Richard H. Truly
Fighter pilot and aeronautical engineer Richard Truly became a NASA astronaut candidate in August 1969, flying Approach and Landing Tests of the Space Shuttle orbiter and two spaceflights (STS-2 and STS-8). He went on to serve as the Agency’s eighth Administrator from 1989–1992.
Quick Facts
Biography
Richard Truly
Former Astronaut and NASA Administrator
A Naval Aviator and test pilot, Richard Truly was chosen as NASA astronaut in 1969. He flew Approach and Landing Test flights for the Shuttle, was the pilot for STS-2, and commanded the STS-8 Shuttle mission.
Read His Biography about Richard Truly![Portrait of astronaut Richard H. Truly taken in 1976. He holds a model of a space shuttle orbiter and is wearing a blue flight suit.](https://images-assets.nasa.gov/image/S76-28364/S76-28364~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint)
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STS-2
Second test flight of the Space Shuttle to demonstrate safe re-launch and safe return of the orbiter and crew.
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STS-8
STS-8 carried Guion Bluford who became the first African-American to fly in space. INSAT-1B, a multipurpose satellite for India which was attached to the Payload Assist Module-D (PAM-D) motor, was…
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40 Years Ago: Columbia Returns to Space on the STS-2 Mission
Following a launch scrub a week earlier, space shuttle Columbia took to the skies on Nov. 12, 1981, for its…
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