- L. Blaine Hammond
Infobox Astronaut
name =Lloyd Blaine Hammond, Jr.
type =Astronaut
nationality =American
date_birth =January 16 ,1952
place_birth =Savannah, Georgia
occupation =Test Pilot
rank =Colonel , USAF
selection =1984 NASA Group
time =19d 06h 11m
mission =STS-39 ,STS-64
insignia =|Lloyd Blaine Hammond, Jr. (
Colonel ,USAF ) is as of|1997|lc=on aNASA astronaut .Background
Hammond was born on
January 16 ,1952 inSavannah, Georgia , but considersSt. Louis, Missouri his hometown. He graduated fromKirkwood High School in 1969 and received aBachelor of Science degree inengineering ,science , andmechanics from theUnited States Air Force Academy in 1973 and aMaster of Science degree in engineering science and mechanics fromGeorgia Institute of Technology in 1974. He is a member of theAir Force Academy Association of Graduates , theAir Force Association , and theOrder of Daedalians .Awards and honors
*Distinguished Graduate USAF Academy
*Commander's Trophy
*Flying Training Award inUndergraduate Pilot Training
*Defense Superior Service Medal
*NASA Space Flight Medal
*Air Force Commendation Medal (2).Military and Flight Experience
Hammond received his pilot wings at
Reese Air Force Base ,Texas , in 1975. He was assigned to the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron,Hahn Air Base ,Germany , flying the F4E from 1976 to 1979. In 1979-1980, he was an Instructor Pilot in the F-5B/E/F atWilliams Air Force Base ,Arizona , training a variety of foreign national students. He attended the "Empire Test Pilots' School " (ETPS) at A&AEEBoscombe Down, United Kingdom , in 1981. Hammond returned toEdwards Air Force Base ,California , in 1982, where he managed several projects in the 6512 Test Squadron until being assigned as an instructor at the USAF Test Pilot School. As a test pilot school instructor, he flew the F-4,A-7 Corsair II , andA-37 , and was the High Angle of Attack program monitor, teaching stall/spin theory and flight training.He has logged over 4,500 hours in 15 American and 10 RAF
aircraft .NASA Experience
Selected by NASA in May 1984, Hammond became an astronaut in June 1985, and is qualified for assignment as a pilot/commander on future
Space Shuttle flight crews. His technical assignments include having served in Mission Control as an ascent/entryspacecraft communicator (CAPCOM). In that capacity he was directly involved in the decision-making process for flight rules, procedures, techniques, and launch commit criteria. He was also assigned as an Astronaut Support Person (ASP), or "Cape Crusader," responsible for monitoring Orbiter status as it undergoes testing and maintenance atJohn F. Kennedy Space Center during preparations for the next flight. Hammond also served as the lead astronaut supporting theShuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL) which tests and verifies the flightsoftware for each Shuttle mission. Hammond was the lead astronaut supporting Orbiter software development and changes, including theGlobal Positioning System (GPS) avionics upgrade. He also worked on designing new cockpit flight instruments/systems displays for the Multifunctional Electronic Display System (MEDS), a major cockpit upgrade to electronic display systems. A veteran of two space flights, Hammond has logged over 462 hours in space. He flew onSTS-39 in 1991, andSTS-64 in 1994.Colonel Hammond flew as pilot of Discovery on STS-39, the first unclassified Department of Defense mission (
April 28 toMay 6 1991 ). He logged 199 hours and 23 minutes of space flight. The seven-man crew performed numerous scientific experiments to collect data on atmosphericinfrared andultraviolet phenomena including a deploy and rendezvous in support of theStrategic Defense Initiative Office (SDIO).Recently, he was the pilot on STS-64 aboard the Discovery. Mission highlights included: first use of
laser s for environmental research; deployment and retrieval of a solar sciencesatellite ;robot ic processing ofsemiconductor s; use of RMS boom forjet thruster research; first untetheredspacewalk in 10 years to test a self-rescuejetpack . Mission duration was 10 days, 22 hours, 51 minutes.Following STS-64, Hammond completed 5 months of intensive
Russian language training as preparation for assignment as the Deputy for Operations,Russia . That assignment was subsequently changed to NASA Liaison to USAF HQ/AFSPC ,Colorado Springs , where he worked several issues to strengthen ties between NASA, AFSPC, and USAF Astronauts. Hammond was also assigned as Lead Ascent/Entry CAPCOM for missionsSTS-73 throughSTS-78 . During the same period, Hammond served as the Branch Chief of the Flight Support Branch, supervising CAPCOM and ASP activities. Hammond is currently assigned as the Branch Chief of the Astronaut Office Safety Branch where he monitors all T-38, Shuttle, and Space Station safety issues.CURRENTLY
Now Hammond resides in Southern California working for Gulfstream. Gulfstream has Hammond presently as a test pilot for the production of private aircraft. Among hobbies are golf and tennis. His son Michael, born in 1987, resides in Texas as a student at the University of Houston.
External links
* [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/hammond.html Source]
* [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/hammond_blaine.htm Spacefacts biography of L. Blaine Hammond]
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