Stuart Roosa

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Stuart Allen Roosa
Stuart Allen Roosa
Country: United States
Organization: NASA
selected on April 4, 1966
(5th NASA Group)
Calls: 1 space flight
Begin: January 31, 1971
Landing: February 9, 1971
Time in space: 9d, 0h, 1min
EVA inserts: -
retired on February 1, 1976
Space flights

Stuart Allen "Stu" Roosa (born August 16, 1933 in Durango , Colorado , † December 12, 1994 in Falls Church , Virginia ) was an American astronaut from NASA . On Apollo 14 , the sixth manned flight to the moon, he served as the pilot of the command module .

Life

After graduating from high school in Claremore, Oklahoma, Roosa studied at Oklahoma State University and the University of Arizona. In 1953 he joined the United States Air Force . Roosa graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1960 . From 1962 to 1964 he served on various bases a. a. as a fighter and test pilot. During his entire service, he completed more than 5,500 flight hours. In 1966, Roosa joined NASA with the 5th group of astronauts. Following the Apollo program , he was assigned to the space shuttle program. After he left NASA and the Air Force with the rank of Colonel in 1976, he held senior positions in various companies and from 1981 until his death was owner and president of Gulf Coast Coors, Inc. in Gulfport, Mississippi . Roosa died on December 12, 1994, leaving behind a wife and four children. His grave is in Arlington National Cemetery .

Apollo

During the preparation phase for the Apollo flights, Roosa carried out a simulated ditching from April 5 to April 7, 1968, together with James Lovell and Charles Duke , during which the astronauts drifted for about 48 hours in an Apollo landing capsule in the Gulf of Mexico.

In 1969 Roosa was a member of the Support Crew for Apollo 9 .

He completed his only space flight from January 31 to February 9, 1971 as pilot of the command module ( Kitty Hawk ) of Apollo 14 together with Alan Shepard (commander) and Edgar Mitchell (pilot of the lunar module Antares ). While Shepard and Mitchell were on the moon, Roosa remained alone in the command capsule in lunar orbit, where he carried out various photographically documented observations during this time.

For the Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 missions , Roosa was the pilot of the command module in the reserve team.

Awards

Stuart Roosa received during his career as an astronaut a. a. the following awards:

  • NASA Distinguished Service Medal
  • JSC Superior Achievement Award
  • Air Force Command Pilot Astronaut Wings
  • Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
  • Arnold Air Society's John F. Kennedy Award
  • City of New York Gold Medal
  • American Astronautical Society's Flight Achievement Award

See also: list of spacemen

Web links

Commons : Stuart Roosa  - collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Roosa, Stuart
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Roosa, Stuart Allen
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American astronaut
DATE OF BIRTH August 16, 1933
PLACE OF BIRTH Durango , Colorado
DATE OF DEATH December 12, 1994
Place of death Falls Church , Virginia