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Edwards, Joe Frank Jr

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Edwards Credit: www.spacefacts.de

Status: Inactive; Active 1994-2000. Born: 1958-02-03. Spaceflights: 1 . Total time in space: 8.83 days. Birth Place: Richmond, Virginia.

Official NASA Biography as of June 2016:Joe Frank Edwards, Jr., (Commander, USN, Ret.)
NASA Astronaut (former)

PERSONAL DATA: Born February 3, 1958, in Richmond, Virginia. Considers Lineville, Alabama, and Roanoke, Alabama, to be his hometowns. Married to the former Janet Leigh Ragan of Leonardtown, Maryland. He enjoys basketball, running, football and softball. His parents, Joe Frank and Jane McMurray Edwards, reside in Roanoke, Alabama.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Lineville High School, Lineville, Alabama, in 1976. Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, 1980. Master of Science degree in Aviation Systems from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1994.

ORGANIZATIONS: Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Association of Naval Aviation, U.S. Naval Institute.

SPECIAL HONORS: Distinguished Flying Cross, Defense Superior Service Medal, Air Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal. Daedalian Superior Airmanship Award 1992, Fighter Squadron 143 Fighter Pilot of the Year, 1984, 1985, Fighter Squadron 142 Fighter Pilot of the Year, 1990, 1991, 1992. Carrier Airwing Seven Pilot of the Year, 1985, 1990, 1991.

EXPERIENCE: Designated a Naval Aviator in February 1982. Assigned to Fighter Squadron 143 in 1983 after completion of F-14 Tomcat training. Flew fighter escort and reconnaissance combat missions over Lebanon in 1983 and graduated from U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School in 1984. Graduated from U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1986 and subsequently worked as project flight test officer and pilot for F-14A(PLUS) and F-14D Full Scale Development. Flew the first Navy flight of the F-14D and a high angle of attack/departure from controlled flight test program for the F-14 airframe/F110 engine integration. Served as Operations and Maintenance Officer in Fighter Squadron 142 1989-1992. Worked as Operations Officer in the Operations Directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington D.C. from 1992-1994. He has flown 4000 hours in over 25 different aircraft and logged over 650 carrier-arrested landings.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected as an astronaut by NASA in December 1994, Edwards reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995. He has worked technical issues for the Space Shuttle and Space Station in the Safety Department of the Astronaut Office. He also served as Technical Assistant to the Director, Flight Crew Operations Directorate, NASA Director of Operations (DOR), Russia, and Astronaut CAPCOM representative in Mission Control for Shuttle ascent and entry. Edwards retired from NASA and the U.S. Navy on April 30, 2000. He is currently involved with several companies around the country in the areas of technology, aviation, and business development

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-89 (January 22-31, 1998) was the eighth Shuttle-Mir docking mission during which the crew transferred more than 9,000 pounds of scientific equipment, logistical hardware and water from Space Shuttle Endeavour to Mir. In the fifth and last exchange of a U.S. astronaut, STS-89 delivered Andy Thomas to Mir and returned with David Wolf. Mission duration was 8 days, 19 hours and 47 seconds, traveling 3.6 million miles in 138 orbits of the Earth.

MAY 2002

This is the only version available from NASA. Updates must be sought from the above named individual.

NAME: Joe Frank Edwards, Jr., (Commander, USN)

NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA:

Born February 3, 1958, in Richmond, Virginia. Considers Lineville, Alabama, and Roanoke, Alabama, to be his hometowns. Married to the former Janet Leigh Ragan of Leonardtown, Maryland. He enjoys basketball, running, football and softball. His parents, Joe Frank and Jane McMurray Edwards, reside in Roanoke, Alabama.

EDUCATION:

Graduated from Lineville High School, Lineville, Alabama, in 1976. Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, 1980. Master of Science degree in Aviation Systems from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1994.

ORGANIZATIONS:

Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Association of Naval Aviation, U.S. Naval Institute.

SPECIAL HONORS:

Distinguished Flying Cross, Defense Superior Service Medal, Air Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal. Daedalian Superior Airmanship Award 1992, Fighter Squadron 143 Fighter Pilot of the Year, 1984, 1985, Fighter Squadron 142 Fighter Pilot of the Year, 1990, 1991, 1992. Carrier Airwing Seven Pilot of the Year, 1985, 1990, 1991.

EXPERIENCE:

Designated a Naval Aviator in February 1982. Assigned to Fighter Squadron 143 in 1983 after completion of F-14 Tomcat training. Flew fighter escort and reconnaissance combat missions over Lebanon in 1983 and graduated from U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School in 1984. Graduated from U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1986 and subsequently worked as project flight test officer and pilot for F-14A(PLUS) and F-14D Full Scale Development. Flew the first Navy flight of the F-14D and a high angle of attack/departure from controlled flight test program for the F-14 airframe/F110 engine integration. Served as Operations and Maintenance Officer in Fighter Squadron 142 1989-1992. Worked as Operations Officer in the Operations Directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington D.C. from 1992-1994. He has flown 4000 hours in over 25 different aircraft and logged over 650 carrier arrested landings.

NASA EXPERIENCE:

Selected as an astronaut by NASA in December 1994, Edwards reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995. He has worked technical issues for the Space Shuttle and Space Station in the Safety Department of the Astronaut Office, and served as Technical Assistant to the Director, Flight Crew Operations Directorate. Most recently, Edwards served as pilot on STS-89. In completing his first space flight, Edwards logged over 211 hours in space. He recently completed an assignment as the NASA Director of Operations (DOR), Russia and is currently the Astronaut CAPCOM representative in Mission Control for Shuttle ascent and entry.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE:

STS-89 (January 22-31, 1998), was the eighth Shuttle-Mir docking mission during which the crew transferred more than 9,000 pounds of scientific equipment, logistical hardware and water from Space Shuttle Endeavour to Mir. In the fifth and last exchange of a U.S. astronaut, STS-89 delivered Andy Thomas to Mir and returned with David Wolf. Mission duration was 8 days, 19 hours and 47 seconds, traveling 3.6 million miles in 138 orbits of the Earth.

• Birth of Joe Frank Jr Edwards - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Edwards, Joe. American test pilot astronaut 1994-2000. Grew up in Lineville and Roanoke, Alabama. Flew combat missions over Lebanon in 1983 1 spaceflight, 8.8 days in space. Flew to orbit on STS-89 (1998)..

• NASA Astronaut Training Group 15 selected. - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Anderson, Ashby, Bloomfield, Chawla, Curbeam, Edwards, Joe, Gorie, Hire, Husband, Kavandi, Kilrain, Lindsey, Lu, Melroy, Noriega, Reilly, Robinson, Sturckow.

  The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.

  Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm.. 10 pilots and 9 mission specialists, 6 civilians and 13 military officers, chosen from 2,962 applicants, of which 122 screened in June-August 1994. 4 additional international astronauts.

• STS-89 - . Call Sign: Endeavour. Crew: Anderson, Dunbar, Edwards, Joe, Reilly, Sharipov, Thomas, Andrew, Wilcutt. Payload: Endeavour F12 / Spacehab Double Module. Mass: 116,277 kg (256,346 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Anderson, Dunbar, Edwards, Joe, Reilly, Sharipov, Thomas, Andrew, Wilcutt. Agency: NASA Houston. Manufacturer: Douglas. Program: Mir. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: Soyuz TM-26, STS-86 Mir NASA-5, STS-89, STS-89 Mir NASA-6. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Endeavour. Duration: 8.82 days. Decay Date: 1998-01-31 . USAF Sat Cat: 25143 . COSPAR: 1998-003A. Apogee: 382 km (237 mi). Perigee: 359 km (223 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 92.00 min.

  Penultimate Shuttle mission to Mir. Andy Thomas replaced David Wolf as the resident NASA astronaut. Endeavour docked with the SO module on Mir at 20:14 GMT on January 24, 1998.

  Payloads included:

  • Orbiter middeck: CEBAS (German/US biological module with fish and snails); dinosaur skull (part of a museum educational program)
  • Bay 1: Tunnel Adapter
  • Bay 3: Orbiter Docking System/External Airlock
  • Bay 4-7: Transfer Tunnel
  • Bay 8-12: Spacehab Double Module (payloads included supplies for Mir, X-ray crystallography detector planned for the International Space Station)
  • Bay 13P: Getaway Special GABA carrier with G-141, G-145 (German materials processing experiments)
  • Bay 13S: Getaway Special GABA carrier with G-093 (University of Michigan fluid dynamics experiment), G-432 (Chinese materials processing experiment)

  Despite fits problems with his Sokol emergency spacesuit, Andy Thomas replaced David Wolf as a Mir crew member on January 25. Endeavour undocked from Mir on January 29 at 16:57 GMT and made one flyaround of the station before departing and landing at Kennedy Space Center's runway 15 at 22:35 GMT on January 31.

• Landing of STS-89 - . Return Crew: Anderson, Dunbar, Edwards, Joe, Reilly, Sharipov, Wilcutt, Wolf. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Anderson, Dunbar, Edwards, Joe, Reilly, Sharipov, Wilcutt, Wolf. Program: Mir. Flight: Soyuz TM-26, Soyuz TM-27, Soyuz TM-27 Mir Pegase, STS-86 Mir NASA-5, STS-89, STS-89 Mir NASA-6. STS-89 landed at 22:35 GMT with the crew of Wilcutt, Edwards, Reilly, Anderson, Wolf, Dunbar and Sharipov aboard..