In 1996, astronaut Tom Henricks became the first Space Shuttle pilot/commander to log 1,000 hours in space.
Tom tells us about his time as an F-4 pilot and F-16 test pilot, astronaut training, flying four Space Shuttle missions including two as a commander, and the challenges of flying at Mach 25. This one is going to be cool!
Key Takeaways:
- Tom's love of aviation started when he bought an airplane ride near his family's farm.
- Tom graduated number one in his weapons and test pilot school.
- After applying four times, Tom was selected to be a NASA astronaut in 1985.
- Tom flew to space four times on missions STS-44, 55, 70, and 78. They ran experiments, deployed satellites, and did some early testing that later would help build the International Space Station.
- The Space Shuttle reenters the atmosphere at Mach 25, making it very complicated to land successfully. Tom landed the Shuttle on his last two missions.
- At the time, STS-78 was the longest space mission to date at 405 hours. Later that same year, STS-80 broke its record by 19 hours.
- Tom is excited about the future of Artemis and hopes someday he may even step on the Moon.
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What is Behind the Wings?
Wings Over the Rockies has a new podcast! Based on our hit YouTube and PBS series of the same name, the Behind the Wings podcast will cover everything from aviation history to the future of space exploration with thought leaders and experts in the industry. This one's going to be cool!