Sherwood Clark "Woody" Spring

Astronaut
Nationality	American
Born	September 3, 1944 Hartford, Connecticut
Occupation1	Test Pilot
Rank	Colonel, USA
Space time	6d 21h 04m
Selection	1980 NASA Group
Mission(s)	STS-61-B
Mission insignia
1 previous or current

Sherwood Clark "Woody" Spring is a retired United States Army Colonel and former NASA astronaut. Image File history File links SherwoodCSpring. ... September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Test pilots are aviators who fly new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated. ... Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... 1958 1959 1960 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1984 1985 1987 1990 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 2000 2003 2004 1958 June 25 - Man In Space Soonest - USA The first group of American astronaut candidates were selected... Crew Brewster H. Shaw, Jr. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x800, 217 KB)sts-61-b mission patch File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States armed forces and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States Government, responsible for that nations public space program. ... For other uses, see Astronaut (disambiguation). ...

Personal data

Born September 3, 1944, in Hartford, Connecticut, but considers Harmony, Rhode Island, to be his hometown. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America where he achieved its second highest rank, Life Scout. Married to the former Collette (Debbie) Cooper, two children Sarah (Medical School at Georgetown University) and Justin (Mens National Gymnastics Team and potential Olympian). He enjoys flying, scuba diving, white-water river running, skiing, and carpentry.

Education

Graduated from Ponaganset High School (North Scituate, Rhode Island) in 1963; received a bachelor of science degree in General Engineering from the United States Military Academy in 1967 and a master of science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Arizona in 1974. Graduated from the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School in 1976 and the Defense Systems Management College in 1989. Ponaganset High School is a school of the Foster-Glocester School District, located in North Scituate, Rhode Island (in Providence County). ... Location of Scituate, Rhode Island. ... USMA redirects here. ... The University of Arizona (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. ...

Organizations

Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, United States Army Association, Association of Space Explorers (ASE), and a lifetime member of the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy. The Society of Experimental Test Pilots was founded in 1955 as the Testy Test Pilots Society and had Scott Crossfield, Ray Tenhoff, Joe Ozier, Dick Johnson, Tom Kilgariff, John Fitzpatrick as its original members. ...

Special honors

Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, 2 Bronze Stars, 1 Meritorious Service Medal, 3 Army Commendation Medals, 9 Air Medals, a Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medals, and NASA Space Flight Medal. Recipient, in 1986, of two honorary doctorate degrees; Doctor of Science, and Doctor of Human Letters. The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a United States military award which is presented for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense of the United States. ... The Distinguished Flying Cross. ... The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration and is the fourth highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service. ... The Meritorious Service Medal is a military award presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding non-combat meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969. ... The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military award which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. ... The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States which was established by Executive Order 9158, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, on May 11, 1942. ... Gallantry Cross Medal and Unit Citation The Vietnam Gallantry Cross is a military decoration of South Vietnam which was established in August 1950. ... The National Defense Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States military and was the brainchild of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. ... Vietnam Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal ribbon The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. ... The NASA Space Flight Medal is a decoration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration which is awarded to any astronaut who performs a significant achievement or meritorious deed while engaged in a United States space mission. ...

Experience

After graduation from West Point in 1967, Spring served two tours of duty in Vietnam. The first was from 1968 to 1969 with the 101st Airborne Division. The second tour, 1970-1971, came immediately after flight school and was served as a helicopter pilot with the 1st Cavalry Division (United States). Upon return, he received fixed wing training en route to a master's degree program with the University of Arizona in 1974. After a short tour at Edwards Air Force Base, California, as a flight test engineer, he attended the Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland. He then returned to the Army's Flight Test Facility at Edwards AFB to complete 4 years as an experimental test pilot. The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)—nicknamed the “Screaming Eagles”—is an airborne division of the United States Army primarily trained for air assault operations. ... The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors consisting of two or more rotor blades. ... The 1st Cavalry Division (1st Cav Div) is a heavy armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Hood, Texas. ... Edwards Air Force Base is a USAF airbase located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley, 7 miles (11 km) due East of Rosamond, USA at 34°57′ N 117°52′ W. An airbase since 1933, Edwards has long been a home... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. ...

He has military and civilian experience in 25 types of airplanes and helicopters and has logged more than 3,500 hours flying time--including over 1,500 hours in jet aircraft. An Air France Boeing 777, a modern passenger jet. ... The hour (symbol: h) is a unit of time. ...

NASA experience

Spring was selected as an astronaut in May 1980. His technical assignments have included software verification at the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory and Flight Simulation Laboratory; vehicle and satellite integration at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, for STS-5, 6, 7, 8, and 9; Astronaut Office EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) expert; and Space Station construction, EVA maintenance, and design. Spring served as a mission specialist on STS-61B which flew November 26, 1985 through December 3, 1985. During that mission he was responsible for launching three communications satellites and performed two EVA's. During the EVA's, which totaled more than 12 hours, Spring investigated Space Station construction techniques, large structure manipulation while on the end of the remote arm, and a time and motion study for comparison between Earth training and Space performance, with the EASE/ACCESS experiment. With the completion of STS-61-B, he has logged a total of 165 hours in space, including over 12 hours of EVA. After the Challenger accident, Spring participated in the Kennedy Space Center Tiger Team for accident investigation, then led the Astronaut Office EVA (Extra Vehicle Activity) program until 1988. Astronaut Claude Nicollier in the SAIL Shuttle cockpit simulator, 1983 The Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory is a facility at Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. ... Merritt Island and Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is the NASA space vehicle launch facility (spaceport) at Cape Canaveral on Merritt Island in Florida, United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 162 miles (260 km)  - Length 497 miles (800 km)  - % water 17. ... STS-5 was a space shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle Columbia, launched November 11, 1982. ... STS-6 was a space shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle Challenger, launched April 4, 1983. ... STS-7 was a space shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle Challenger, launched June 18, 1983. ... STS-8 was the eighth Space Shuttle mission, the third for Challenger. ... STS-9 (Spacelab 1) was a United States Space Shuttle mission, the 6th mission of the Columbia orbiter. ... November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Astronauts assemble the EASE structure during STS-61B Astronaut Jerry L. Ross, secured to the RMS, approaches the ACCESS structure during STS-61B Astronauts assemble the ACCESS structure in neutral buoyancy training The Experimental Assembly of Structures in EVA and the Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures, or... Crew Brewster H. Shaw, Jr. ...

Following his retirement form NASA in August 1988, Colonel Spring spent the next five years directing the Army Space Program Office in Washington, D.C. He retired from the Army in July 1994, and is now a contractor working on Defence and Intelligence programs in the Washigton DC area. Source: [1] ...