Former Navy Lightweight Rower in Space

As the affects of the Space Shuttle Columbia hit the Naval Academy, we recognize how important space travel has become to our country. A former Navy Lightweight rower, Charles Hobaugh '84 is among the current astronauts that have "the right stuff".

Hobaugh was the pilot for Space Shuttle Atlantis that went into space in July 2001. Among all the souvenirs on board, Hobaugh brought with him a Navy Crew racing shirt that is framed with the NASA certificate in the Navy boathouse.

NAME: Charles Owen Hobaugh (Lieutenant Colonel, USMC)
NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA: Born November 5, 1961 in Bar Harbor, Maine. Married to the former Corinna Lynn Leaman of East Petersburg, Pennsylvania. They have four children. He enjoys weight lifting, volleyball, boating, water skiing, snow skiing, soccer, bicycling, running, rowing, triathlons. His parents, Jimmie and Virginia Hobaugh, reside in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Her parents, Jerry and Dottie Leaman, reside in East Petersburg, Pennsylvania.

EDUCATION: Graduated from North Ridgeville High School, North Ridgeville Ohio, in 1980; received a Bachelor of Science degree Aerospace Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1984.

ORGANIZATIONS: U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association.

SPECIAL HONORS: Distinguished Graduate U.S. Naval Academy, Joe Foss Award for Advanced Jet Training, Graduated with Distinction U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. Awarded the Strike/Flight Air Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation, and various other service awards.

EXPERIENCE: Hobaugh received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps from the United States Naval Academy in May 1984. He graduated from the Marine Corps Basic School in December 1984. After a six month temporary assignment at the Naval Air Systems Command, he reported to Naval Aviation Training Command and was designated a Naval Aviator in February 1987. He then reported to Marine V/STOL Attack Squadron VMAT-203 for initial AV-8B Harrier Training. Upon completion of this training, he was assigned to Marine Attack Squadron VMA-331 and made overseas deployments to the Western Pacific at MCAS Iwakuni Japan and flew combat missions in the Persian Gulf during Desert Shield/Desert Storm embarked aboard the USS Nassau. While assigned to VMA-331, he attended Marine Aviation Warfare and Tactics Instructor Course and was subsequently assigned as the Squadron Weapons and Tactics Instructor. Hobaugh was selected for U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and began the course in June 1991. After graduation in June 1992, he was assigned to the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate as an AV-8 Project Officer and as the ASTOVL/JAST/JSF Program Officer. While there, he flew the AV-8B, YAV-8B (VSRA) and A-7E. In July 1994, he went back to the Naval Test Pilot School as an Instructor in the Systems Department, where he flew the F-18, T-2, U-6A and gliders. Hobaugh was assigned to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School when he was selected for the astronaut program.

He has logged over 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 different aircraft and has over 200 V/STOL shipboard landings.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in April 1996, Hobaugh reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. He completed two years of training and evaluation, and was qualified for flight assignment as a pilot. Hobaugh was initially assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Spacecraft Systems/Operations Branch. Projects included Landing and Rollout, evaluator in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory, Advanced Projects, Multifunction Electronics Display Enhancements, Advanced Cockpit and Cockpit Upgrade, Rendezvous and Close Proximity Operations and Visiting Vehicles prior to his first flight assignment. Most recently, he served as Capsule Communicator, working in the Mission Control Center as the voice to the crew. Currently, he is assigned as pilot on STS-118, slated for launch in November 2003.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: Hobaugh was assigned to, and flew as Pilot on STS-104 (July 12-24, 2001). This mission was the 10th mission to the International Space Station (ISS). During the 13-day flight the crew conducted joint operations with the Expedition-2 crew and performed three spacewalks to install the joint airlock “Quest” and to outfit it with four high-pressure gas tanks. The mission was accomplished in 200 Earth orbits, traveling 5.3 million miles in 306 hours and 35 minutes.

STS-104 (105)

Atlantis (24)

Pad 39-B (48)

105th Shuttle Mission

Night Launch

KSC Landing (55)

Night Landing (18)

NOTE: Click Here for Countdown Homepage

Crew:

Steven W. Lindsey (3), Mission Commander

Charles O. Hobaugh (1), Pilot

Michael L. Gernhardt (4), Mission Specialist

James F. Reilly (2), Mission Specialist

Janet L. Kavandi (3), Mission Specialist

Milestones:

OPF -- 03/04/01 (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 3/02/2001)

VAB -- 05/29/01 (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 5/30/2001)

PAD -- 06/20/01 (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 6/20/2001)

Payload:

Space Station Assembly Flight ISS-7A (ISS-Airlock, HPGA)

Mission Objectives:

Click here for Additional Info on STS-104

The primary purpose of the flight is to deliver and install the ISS Airlock. The Joint Airlock is a pressurized flight element consisting of two cylindrical chambers attached end-to-end by a connecting bulkhead and hatch. Once installed and activated, the ISS airlock becomes the primary path for International Space Station space walk entry and departure for U.S. spacesuits, which are known as Extravehicular Mobility Units, or EMUs. In addition, the Joint Airlock is designed to support the Russian Orlan spacesuit for EVA activity.

The Joint Airlock is 20ft long, 13ft in diameter and weighs 6.5 tons. It was built at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) by the Space Station Prime Contractor Boeing. The ISS-airlock has two main components: a crew airlock and an equipment airlock for storing EVA gear and EVA preflight preps. STS-104 also carries a spacelab pallet with four High Pressure Gas Assembly containers that will be attached to the exterior of the airlock.

Launch:

July 12, 2001 5:04 a.m. EDT. 10 min window. Tanking operations were completed at 10:35 p.m. EDT. At 4:55 a.m., the countdown clock came out of the T-minus 9 minute hold and entered the final count. The Crew Access Arm was retracted at 4:56 a.m. EDT. Launch occured at the opening of the launch window.

On Sunday evening, July 8, the flight crew for mission STS-104 arrived to begin final preparation for their upcoming launch. Space Shuttle Atlantis. Over the weekend, workers completed orbiter aft compartment closeouts. Technicians also successfully replaced and retested an orbiter mass memory unit and a TV monitor on the aft flight deck launch window. (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 7/09/2001)

On Wednesday, June 20, 2001, following a go ahead from Shuttle management, KSC workers began rolling Space Shuttle Atlantis out of the VAB at about 2:30 a.m. today. When weather officials noted the threat of lightning in the vicinity of the Launch Complex 39 area, managers returned Atlantis to the VAB as a safety precaution. Atlantis has been rescheduled for rollout to Launch Pad 39B at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday, June 21. (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 6/20/2001)

On Tuesday, June 19, 2001, Space Shuttle and International Space Station managers agreed to proceed with plans to launch Space Shuttle Atlantis no earlier than July 12. The official launch date will be announced after the Flight Readiness Review scheduled for June 28. The Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test is scheduled for June 28-29 at KSC. (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 6/20/2001)

On Thursday, May 31, 2001, NASA managers announced that Space Shuttle Atlantis will not launch before early July. The additional time will enable the International Space Station Program time to evaluate a problem with the Station's new robot arm. Shuttle and Station managers will reconvene in mid-June to assess a new launch date. The Flight Readiness Review has been postponed with a new date to be announced. Orbiter Atlantis rolled over to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) last night, and workers are preparing to mate the orbiter to the external tank in VAB high bay 1. Once fully stacked, the Space Shuttle will remain in the VAB until a new rollout date is selected. (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 5/31/2001)

Managers announced a target launch date of no earlier than June 8 for Atlantis' next flight on mission STS-104. This shift accommodates an on orbit sun angle condition between May 18 and June 7. This so-called beta angel cut-out is an undesirable thermal condition for Shuttle/ISS docking operations. Previous launch date was no earlier than February 8, 2001. (Reference KSC Shuttle Status 1/25/2001)

Orbit:

Altitude: 122 nm

Inclination: 51.6

Orbits: 200

Duration: 12 days, 18 hours, 36 minutes, 39 seconds.

Distance: 5.3 million miles

Hardware:

SRB:

SRM:

ET :

MLP :

SSME-1: SN-

SSME-2: SN-

SSME-3: SN-

Landing:

KSC , July 24, 2001 11:38 p.m EDT

Main Gear Touchdown: 11:38:55 EDT (MET: 12 days 18 hours 34min 56 sec)

Nose Gear Touchdown: 11:39:12 EDT (MET: 12 days 18 hours 35min 11 sec)

Wheel Stop: 11:40:38 EDT (MET: 12 days 18 hours 36min 39 sec)

Atlantis was given "a go" for an on time deorbit burn to bring to an end missions STS-104.

The second landing attempt for KSC was waived off and landing is now scheduled for 11:39 p.m. Tuesday July 24, 2001.

At 11:20 pm EDT, a "no go" was given for the first landing attempt due to rain showers in the area. The second landing attempt is scheduled with a deorbit burn at 1:08 am with a touchdown at 2:14 am EDT.