STS-117 crew -- oldest ever?

for newsgroup alt.geezers-in-space

The average age is late 40's -- is this the oldest-ever
shuttle crew?

"Jim Oberg" wrote in message
...
for newsgroup alt.geezers-in-space

The average age is late 40's -- is this the oldest-ever
shuttle crew?

I don't know, but on STS-2 the average age of Truly and Engle was 48 years 5
months.

Age does not seem to be as much of an issue these days aslong as there are
no medical conditions which could be worsened by the experience.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"Neil Gerace" wrote in message
...

"Jim Oberg" wrote in message
...
for newsgroup alt.geezers-in-space

The average age is late 40's -- is this the oldest-ever
shuttle crew?

I don't know, but on STS-2 the average age of Truly and Engle was 48 years
5 months.

"Jim Oberg" wrote:

for newsgroup alt.geezers-in-space

The average age is late 40's -- is this the oldest-ever
shuttle crew?

There have been nine shuttle flights where the average age of the
crew was greater than 47 (excluding Payload Specialists, but including
cosmonauts and other foreign Mission Specialists).

49.39 STS-35 Brand (59), Parker (54), Hoffman (46), Lounge (44),
Gardner (42)
49.18 51-B Thornton (56), Lind (54), Overmyer (48), Gregory (44),
Thagard (41)
48.55 51-F Henize (58), Musgrave (49), Fullerton (48), England (43),
Bridges (42)
48.34 STS-115 Tanner (56), MacLean (52), Jett (47), Burbank (45),
Ferguson (45), Stefanshyn-Piper (43)
48.26 STS-6 Weitz (50), Peterson (49), Musgrave (47), Bobko (45)
47.92 STS-9 Young (53), Garriott (53), Parker (46), Shaw (38)
47.54 STS-114 Thomas (53), Camarda (53), Robinson (49), Collins (48),
Lawrence (46), Kelly (41), Noguchi (40)
47.44 STS-4 Hartsfield (48), Mattingly (46)
47.07 STS-1 Young (50), Crippen (43)

If STS-117 launches on 15 March the average crew age will be 47.03.

Looking a bit further ahead, the STS-118 crew would average 47.32 if they
launch on 28 June.

--

Brian W Lawrence
Wantage,
Oxfordshire, UK

Brian -- thanks for the definitive answer!!!


"Brian Lawrence" wrote
There have been nine shuttle flights where the average age of the
crew was greater than 47 (excluding Payload Specialists, but including
cosmonauts and other foreign Mission Specialists).

49.39 STS-35 Brand (59), Parker (54), Hoffman (46), Lounge (44),
Gardner (42)
49.18 51-B Thornton (56), Lind (54), Overmyer (48), Gregory (44),
Thagard (41)
48.55 51-F Henize (58), Musgrave (49), Fullerton (48), England (43),
Bridges (42)
48.34 STS-115 Tanner (56), MacLean (52), Jett (47), Burbank (45),
Ferguson (45), Stefanshyn-Piper (43)
48.26 STS-6 Weitz (50), Peterson (49), Musgrave (47), Bobko (45)
47.92 STS-9 Young (53), Garriott (53), Parker (46), Shaw (38)
47.54 STS-114 Thomas (53), Camarda (53), Robinson (49), Collins (48),
Lawrence (46), Kelly (41), Noguchi (40)
47.44 STS-4 Hartsfield (48), Mattingly (46)
47.07 STS-1 Young (50), Crippen (43)

If STS-117 launches on 15 March the average crew age will be 47.03.

Looking a bit further ahead, the STS-118 crew would average 47.32 if they
launch on 28 June.

--

Brian W Lawrence
Wantage,
Oxfordshire, UK

36.79 61-C Hawley (34), Nelson (35), Chang-Diaz (35), Gibson (39),
Bolden (39)
37.43 STS-68 Wilcutt (34), Smith (35), Wisoff (36), Bursch (37),
Jones (39), Baker (41)
37.87 STS-67 Lawrence (35), Jernigan (35), Grunsfeld (37), Gregory (38),
Oswald (43)
38.00 41-G Sullivan (33), Ride (33), Leestma (35), McBride (41),
Crippen (47)
38.29 STS-70 Weber (32), Currie (36), Kregel (38), Thomas (40),
Henricks (43)
38.56 STS-57 Currie (34), Wisoff (34), Voss (36), Low (37), Duffy (40),
Grabe (48)
38.60 STS-66 Parazynski (33), Clervoy (35), Ochoa (36), Brown (38),
McMonagle (42), Tanner (44)
38.71 STS-73 Coleman (34), Lopez-Alegria (37), Bowersox (38),
Rominger (39), Thornton (43)
38.74 STS-52 Jernigan (33), Veach (38), Baker (38), Wetherbee (39),
Shepherd (43)
38.89 STS-84 Lu (33), Noriega (37), Clervoy (38), Kondakova (40),
Foale (40), Collins (40), Precourt (41)

Once again these exclude any Payload Specialists and include all foreign
MS astronauts.

"Brian Lawrence" wrote:

Once again these exclude any Payload Specialists and include all foreign
MS astronauts.

Why?
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL

"Derek Lyons" wrote:

"Brian Lawrence" wrote:

Once again these exclude any Payload Specialists and include all foreign
MS astronauts.

Why?

I excluded the PS for three reasons - I'm lazy, it saved time, and in the
context of Jim's question it seemed more relevant to exclude the somewhat
anomalous data.

However, I would agree that it would be better to include all persons on
board in the average age calculation. So, here are the oldest and
youngest flights with everyone included:

Oldest - numbers in [] are the averages with PS excluded.

1985 51-B 49.12 [49.18]
2006 STS-115 48.34
1983 STS-6 48.26
1990 STS-35 47.67 [49.39]
1985 51-F 47.55 [48.55]
2005 STS-114 47.54
1982 STS-4 47.44
2007 STS-118 47.32 *
1981 STS-1 47.07
2007 STS-117 47.03 *
2002 STS-113 46.92
1982 STS-5 46.72
1981 STS-2 46.61
2002 STS-111 46.46
1993 STS-61 46.40
2001 STS-98 46.06

* projected

STS-9/Spacelab 1 drops out of the original list.

1983 STS-9 44.98 [47.92]

Youngest

1994 STS-68 37.43
1986 61-C 37.78 [36.79]

1984 41-G 38.00
1995 STS-70 38.29
1985 61-B 38.38
1993 STS-57 38.56
1992 STS-52 38.59
1994 STS-66 38.60
1984 41-D 38.75
1997 STS-84 38.89

1996 STS-72 39.18
1993 STS-51 39.42
1994 STS-65 39.44
1990 STS-32 39.52
1986 51-L 39.71
1993 STS-56 39.86
1991 STS-39 39.88


The complete mission by mission average age list is quite small, so here
it is.

12 Apr 1981 STS-1 47.07
12 Nov 1981 STS-2 46.61

22 Mar 1982 STS-3 45.75
27 Jun 1982 STS-4 47.44
11 Nov 1982 STS-5 46.72

04 Apr 1983 STS-6 48.26
18 Jun 1983 STS-7 40.87
30 Aug 1983 STS-8 43.27
28 Nov 1983 STS-9 44.98

03 Feb 1984 41-B 42.28
06 Apr 1984 41-C 40.49
30 Aug 1984 41-D 38.75
05 Oct 1984 41-G 38.00
08 Nov 1984 51-A 40.52

24 Jan 1985 51-C 40.80
12 Apr 1985 51-D 43.46
29 Apr 1985 51-B 49.12
17 Jun 1985 51-G 40.04
29 Jul 1985 51-F 47.55
27 Aug 1985 51-I 42.37
03 Oct 1985 51-J 40.04
30 Oct 1985 61-A 41.98
26 Nov 1985 61-B 38.38

12 Jan 1986 61-C 37.78
28 Jan 1986 51-L 39.71

29 Sep 1988 STS-26 41.75
12 Dec 1988 STS-27 41.32

13 Mar 1989 STS-29 43.46
04 May 1989 STS-30 42.73
08 Aug 1989 STS-28 41.72
18 Oct 1989 STS-34 43.33
22 Nov 1989 STS-33 45.98

09 Jan 1990 STS-32 39.52
28 Feb 1990 STS-36 42.56
24 Apr 1990 STS-31 43.81
06 Oct 1990 STS-41 41.45
15 Nov 1990 STS-38 41.93
02 Dec 1990 STS-35 47.67

05 Apr 1991 STS-37 41.94
28 Apr 1991 STS-39 39.88
05 Jun 1991 STS-40 41.44
02 Aug 1991 STS-43 43.22
12 Sep 1991 STS-48 42.20
24 Nov 1991 STS-44 44.73

22 Jan 1992 STS-42 44.95
24 Mar 1992 STS-45 42.58
07 May 1992 STS-49 40.50
25 Jun 1992 STS-50 41.32
31 Jul 1992 STS-46 44.27
12 Sep 1992 STS-47 40.75
22 Oct 1992 STS-52 38.59
02 Dec 1992 STS-53 45.25

13 Jan 1993 STS-54 40.56
08 Apr 1993 STS-56 39.86
26 Apr 1993 STS-55 41.17
21 Jun 1993 STS-57 38.56
12 Sep 1993 STS-51 39.42
18 Oct 1993 STS-58 43.06
02 Dec 1993 STS-61 46.40

03 Feb 1994 STS-60 41.84
04 Mar 1994 STS-62 41.90
09 Apr 1994 STS-59 41.60
08 Jul 1994 STS-65 39.44
09 Sep 1994 STS-64 42.13
30 Sep 1994 STS-68 37.43
03 Nov 1994 STS-66 38.60

03 Feb 1995 STS-63 40.58
02 Mar 1995 STS-67 40.65
27 Jun 1995 STS-71 43.70
13 Jul 1995 STS-70 38.29
07 Sep 1995 STS-69 44.29
20 Oct 1995 STS-73 40.55
12 Nov 1995 STS-74 42.68

11 Jan 1996 STS-72 39.18
22 Feb 1996 STS-75 43.78
22 Mar 1996 STS-76 44.13
19 May 1996 STS-77 44.64
20 Jun 1996 STS-78 42.24
16 Sep 1996 STS-79 44.89
19 Nov 1996 STS-80 45.50

12 Jan 1997 STS-81 40.98
11 Feb 1997 STS-82 42.26
04 Apr 1997 STS-83 42.19
15 Apr 1997 STS-84 38.89
01 Jul 1997 STS-94 42.43
07 Aug 1997 STS-85 42.54
25 Sep 1997 STS-86 44.10
19 Nov 1997 STS-87 42.01

22 Jan 1998 STS-89 41.22
17 Apr 1998 STS-90 40.44
02 Jun 1998 STS-91 44.79
29 Oct 1998 STS-95 45.78
04 Dec 1998 STS-88 43.40

27 May 1999 STS-96 41.91
23 Jul 1999 STS-93 44.76
19 Dec 1999 STS-103 43.01

11 Feb 2000 STS-99 44.76
19 May 2000 STS-101 43.27
08 Sep 2000 STS-106 41.07
11 Oct 2000 STS-92 42.49
30 Nov 2000 STS-97 45.53

07 Feb 2001 STS-98 46.06
08 Mar 2001 STS-102 44.22
19 Apr 2001 STS-100 43.67
12 Jul 2001 STS-104 43.01
10 Aug 2001 STS-105 44.16
05 Dec 2001 STS-108 43.44

01 Mar 2002 STS-109 43.33
08 Apr 2002 STS-110 44.44
05 Jun 2002 STS-111 46.46
07 Oct 2002 STS-112 44.11
23 Nov 2002 STS-113 46.92

16 Jan 2003 STS-107 44.09

26 Jul 2005 STS-114 47.54

04 Jul 2006 STS-121 45.58
09 Sep 2006 STS-115 48.34
09 Dec 2006 STS-116 44.71

15 Mar 2007 STS-117 47.03 projected launch date
28 Jun 2007 STS-118 47.32 projected launch date



The average age of all shuttle crew is 42.78 years. Excluding the
PS drops it to 42.72 years. Excluding the foreign PS as well
reduces it 42.59.


The average age of commanders is 46.10, of pilots is 40.91, mission
specialists is 42.35 (US only is 42.08). The average for payload
specialists is 43.36.


And finally, here is a list of the average age each year.

Year Launches Crew Avg.Age
==========================
1981 2 4 46.84
1982 3 8 46.66
1983 4 20 44.18
1984 5 28 39.82
1985 9 58 42.79
1986 2 14 38.74

1988 2 10 41.54
1989 5 25 43.44
1990 6 32 43.12
1991 6 35 42.12
1992 8 53 42.24
1993 7 42 41.55
1994 7 42 40.36
1995 6 42 41.53
1996 4 43 43.41
1997 7 53 41.93
1998 4 33 43.07
1999 3 19 43.06
2000 5 32 43.25
2001 6 38 44.05
2002 5 34 45.08
2003 1 7 44.09

2005 1 7 47.54
2006 3 20 46.10

The "Crew" column indicates the number of trips rather than the actual
number of individuals who flew - astronauts who flew twice are counted
twice.

--

Brian W Lawrence
Wantage,
Oxfordshire, UK

"Brian Lawrence" wrote:

[snip]

The average age of all shuttle crew is 42.78 years. Excluding the
PS drops it to 42.72 years. Excluding the foreign PS as well
reduces it 42.59.

Ooops, I meant to type "foreign MS" rather than PS.

--

Brian