional Service Medals, the Navy Astronaut Wings, two Navy Distinguished Service Medals, and two Distinguished Flying Crosses; recipient of Princeton's Distinguished Alumnus Award for 1965; the U.S. Jaycee's 10 Outstanding Young Men Award in 1965; American Astronautical Society Flight Achievement Award for 1966; Pennsylvania's Award for Excellence in Science and Technology in 1967 and 1969; the Rear Admiral William S. Parsons Award for Scientific and Technical Progress in 1970; Godfrey L. Cabot Award in 1970; Silver Medal of the Union Leagp5Pof Philadelphia in 1970; the FAI Yur Gagarin Gold Space Medal and the De La Vaulx Medal in 1970 for Apollo 12; National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Special Trustees Award in 1970; Federal Aviation Agency's Space Mechanic Technician Award in 1973; the Collier Trophy in 1973; FAI Gold Medal and the De La Vaulx Medal in 1974 for Skylab I, and the AIAA Haley Astronautics Award in 1974 for Skylab I; the Harmon Trophy in 1974; enshrined in the Aviation Hall of Fame in 1980.

EXPERIENCE: Conrad entered the Navy following graduation from Princeton University and became a naval aviator. He attended the Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland and, upon completing that course of instruction, was assigned as a project test pilot in the armaments test division there. He also served at Patuxent as a flight instructor and performance engineer at the Test Pilot School. He has logged more than 6,500 hours flying time, with more than 5,000 hours in jet aircraft.

Conrad was selected as an astronaut by NASA in September 1962. In August 1965, he served as pilot on the 8-day Gemini V flight. He and command pilot Gordon Cooper were launched into earth orbit on August 21, and proceeded to establish a space endurance record of l90 hours and 56 minutes. The flight, which lasted 120 revolutions and covered a total distance of 3,312,993 statute miles, was terminated on August 29, 1965. It was also on this flight that the United States took over the lead in manhours in space.

On September 18, 1966, Conrad occupied the command pilot seat for the 3-day Gemini XI mission. He executed orbital maneuvers to rendezvous and dock in less than one orbit with a previously launched Agena and piloted Gemini XI through two periods of extravehicular activity performed by pilot Richard Gordon. Other highlights of the flight included the established new world space altitude record of 850 statute miles and the completion of the first fully automatic controlled re-entry.

Conrad was spacecraft commander of Apollo 12, November 14- 24, 1969. With him on man's second lunar landing mission were Richard Gordon, command module pilot, and Alan Bean, lunar module pilot. In accomplishing all of the mission's objectives, the Apollo 12 crew executed the first precision lunar landing, bringing their lunar module, "Intrepid," to a safe touchdown in the moon's Ocean of Storms. Along with Bean, Conrad spent 7 hours and 45 minutes on the lunar surface performing the first lunar traverse deploying the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package (ALSEP), installing a nuclear power generator station which would provide the power source for long-term scientific experiments, gathering geologic samples of the lunar surface for return to Earth, and completing a close-up inspection of the Surveyor III spacecraft.

As spacecraft commander on his fourth flight, Conrad flew the first manned Skylab mission which launched on May 25 and terminated on June 22, 1973. With him for the initial activation and 28-day flight qualification operation of Skylab Orbital Workshop were Joseph Kerwin, science-pilot, and Paul Weitz, pilot. Although subjected to a 10-day delay in their planned launch, Conrad, Kerwin and Weitz managed to complete 46 of 55 scheduled experiments and all of the nine programmed subsystem/operation detailed test objectives. Paramount to the completion of these objectives was deployment of a "parasol" thermal shade to alleviate the orbital workshop thermal problem created by loss of the micrometeoroid shield during the launch of the Skylab workshop. Also vital to the mission was a 3-hour and 23- minute extravehicular activity by Conrad and Kerwin to deploy the jammed solar wing. Their success in extending the only remaining solar array system wing assured sufficient power for the conduct of the full 28-day mission and would provide the needed energy to power the subsequent Skylab 2 and Skylab 3 manned missions. In logging 672 hours and 49 minutes each aboard the workshop, the crew established a new world record for a single mission, and Conrad captured the individual endurance record for time in space by bringing this total space flight time to 1,179 hours and 38 minutes. Conrad has also logged 14 hours and 19 minutes in extra-vehicular activities.

In December 1973, after serving for 20 years (11 of which were as an astronaut in the space program), Conrad retired from the U. S. Navy to accept a position as Vice President, Operations and Chief Operating Officer of American Television and Communications Corporation (ATC) located in Denver, Colorado. Conrad was also a member of the Board of Directors of ATC. As Vice President, Operations, he was responsible for both the operation of existing systems and the development of new cable television systems throughout the country.

March 1, 1976, became a Vice President, Commercial Sales International, McDonnell Douglas Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri.

In October 1978, was promoted to Vice President, Marketing, of the Douglas Aircraft Company.

In October 1980, Conrad was promoted to Senior Vice President, Marketing, of the Douglas Aircraft Company.

September 1969 to March 1971, Consultant, Butler Aviation, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

March 1970 to March 1971, Director, Butler Aviation, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. (Resigned due to Skylab training schedule.)

July 1970 to Present, Director, Hamilton Funds, Inc.; Hamilton Growth Fund, Inc. and Hamilton Income Fund, Inc., Denver, Colorado.

May 1970 to December 1973, Director, Galeria Bank, Houston, Texas. (Resigned due to relocation to Denver.)

December 1973 to 1976, Member/Consultant, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Space Systems Committee, Washington, D.C.

September 1974 to February 1976, Consultant, Martin Marietta Corporation, Large Space Telescope Program, Denver, Colorado.

January 1978 to Present, Consultant, Raytheon Marine Company, Sorensen Company, Manchester, New Hampshire.

February 1981, Advisory Director, Martin Aviation, Santa Ana, California.

As of 1999, Staff Vice President for International Business Development, McDonnell Douglas Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri.

In 1995, he formed his own company, Universal Space Lines, and several sister companies with the goal of commercialising space. His objective was to go back to space as an entrepreneur, creating inexpensive methods of satellite launch and management.


More at: Conrad.

Family: Astronaut. Country: USA. Spacecraft: Gemini, Skylab. Flights: Gemini 5, Gemini 8, Gemini 11, Apollo 503, Apollo 9, Apollo 12, Skylab 2. Projects: Apollo. Agency: USN. Bibliography: 12, 5280.
Photo Gallery

Gemini 5Gemini 5
Astronauts Cooper and Conrad in Gemini spacecraft just after insertion
Credit: NASA


Gemini 5Gemini 5
Astronaut Conrad tweaks Astronaut Cooper's beard for the cameramen
Credit: NASA


Gemini 5Gemini 5
Astronaut Charles Conrad inside the Gemini 5 spacecraft after launch
Credit: NASA



1930 June 2 - .
1962 April 18 - .
1962 September 11 - .
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1963 January 26 - .
1963 January 26 - .
1963 May 6 - .
1965 August 21 - . 14:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC19. LV Family: Titan. Launch Vehicle: Titan II GLV.
1965 August 29 - .
1966 March 16 - . 16:41 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC19. LV Family: Titan. Launch Vehicle: Titan II GLV.
1966 September 12 - . 14:42 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC19. LV Family: Titan. Launch Vehicle: Titan II GLV.
1966 September 15 - .
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1969 March 3 - . 16:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. Launch Platform: LUT2. Launch Vehicle: Saturn V.
1969 November 14 - . 16:22 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. Launch Platform: LUT2. Launch Vehicle: Saturn V.
1969 November 19 - . 11:32 GMT - .
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1973 May 25 - . 13:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39B. Launch Platform: LUT1. LV Family: Saturn I. Launch Vehicle: Saturn IB.
1973 June 7 - . 15:15 GMT - .
1973 June 19 - . 10:55 GMT - .
1999 July 9 - .

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