Richard Fisher, Heliophysics Division Director at NASA Headquarters, speaks during a briefing to discuss the upcoming launch of NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory, or SDO, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The mission is to study the Sun and its dynamic behavior. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Richard Fisher, Heliophysics Division Director at NASA Headquarters, left, speaks during a briefing to discuss the upcoming launch of NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory, or SDO, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010, as Madhulika Guhathakurta, SDO Program Scientist looks on at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The mission is to study the Sun and its dynamic behavior. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

S85-36062 (1 July 1985) --- These five NASA astronauts make up the crew for the mission STS-51I, scheduled for launch in August of this year. Taking a break from rehearsals in the crew compartment trainer in the Shuttle Mockup and Integration Laboratory at JSC are astronauts Joe H. Engle (front left), crew commander; Richard O. Covey (front right), pilot; and (back row, left-to-right) astronauts James D. van Hoften, John M. (Mike) Lounge and William F. Fisher -- all mission specialists.

51I-17-029 (Aug-Sept 1985) --- A group portrait, recorded by a pre-set 35mm camera, shows all five STS- 51-I crewmembers on the flight deck of the Earth-orbiting Discovery in early September 1985, following the successful Syncom repair performed by the crewmembers. Left to right are Astronauts James D. van Hoften, William F. Fisher, Joe H. Engle, Richard O. Covey and John M. (Mike) Lounge.

S83-31046 (4 April 1983) --- Astronaut Sally K. Ride, mission specialist for STS-7, scheduled for June 1983, records some of the prelaunch activity for STS-6 on 35mm film at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Astronaut William B. Lenoir, STS-5 mission specialist, is at left. Others pictured include Richard W. Nygren (center), chief of the vehicle integration section of the operations division at JSC; and astronaut William F. Fisher, second right. Photo credit: NASA

The crew assigned to the STS-51I mission included (front row left to right) Joe H. Engle, commander; and Richard O. Covey, pilot. In the center is John M. (Mike) Lounge, mission specialist. On the back row, from left to right, are mission specialists James D. van Hoften, and William F. Fisher. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on August 27, 1985 at 6:58:01 am (EDT), the STS-51I mission’s primary payloads were three communication satellites: the ASC-1 for the American Satellite Company; the AUSSAT-1, an Australian communications satellite; and the SYNCOM-IV-4, the synchronous communications satellite.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A group from the first graduating class of astronauts after the Apollo program gathers at the Banana River viewing site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center before the launch of space shuttle Discovery on its STS-124 mission. In 1978 a new group of 35 astronauts was selected after nine years without new astronauts. The pilots were Daniel Brandenstein, Michael Coats, Richard Covey, John Creighton, Robert Gibson, Frederick D. Gregory, Frederick Hauck, Jon McBride, Francis "Dick" Scobee, Brewster Shaw, Loren Shriver, David Walker and Donald Williams. The mission specialists were Guion Bluford, James Buchli, John Fabian, Anna Fisher, Dale Gardner, S. David Griggs, Terry Hart, Steven Hawley, Jeffrey Hoffman, Shannon Lucid, Ronald McNair, Richard Mullane, Steven Nagel, George Nelson, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Sally Ride, Rhea Seddon, Robert Stewart, Kathryn D. Sullivan, Norman Thagard and James van Hoften. Since then, a new group has been selected roughly every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

S78-26481 (January 1978) --- This is a montage of the individual portraits of the 35-member 1978 class of astronaut candidates. From left to right are Guion S. Bluford, Daniel C. Brandenstein, James F. Buchli, Michael L. Coats, Richard O. Covey, John O. Creighton, John M. Fabian, Anna L. Fisher, Dale A. Gardner, Robert L. Gibson, Frederick D. Gregory, S. David Griggs, Terry J. Hart, Frederick H. (Rick) Hauck, Steven A. Hawley, Jeffrey A. Hoffman, Shannon W. Lucid, Jon A. McBride, Ronald E. McNair, Richard M. (Mike) Mullane, Steven R. Nagel, George D. Nelson, Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik, Sally K. Ride, Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, Rhea Seddon, Brewster H. Shaw Jr., Loren J. Shriver, Robert L. Stewart, Kathryn D. Sullivan, Norman E. Thagard, James D. Van Hoften, David M. Walker and Donald E. Williams. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Brewster Shaw is a former astronaut from the first graduating class of astronauts after the Apollo program. He and others from the class were guests at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for the launch of space shuttle Discovery on its STS-124 mission. Shaw is Vice President and General Manager, Space Exploration, for Integrated Defense Systems, The Boeing Company. In 1978 a new group of 35 astronauts was selected after nine years without new astronauts. The pilots were Daniel Brandenstein, Michael Coats, Richard Covey, John Creighton, Robert Gibson, Frederick D. Gregory, Frederick Hauck, Jon McBride, Francis "Dick" Scobee, Brewster Shaw, Loren Shriver, David Walker and Donald Williams. The mission specialists were Guion Bluford, James Buchli, John Fabian, Anna Fisher, Dale Gardner, S. David Griggs, Terry Hart, Steven Hawley, Jeffrey Hoffman, Shannon Lucid, Ronald McNair, Richard Mullane, Steven Nagel, George Nelson, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Sally Ride, Rhea Seddon, Robert Stewart, Kathryn D. Sullivan, Norman Thagard and James van Hoften. Since then, a new group has been selected roughly every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- All eyes look skyward as space shuttle Discovery launches on its STS-124 mission. The group gathered here at the Banana River viewing site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are members of the first graduating class of astronauts after the Apollo program. In 1978 a new group of 35 astronauts was selected after nine years without new astronauts. The pilots were Daniel Brandenstein, Michael Coats, Richard Covey, John Creighton, Robert Gibson, Frederick D. Gregory, Frederick Hauck, Jon McBride, Francis "Dick" Scobee, Brewster Shaw, Loren Shriver, David Walker and Donald Williams. The mission specialists were Guion Bluford, James Buchli, John Fabian, Anna Fisher, Dale Gardner, S. David Griggs, Terry Hart, Steven Hawley, Jeffrey Hoffman, Shannon Lucid, Ronald McNair, Richard Mullane, Steven Nagel, George Nelson, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Sally Ride, Rhea Seddon, Robert Stewart, Kathryn D. Sullivan, Norman Thagard and James van Hoften. Since then, a new group has been selected roughly every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

S78-26569 (31 Jan. 1978) --- The 35 new astronaut candidates, presented Jan. 31, 1978, in the Building 2 auditorium at NASA's Johnson Space Center, pose for photographers. They are arranged in alphabetical order with top left as beginning point and bottom right as stopping point. They are Guion S. Bluford, Daniel C. Brandenstein, James F. Buchli, Michael L. Coats, Richard O. Covey, John O. Creighton, John M. Fabian, Anna L. Fisher, Dale A. Gardner, Robert L. Gibson, Frederick D. Gregory, S. David Griggs, Terry J. Hart, Frederick H. (Rick) Hauck, Steven A. Hawley, Jeffrey A. Hoffman, Shannon W. Lucid, Jon A. McBride, Ronald E. McNair, Richard M. (Mike) Mullane, Steven R. Nagel, George D. Nelson, Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik, Sally K. Ride, Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, Rhea Seddon, Brewster H. Shaw Jr., Loren J. Shriver, Robert L. Stewart, Kathryn D. Sullivan, Norman E. Thagard, James D. van Hoften, David M. Walker and Donald E. Williams. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

S85-25870 (August 1985) --- The crew emblem for STS-51I is based on a strong patriotic theme with the basic colors of red, white and blue suggesting the American flag and a dominant American bald eagle in aggressive flight. The 19 stars signify the numerical sequence of the flight. The shock wave represents that formed by the orbiter during the entry phase of the flight. Surnames of crew members surround the top part of the circular design. The five-member crew composed of astronauts Joe H. Engle, commander; Richard O. Covey, pilot; John Michael (Mike) Lounge, William F. Fisher and James D. van Hoften, all mission specialists. The NASA insignia design for space shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the forms of illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which is not anticipated, the change will be publicly announced. Photo credit: NASA