Astronaut Loren Shriver: Iowa Time Machine September 23, 1944

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 23, 1944, Astronaut Loren J. Shriver was born in Jefferson. A native of Paton in Greene County, he logged over 386 hours in space across three flights, serving as the pilot and commander of the Space Shuttle.

Shriver graduated from Paton High School in 1962 as the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union accelerated. He enrolled at the United States Air Force Academy and graduated in 1967. He then earned a Master of Science in Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University in 1968.

Sent to Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma, Shriver worked as an academic instructor pilot on the T-38 before heading to an overseas tour in Thailand in 1974. He returned stateside in 1975 and attended the United States Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California. After graduating to test pilot status with the F-15 Joint Test Force and the 6512th Test Squadron, Shriver worked there until NASA selected him as an astronaut in 1978.

By 1982, Shriver was ready and received the call to serve as pilot of STS-10, the first Department of Defense mission using the Space Shuttle, but NASA ultimately canceled the mission. However, in January 1985, Shriver launched on STS-51-C as pilot from Kennedy Space Center. As commander on his next two spaceflights, Shriver successfully led both missions. Serving as NASA’s Deputy Director of Launch and Payload Processing at Kennedy Space Center until his retirement, Shriver ultimately earned the rank of US Air Force Colonel. #Iowa #OTD #History #Astronaut #OuterSpace