Helping space shuttles achieve liftoff
Friday’s scheduled liftoff of Space Shuttle Atlantis marks the beginning of the end of nearly four decades of collaboration between MIT and NASA on the nation’s space shuttle program — a partnership that has shaped spacecraft design, operations and scientific payloads since Space Shuttle Columbia first blasted off in 1981.A total of 27 MIT graduates have since flown on 59 space shuttle missions. Indeed, the Institute has produced more NASA astronauts than any other private university: Starting with astronaut David Scott SM ’62 on the Gemini 8 spaceflight in 1966, 32 MIT alumni have flown in space. Four graduates walked on the lunar surface during the Apollo program from 1969 to 1972.No MIT alumni are aboard STS-135 — although Kwatsi Alibaruho ’95 is the lead flight director for Atlantis’ last voyage — but several made their mark aboard STS-134, this spring’s final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour. Mission specialists Gregory...