John Lounge, Flew on First Mission After Challenger , Dies at 64 - Polidicks

[QUOTE] [IMG]http://www.chron.com/photos/2011/03/05/25424925/260xStory.jpg[/IMG] John Michael Lounge, a Navy veteran and astronaut, died Tuesday of complications from liver cancer. He was 64. After relocating to Houston in 1978, the Colorado native spent 13 years at NASA's Johnson Space Center, flying out on three space shuttle missions, including the first flight mission after the 1986 Challenger tragedy. Lounge spent over 20 days in space. "He had an unwavering love of country and dedication to our nation's space program," Michael Coats, director at the Johnson Space Center, said in a prepared statement. Lounge was born June 28, 1946, in Denver. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, he received a master's in astrogeophysics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He went on to serve his country for nine years in the Navy, taking flight lessons and reporting to Fighter Squadron 142. From flying the skies, Lounge moved on to flying the universe. At NASA, Lounge quickly proved himself as a lead engineer and was selected as an astronaut in 1980. Five years later, he flew on his first mission, helping to deploy three communication satellites and using the robotic arm to repair a fourth. In 1988, donning a new pressure suit, Lounge boarded the first flight mission to take off since the shuttle program's three-year hiatus, a result of the Challenger shuttle disaster that killed all seven crew members. One year after his last flight mission in 1990, Lounge left NASA but never strayed from his passion. "This is a very tough job to leave, but I feel that three flights is my fair share, and I'm ready for a new challenge," Lounge said in a statement upon his resignation, adding, "I'm not leaving the team, I'm just changing positions." That new position was in working for SPACEHAB (now Astrotech Inc.) and later as the director of space shuttle and space station program development for Boeing. Lounge was honored with six Navy Air Medals and three Navy Commendation Medals, as well as three NASA Exceptional Service Medals and three NASA Space Flight Medals. Through all his accomplishments, however, Lounge remained humble, said his son, Kenneth. "Although he had a lot of accomplishments, he wasn't boastful," his son said. "He was always very modest." In addition to his son, Lounge is survived by daughters Shannon and Kathy and granddaughters Tiffany, Arianna and Brittany. Services were Saturday at the Bay Oaks Country Club. [/QUOTE] Source: [url]http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7459050.html[/url]

Navy veteran and [b][i]ASTRONAUT[/i][/b] fuck

Most astronauts are veterans.

God speed sir.

What a life

He has lived well. Shame he had to die so relatively early.

I knew it was cancer before even opening the thread. Astronauts have an incredibly high cancer rate.

[QUOTE=MIPS;28458263]I knew it was cancer before even opening the thread. Astronauts have an incredibly high cancer rate.[/QUOTE] Damn cosmic radiation :C

[QUOTE=Turnips5;28459223]Damn cosmic radiation :C[/QUOTE] I would love to live in space even if it meant that I would die at 60 due to cancer.

Go to Space and die of Cancer at 60. Or. Not go to Space and die at 80~. I know which one i'd pick.

[QUOTE=Chickens!;28459899]Go to Space and die of Cancer at 60. Or. Not go to Space and die at 80~. I know which one i'd pick.[/QUOTE] space

[QUOTE=Fish_poke;28460442]space[/QUOTE] You don't say.

[QUOTE=FalconKrunch;28459859]I would love to live in space even if it meant that I would die at 60 due to cancer.[/QUOTE] I rated you agree, but then I thought about how fucking horrible it is to die of cancer, especially with all the chemo treatments. I'd still want to go to space if it meant I had to die at 60, but I'd probably just inject myself with some powerful sedative and jump out the airlock towards earth before that happened. That way at least I'd get a DIY cremation v:v:v

[QUOTE=Eudoxia;28461216]You don't say.[/QUOTE] Your Carl Sagan avatar just doubles the hilarity.

What a amazing life he must have had.