JOSEPH P. ALLEN Born: June 27, 1937 in Crawfordsville, Indiana
Joseph P. Allen (Ph.D.) NASA
Astronaut (former)
PERSONAL DATA: Born in Crawfordsville, Indiana,
on June 27, 1937. Married to the former Bonnie Jo Darling of Elkhart, Indiana.
They have a son and a daughter. Recreational interests include handball, squash,
flying, sailing, skiing, music, and photography. His parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Joseph P. Allen III, reside in Frankfort, Indiana. Her mother, Mrs. W. C.
Darling, resides in Elkhart, Indiana.
EDUCATION: Attended Mills School and is a
graduate of Crawfordsville High School in Indiana; received a bachelor of arts
degree in math-physics from DePauw University in 1959, and a master of science
degree and a doctor of philosophy degree in physics from Yale University in 1961
and 1965, respectively.
ORGANIZATIONS: Member of the American Physical
Society, the American Astronautical Society, the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics, the American Association for the Advancement of
Science, Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Theta Pi, Sigma Xi, and Phi Eta Sigma.
SPECIAL HONORS: Winner of a Fulbright
Scholarship to Germany (1959-1960), the Outstanding Flying Award, Class 69-06,
Vance Air Force Base (1969), two NASA Group Achievement Awards (1971and 1974) in
recognition of contributions to the Apollo 15 Lunar Traverse Planning Team and
for subsequent work on the Outlook for Space Study Team; presented the 1972 Yale
Science and Engineering Association Award for Advancement of Basic and Applied
Science, the DePauw University Distinguished Alumnus Award (1972), a NASA
Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal (1973), a NASA exceptional Service
Medal (1978), and a NASA Superior Performance Award (1975 and 1981), and
honorary doctor of science from DePauw University (1983), and the Komarov
Diploma from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale
EXPERIENCE: Allen was a research associate in
the Nuclear Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington prior to his
selection as an astronaut. He was a staff physicist at the Nuclear Structure
Laboratory at Yale University in 1965 and 1966, and during the period 1963 to
1967, served as a guest research associate at the Brookhaven National
Laboratory.
He has logged more than 3,000 hours flying time in jet
aircraft.
NASA EXPERIENCE: Dr. Allen was selected as a
scientist-astronaut by NASA in August 1967. He completed flight training at
Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. He served as mission scientist while a member of
the astronaut support crew for Apollo 15 and served as a staff consultant on
science and technology to the President's Council on International Economic
Policy.
From August 1975 to 1978, Dr. Allen served as NASA
Assistant Administrator for Legislative Affairs in Washington, D.C. Returning to
the Johnson Space Center in 1978, as a senior scientist astronaut, Dr. Allen was
assigned to the Operations Mission Development Group. He served as a support
crew member for the first orbital flight test of the Space Transportation System
and was the entry CAPCOM for this mission. In addition, in 1980 and 1981, he
worked as the technical assistant to the director of flight operations. He was a
mission specialist on STS-5 (November 11-16, 1982) and STS-51A (November
8-16,1984) and has logged a total of 314 hours in space. He left NASA in
1985.
Dr. Allen is currently Chief Executive Officer of Space
Industries International, Inc., 800 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 1111,
Washington, D.C. 20006.
SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-5 was the first fully operational
flight of the Shuttle Transportation System, which launched from Kennedy Space
Center, Florida, on November 11, 1982. The crew aboard Columbia included
Vance D. Brand (spacecraft commander), Col. Robert F. Overmyer (pilot), and Dr.
William B. Lenoir (mission specialist). STS-5, the first mission with a crew of
four, clearly demonstrated the Space Shuttle as fully operational by the
successful first deployment of two commercial communications satellites from the
Orbiter's payload bay. The mission also marked the first use of the Payload
Assist Module (PAM-D), and its new ejection system. Numerous flight tests were
performed throughout the mission to document Shuttle performance during launch,
boost, orbit, atmospheric entry and landing phases. STS-5 was the last flight to
carry the Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) package to support flight
testing. A Getaway Special, three Student Involvement Projects, and medical
experiments were included on the mission. The crew successfully concluded the
5-day orbital flight of Columbia with the first entry and landing through a
cloud deck to a hard-surface runway and demonstrated maximum braking. STS-5
completed 81 orbits of the Earth in 122 hours before landing on a concrete
runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on November 16, 1982.
STS-51A Discovery , which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida,
on November 8, 1984. The crew aboard Discovery included Captain Frederick
(Rick) Hauck (spacecraft commander), Captain David M. Walker (pilot), and fellow
mission specialists, Dr. Anna L. Fisher and Commander Dale H. Gardner. This was
the second flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. During
the mission the crew deployed two satellites, Canada's Anik D-2 (Telsat H) and
Hughes' LEASAT-1 (Syncome IV-1), and operated the 3M Company's Diffusive Mixing
of Organic Solutions experiment. In the first space salvage attempt in history
the crew successfully retrieved for return to Earth the Palapa B-2 and Westar VI
communications satellites. STS-51A completed 127 orbits of the Earth in 192
hours before landing at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 16,
1984.
Film Credits 2011 The Space Shuttle: A Horizon Guide (Other), 2000 Mission to Mars (Other), 1998 Armageddon (Other), 1998 Armageddon (in person), 1987 Horizon (in person)
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