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Lousma, Jack Robert
Lousma
Lousma
Credit: www.spacefacts.de
American pilot astronaut 1966-1983.

Status: Inactive; Active 1966-1983. Born: 1936-02-29. Spaceflights: 2 . Total time in space: 67.47 days. Birth Place: Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Educated Michigan; USNPGS.

Official NASA Biography as of June 2016:Jack Robert Lousma (Colonel, USMC, Ret.)
NASA Astronaut (former)

PERSONAL DATA: Born February 29, 1936, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Lousma and his wife, Gratia Kay, have been married since 1956. They have four children and six grandchildren. He is a golfing enthusiast and enjoys hunting, fishing, and aviation.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Ann Arbor High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan; received a bachelor of science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1959, and a master of science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1965; presented an honorary doctorate of Astronautical Science from the University of Michigan in 1973, an honorary Doctor of Science from Hope College in 1982, and an honorary Doctor of Science in Business Administration from Cleary College in 1986.

ORGANIZATIONS: Fellow of the American Astronautical Society; member of the Society of the Sigma Xi, the University of Michigan "M" Club, the Officer's Christian Fellowship, and the Association of Space Explorers.

SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded the Johnson Space Center Certificate of Commendation (1970) and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal (1973); presented the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Navy Astronaut Wings (1974), the City of Chicago Gold Medal (1974), the Robert J. Collier Trophy for 1973 (1974), the Marine Corps Aviation Association's Exceptional Achievement Award (1974), the Federation Aeronautique Internationale's V. M. Komarov Diploma for 1973 (1974), the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy for 1975 (1975), the AIAA Octave Chanute Award for 1975 (1975), the AAS Flight Achievement Award for 1974 (1975); inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame (1982). NASA Distinguished Service Medal (1982), Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal (1982), NCAA Silver Anniversary Award (1983). Inducted into the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame (1988).

EXPERIENCE: Lousma was a reconnaissance pilot with VMCJ-2, 2nd Marine Air Wing, at Cherry Point, North Carolina, before being assigned to Houston and the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. He became a Marine Corps officer in 1959 and received his wings in 1960 after completing training at the U.S. Naval Air Training Command. He was then assigned to VMA-224, 2nd Marine Air Wing, as an attack pilot and later served with VMA-224, 1st Marine Air Wing, at Iwakuni, Japan. He has logged 7000 hours of flight time--including 700 hours in general aviation aircraft and 1619 hours in space, 4,500 hours in jet aircraft, 240 hours in helicopters, and 700 hours in general aviation aircraft.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Lousma is one of the 19 astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966. He served as a member of the astronaut support crews for the Apollo 9, 10, and 13 missions. He was the pilot for Skylab-3 (July 28 to September 25, 1973) and was spacecraft commander on STS-3 (March 22-30, 1982), logging a total of over 1,619 hours in space. Lousma also spent 11 hours on two spacewalks outside the Skylab space station. He also served as backup docking module pilot of the United States flight crew for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission which was completed successfully in July 1975.

Jack Lousma left NASA in 1983.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: Skylab-3 (SL-3) (July 28 to September 25, 1973). The crew on this 59-1/2 day flight included Alan L. Bean (spacecraft commander), Jack Lousma (pilot), and Owen K. Garriott (science-pilot). SL-3 accomplished 150% of mission goals while completing 858 revolutions of the earth and traveling some 24,400,000 miles in earth orbit. The crew installed six replacement rate gyros used for attitude control of the spacecraft and a twin-pole sun-shade used for thermal control, and they repaired nine major experiment or operational equipment items. They devoted 305 man hours to extensive solar observations from above the earth's atmosphere, which included viewing two major solar flares and numerous smaller flares and coronal transients. Also acquired and returned to earth were 16,000 photographs and 18 miles of magnetic tape documenting earth resources observations. The crew completed 333 medical experiment performances and obtained valuable data on the effects of extended weightlessness on humans. Skylab-3 ended with a Pacific Ocean splashdown and recovery by the USS NEW ORLEANS.

STS-3, the third orbital test flight of space shuttle Columbia, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on March 22, 1982, into a 180-mile circular orbit above the earth. Jack Lousma was the spacecraft commander and C. Gordon Fullerton was the pilot on this 8-day mission. Major flight test objectives included exposing the Columbia to extremes in thermal stress and the first use of the 50-foot remote manipulator system (RMS) to grapple and maneuver a payload in space. The crew also operated several scientific experiments in the orbiter's cabin and on the OSS-1 pallet in the payload bay. Space Shuttle Columbia responded favorably to the thermal tests and was found to be better than expected as a scientific platform. The crew accomplished almost 100% of the objectives assigned to STS-3, and after a 1-day delay due to bad weather, landed on the lakebed at White Sands, New Mexico, on March 30,1982, having traveled 3.4 million miles during 129.9 orbits of the earth. Mission duration was 192 hours, 4 minutes, 49 seconds.

FEBRUARY 1999

This is the only version available from NASA. Updates must be sought from the above named individual.

Official Biography

NAME: Jack R. Lousma

BIRTHDATE AND PLACE: Lousma was born February 29, 1936, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

EDUCATION: Lousma received a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1959 and a degree of aeronautical engineer from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1965.

EXPERIENCE: Lousma became a Marine Corps officer in 1959 and received his flight wings a year later at the U.S. Naval Air Training Command. He served with the 2nd Marine Air Wing as an attack pilot and with the 1st Marine Wing based in Japan. He was a reconnaissance pilot with the 2nd Marine Air Wing, flying out of Cherry Point, North Carolina, when NASA selected him as one of 19 new astronauts in April 1966.

Lousma served as Command Module Pilot for the second manned Skylab mission, Skylab 3, launched on July 28, 1973. The other crew members were Commander Alan Bean and Science Pilot Owen K. Garriott. They would spend 59 days aboard the space workshop. Lousma conducted two space walks during the mission. On the tenth day of the mission, he and Garriott conducted an EVA, replacing film in the external solar telescope and erecting a second sun shade over the area of the station where a protective heat shield had ripped away during launch. On the second EVA, with Garriott, the telescope film was again changed out. During the course of the mission Earth resources photography, solar astronomy, metals processing and biological experiments were conducted.

Lousma returned to space March 22, 1982, as Commander of the third flight of the Space Shuttle. During eight days in orbit, he and Pilot Gordon Fullerton exposed the shuttle to extremes in thermal stress, tested the craft's 16 m long robot arm, and conducted science experiments. Because of bad weather at the prime landing site at Edwards Air Force Base, California, Lousma flew the shuttle to its only landing at a high altitude backup landing site at White Sands, New Mexico, on March 30.

Thereafter Lousma retired from NASA and the Marine Corps, and became an official of The Diamond General Corporation.



More at: Lousma.

Family: Astronaut. Country: USA. Spacecraft: Skylab. Flights: Apollo 13, Skylab 3, Apollo 20, Apollo (ASTP), STS-2A, STS-3. Projects: Apollo, ASTP, STS. Agency: USMC. Bibliography: 5713.
Photo Gallery

STS-3STS-3
Commander Lousma sleeps on aft flight deck
Credit: NASA


Skylab 3Skylab 3
Astronaut Jack Lousma participates in EVA to deploy twin pole solar shield
Credit: NASA


Skylab 3Skylab 3
Astronaut Jack Lousma participates in EVA to deploy twin pole solar shield
Credit: NASA


STS-3STS-3
Commander Lousma is surrounded by a week's worth of trash on the middeck
Credit: NASA



1936 February 29 - .
1966 April 4 - .
1970 April 11 - . 19:13 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. Launch Platform: LUT3. Launch Vehicle: Saturn V.
1973 July 28 - . 11:10 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39B. Launch Platform: LUT1. LV Family: Saturn I. Launch Vehicle: Saturn IB.
1973 August 7 - . 17:30 GMT - .
1973 August 24 - . 16:24 GMT - .
1973 September 25 - . 22:19 GMT - .
1974 July - .
1975 July 15 - . 19:50 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39B. Launch Platform: LUT1. LV Family: Saturn I. Launch Vehicle: Saturn IB.
1979 Late - .
1982 March 22 - . 16:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. Launch Platform: MLP1. LV Family: Shuttle. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle.
1982 March 30 - .

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