Astronaut
Program Titles
Richard Oswalt Covey was on the five-man crew of STS-51-I, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. During this seven-day mission, crew members deployed three communications satellites: the Navy SYNCOM IV-4, the Australian AUSSAT, and American Satellite Corporation’s ASC-1. The crew also performed the successful on-orbit rendezvous and repair of the ailing 15,000 pounds (6.8 t) SYNCOM IV-3 satellite. This repair activity involved the first manual grapple and manual deployment of a satellite by a spacewalking crew member. The mission duration was 170 hours. The Space Shuttle Discovery completed 112 orbits before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
He piloted the STS-26, the first flight to be flown after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. The five-man crew launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission duration was 97 hours during which crew members successfully deployed the TDRS-C satellite and operated eleven secondary payloads which included two student experiments. Discovery completed 64 orbits of the Earth before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
On STS-38 Covey was the spacecraft commander of a five-man crew that launched at night from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. During the five-day mission, crewmembers conducted Department of Defense operations. After 80 orbits of the Earth in 117 hours, Covey piloted the Space Shuttle Atlantis to a landing on the runway at the Kennedy Space Center. This was the first Shuttle recovery in Florida since 1985.
On his fourth flight, Covey commanded a crew of seven aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on the STS-61 Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing and repair mission. STS-61 launched at night from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. During the 11-day flight, the HST was captured and restored to full capacity through a record five space walks by four astronauts. After having traveled 4,433,772 miles (7,135,464 km) in 163 orbits of the Earth, Covey landed the Endeavour at night on the runway at the Kennedy Space Center.
Covey retired from NASA and the Air Force. After the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, Covey, along with retired Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas Patten Stafford, headed the Stafford-Covey Commission in returning the Space Shuttle fleet to space, starting with the STS-114 mission. Covey received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America—he became an Eagle Scout in 1960 when his father was stationed at an Air Force base in Florida. Covey was featured in a 2005 issue of Eagletter, a magazine for members of the National Eagle Scout Association. Covey was selected for the position of Chief Operating Officer of United Space Alliance. Covey succeeded fellow astronaut Michael J. McCulley as chief executive officer of United Space Alliance. Covey retired from United Space Alliance and he served on the Board of Directors of Re/Max Holdings, LLC.
Covey also appeared in an episode of the American TV show Home Improvement. Series 3, Episode 24, titled “Reality Bytes”. The Hubble repair crew appeared on the fictional show Tool Time, where they showed some of the tools they used in space. During the closing credits, Covey also presented the cast and crew of Home Improvement with a frame containing a flag, crew patch, and some photos. The flag and patch had flown around four million miles in space.
Covey has been awarded 2 Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, 5 Air Force Distinguished Flying Crosses, 16 Air Medals, the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, 4 NASA Space Flight Medals, the NASA Public Service Medal, the Johnson Space Center Certificate of Commendation, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Haley Space Flight Award, and the American Astronautical Society (AAS) Flight Achievement Award. He is a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, received the Liethen-Tittle Award as the Outstanding Graduate of U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School Class 74B, and is a Distinguished Astronaut Engineering Alumnus of Purdue University.
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