List of astronauts educated at the United States Naval Academy

James A. Lovell

Over 50 United States astronauts have graduated from the United States Naval Academy (USNA), more than from any other undergraduate institution. The Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland with the mission of educating and commissioning officers for the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Academy is often referred to as Annapolis. Sports media refer to the Academy as "Navy" and the students as "Midshipmen"; this usage is officially endorsed. During the latter half of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th, the United States Naval Academy was the primary source of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps officers, with the Class of 1881 being the first to provide officers to the Marine Corps. Graduates of the Academy are also given the option of entering the United States Army or United States Air Force; known as cross-commissioning. Most Midshipmen are admitted through the congressional appointment system. The curriculum emphasizes various fields of engineering. Annapolis graduates who enter aviation and space-related fields have the opportunity to be selected for astronaut training by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

This list is drawn from graduates of the Naval Academy who became astronauts. The Academy was founded in 1845 and graduated its first class in 1846. The first alumnus to fly as an astronaut was Alan Shepard, class of 1945. As of March 2009, the most recent alumni to become an astronaut was Christopher Cassidy, class of 1993. Two alumni were part of Project Mercury, three part of Project Gemini, seven part of the Apollo program, three have walked on the moon, one was part of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, and forty-two were part of the Space Shuttle program.

In addition to the 52 astronauts who are alumni of the Academy, over 990 noted scholars from a variety of academic fields are Academy graduates, including 45 Rhodes Scholars and 16 Marshall Scholars. Additional notable graduates include 1 President of the United States, 2 Nobel Prize recipients, and 73 Medal of Honor recipients.

Astronauts

"Class year" refers to the alumni's class year, which usually is the same year they graduated. However, in times of war, classes often graduate early. For example, the Class of 1943 actually graduated in 1942. (Note: The United States Air Force Academy did not graduate its first class until 1959, so a significant percentage of USNA graduates were commissioned in the US Air Force until that time.)

Name Class year Notability References Alan Shepard 1945 Rear Admiral, World War II veteran, Navy test pilot, first U.S. Astronaut in space onboard Mercury-Redstone 3 and only Mercury Seven astronaut to walk on the Moon while commanding Apollo 14 Wally Schirra 1946 Only Astronaut to fly in America's first three space programs: Project Mercury (Mercury 8), Project Gemini (Gemini 6A), and Project Apollo (Apollo 7 Commander) James Irwin 1951 Served as an SR-71 Blackbird pilot and became a NASA astronaut, serving as the lunar module pilot on the Apollo 15, on which the first lunar rover was used; walked on the moon Donn F. Eisele 1952 Test pilot, CMP on Apollo 7, the first Apollo program manned mission Edward Givens 1952 Test pilot, died in an automobile crash before making a spaceflight Jim Lovell 1952 Served in the Korean War, Navy test pilot, astronaut participating in Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and commanding the ill-fated Apollo 13, which he brought back safely Thomas Patten Stafford 1952 Pilot, Gemini 6A, Commanded Gemini 9A, Apollo 10, and Apollo-Soyuz Test Project Theodore Freeman 1953 Test pilot, died in a plane crash before making a spaceflight William Anders 1955 Astronaut, flew on Apollo 8; ambassador to Norway (1975–1977) Charles Duke 1957 Lunar Module Pilot Apollo 16; walked on the moon Bruce McCandless II 1958 Performed the first un-thethered spacewalk on STS-41-B and also flew on STS-31; son of Rear Admiral Bruce McCandless, Medal of Honor recipient of World War II, class of 1932 S. David Griggs 1962 Performed an unscheduled spacewalk during STS-51-D Robert C. Springer 1964 Mission specialist on STS-29 and STS-38 John Oliver Creighton 1966 Pilot of STS-51-G, commanded STS-36 and STS-48 David Walker 1966 Pilot of STS-51-A, commanded STS-30, STS-53 and STS-69 James Buchli 1967 Mission specialist on STS-51-C, STS-61-A, STS-29 and STS-48 Michael J. Smith 1967 Pilot of the Space Shuttle Challenger when it was destroyed during STS-51-L Charles F. Bolden, Jr. 1968 Major General; United States Marine Corps test pilot; pilot of STS-61-C and STS-31; commanded STS-45 and STS-60; nominated in 2009 to be NASA Administrator Michael Coats 1968 Pilot of STS-41-D, and commanded STS-29 and STS-39 Bryan D. O'Connor 1968 Pilot of STS-61-B, and commanded STS-40 John M. Lounge 1969 Mission specialist on STS-51-I, STS-26 and STS-35 Robert D. Cabana 1971 Pilot of STS-41 and STS-53, commanded STS-65 and STS-88 Frank L. Culbertson, Jr. 1971 Pilot of STS-38, commanded STS-51 and International Space Station Expedition 3 David Leestma 1971 Mission specialist on STS-41-G, STS-28 and STS-45 William Shepherd 1971 Mission specialist on STS-27, STS-41 and STS-52; commanded International Space Station Expedition 1 John L. Phillips 1972 Mission specialist on STS-100 and STS-119; Flight Engineer of International Space Station Expedition 11 Stephen S. Oswald 1973 Pilot of STS-42 and STS-56, Commanded STS-67 Kenneth S. Reightler, Jr. 1973 Pilot of STS-48 and STS-60 William F. Readdy 1974 Mission Specialist on STS-42, pilot of STS-51 and commanded STS-79 Stephen Thorne 1975 Test pilot, died in a plane crash before making a spaceflight Jerry M. Linenger 1977 Mission Specialist on STS-64, and long-duration spaceflight on the Mir space station Pierre J. Thuot 1977 Mission Specialist on STS-36, STS-49 and STS-62 Ken Bowersox 1978 Pilot of STS-50, commanded STS-61, STS-73, STS-82 and International Space Station Expedition 6 Daniel W. Bursch 1979 Mission Specialist on STS-51, STS-68 and STS-77; flight engineer of International Space Station Expedition 4 Michael Foreman 1979 Mission Specialist on STS-123 Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie 1979 Pilot of STS-91 and STS-99; commanded STS-108 and STS-123 Joe F. Edwards, Jr. 1980 United States Navy test pilot, pilot of STS-89 Michael Lopez-Alegria 1980 Mission Specialist for STS-73, STS-92, and STS-113; commanded International Space Station Expedition 14. American record holder for space walks, with 10 Kathryn P. Hire 1981 Mission Specialist on STS-90 and STS-130 Brent W. Jett, Jr. 1981 Pilot of STS-72 and STS-81; commanded STS-97 and STS-115 Wendy B. Lawrence 1981 Navy helicopter pilot and Mission Specialist for STS-67, STS-86, STS-91, and STS-114; daughter of William P. Lawrence, Superintendent of the Academy while she was a Midshipman Christopher Loria 1983 Assigned as the pilot of STS-113, but an injury resulted in medical disqualification from spaceflight William Cameron McCool 1983 Pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia, killed when the craft disintegrated during re-entry at the conclusion of STS-107 Robert Curbeam 1984 Mission Specialist on STS-85, STS-98 and STS-116 Charles O. Hobaugh 1984 Pilot of STS-104 and STS-118; will command STS-129 George D. Zamka 1984 Pilot of STS-120; will command STS-130 Lisa Nowak 1985 Mission Specialist on STS-121, terminated by NASA after arrest with attempted murder charge Stephen Frick 1986 Pilot of STS-110 and commanded STS-122 Stephen G. Bowen 1986 Mission Specialist on STS-126 Sunita Williams 1987 Flight Engineer of International Space Station Expeditions 14 and 15 Kenneth Ham 1987 Pilot of STS-124 Christopher Cassidy 1993 Mission Specialist on STS-127

Alan Shepard in spaceflight aboard Freedom 7 Charles M. Duke, Jr. Charles Bolden John L. Phillips Ken Bowersox Michael Lopez-Alegria Wendy B. Lawrence File:Sunita Williams.jpg Sunita Williams

References

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