Covey, Richard O., 1946-
Person
Richard O. Covey was born August 1, 1946 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Covey graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1968 with a Bachelors of Science in Astronautical Engineering. He obtained a Masters of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautic from Purdue University in 1969.From 1970-1978 Covey served as an Air Force fighter pilot and weapons systems test pilot. In 1978 Covey entered the NASA astronaut training program. Covey's NASA career included roles such as T-38 chase pilot for the second and third Shuttle flights, chairman of NASA's Space Flight Safety Panel in 1989, among other astronaut mission related roles. His space flight experience included four missions. He served as pilot for mission STS 51-I in 1985 during which communications satellites were deployed. In 1988, Covey served as pilot for STS-26, the first flight to be flown following the Challenger accident. In 1990, Covey was commander of STS-38, a Department of Defense operation. In 1993, Covey was commander of the Hubble Space Telescope servicing and repair mission, STS-61. Covey retired from NASA and the Air Force in 1994. From 2003 to 2005 he served as co-chairman of NASA's Return to Flight Task Group following the Space Shuttle Columbia accident. Following retirement from NASA and the Air Force, Covey held roles at The Boeing Company and United Space Alliance (USA).
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Collection of Purdue Astronaut slide rules
Collection — Box: 8 items
Identifier: MSA 254
Scope and Contents
Slide rules of six Purdue alumni astronauts: Neil Armstrong, Roy Bridges, Eugene Cernan, Richard Covey, Guy Gardner, and Jerry Ross.
Dates:
Other: undated