Payton Credit - www.spacefacts.de

Personal: Male. Born in Rock Island, Illinois, USA.

Astronaut Career

Astronaut Group: DoD Group 1 - 1979. Inactive Entered space service: August 1979. Left space service: August 1985. Number of Flights: 1.00. Total Time: 3.06 days.

EDUCATION: Payton earned an undergraduate degree in astronautical engineering from the Air Force Academy and a Masters degree in astronautical/aeronautical engineering from Purdue University.

EXPERIENCE: Payton served over 23 years in the Air Force. During his Air Force career, Colonel Payton served in a variety of operational and managerial positions. These included pilot, instructor pilot, launch controller, spacecraft design manager, and technology developer. In 1985, he flew aboard Discovery as a payload specialist on the first military mission of the Space Shuttle program. Immediately prior to joining NASA, he was the Deputy for Technology in the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization responsible for the development and flight demonstration of advanced technologies such as DC-X, Clementine, and multiple lightweight interceptors.

Payton joined NASA in the spring of 1985 and managed the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) program containing the DC-XA, X-33, X-34, and future space transportation technologies. Payton was named Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology (Space Transportation Technology) at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC, in October 1996.

• 24 January 1985 Flight: STS-51-C. Flight Up: STS-51-C. Flight Back: STS-51-C. Flight Time: 3.06 days.

1 August 1979 - DoD Astronaut Training Group 1 selected.. The group was selected to provide shuttle manned spaceflight engineers to operate military payloads.. Qualifications: USAF, Navy, or Army officers with bachelor's degree in science or engineering; four years experience in flying or space-related activities. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm.. 13 were selected from 222 candidates. The existence of the group was secret until 1985.