Home - Search - Browse - Alphabetic Index: 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9
A- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N- O- P- Q- R- S- T- U- V- W- X- Y- Z

---

Crouch, Roger Keith

---

Crouch Credit: www.spacefacts.de

Status: Inactive; Active 1989-1997. Born: 1940-09-12. Spaceflights: 2 . Total time in space: 19.67 days. Birth Place: Jamestown, Tennessee.

Grew up in Jamestown, Tennessee. Educated Tennessee Poly; Virginia Poly.

NAME: Roger K. Crouch

Payload Specialist

PERSONAL DATA:

Considers Jamestown, Tennessee, where he was born September 12, 1940, as his hometown. Currently resides in Laurel, Maryland. One daughter, two sons. Hobbies include traveling, photography, basketball, softball, camping, hiking, fishing, and whitewater rafting. His mother, Mrs. Maxine S. Crouch, lives in Jamestown, Tennessee. His father, Willard Crouch is deceased.

EDUCATION:

Earned a bachelor of science in physics from Tennessee Polytechnic Institute in 1962, a master of science and a doctor of philosophy in physics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1968 and 1971, respectively. He was a visiting scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1979-80.

EXPERIENCE:

As the Chief Scientist of the NASA Microgravity Space and Applications Division since 1985 he has served as the manager for a research program that supports materials science, fluid physics, low temperature microgravity physics, combustion science, and biotechnology. He had responsibility for assuring that experiments in the flight program achieved the highest levels of scientific results possible. He served as Program Scientist on Spacelab J, the second International Microgravity Laboratory Program (IML-2), the first United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-1) and a Program Scientist (Materials Sciences) IML-1. In addition, he helped organize and has served as co-chairman for Microgravity Science Working Groups between NASA and the European Space Agency, France, Germany, Japan and Russia. He was the co-chair of the International Microgravity Science Strategic Planning Group. He was the co-chair for the IML Science Working Group from 1985-1989. He has served on several governmental interagency panels on Materials Science, most recently as a team member assessing the potential for collaborative efforts between the U.S. and China. He was a co-principal investigator on an experiment that flew in the Materials Experiment Apparatus on the D-1 mission. Prior to working in NASA Headquarters, he had been at the Langley Research Center since 1962. His last position there was group leader of a research group investigating the effects of convection on semiconductor properties. He was a principal investigator in the MSAD flight program from 1977-1985. He has done research in various types of semiconductor crystal growth, electrical and optical properties of materials, electronic devices for remote sensing and flat panel displays and heat shield protection for reentry space vehicles. He trained as the Alternate Payload Specialist on STS-42 (First International Microgravity Laboratory). Most recently, he flew as a payload specialist on STS-83, April 4-8,1997. STS-83, the Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1) Spacelab mission, was cut short because of problems with one of the Shuttle's three fuel cell power generation units. Mission duration was 95 hours and 12 minutes, traveling 1.5 million miles in 63 orbits of the Earth.

PUBLICATIONS:

Published over 40 technical papers and more than 40 technical presentations in various areas of research, concentrating since 1978 on semiconductor crystal growth and the influence of gravitational forces on materials properties.

SPECIAL HONORS:

Floyd Thompson Fellowship 1979; Quality Increase 1972, 1986, 1988; Exceptional Service Award 1989; Outstanding Performance Rating, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, Certificates of Recognition 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984 (2), 1985, 1986, 1987 (3), Special Achievement Award, 1983, Sustained Superior Performance Award, 1989, Superior Accomplishment Award 1992, NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal 1995.

ORGANIZATIONS:

Member of American Physical Society, American Association for Crystal Growth, Sigma Pi Sigma, Kappa Mu Epsilon.

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT:

Dr. Crouch will serve as a payload specialist. on STS-94. The 16-day re-flight of the Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1) Spacelab mission will focus on materials and combustion science research in microgravity. Launch is scheduled for the Summer of 1997 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia.

• Birth of Dr Roger Keith Crouch - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Crouch. American physicist payload specialist astronaut 1989-1997. 2 spaceflights, 19.7 days in space. Flew to orbit on STS-83 (1997), STS-94..

• STS-83 - . Call Sign: Columbia. Crew: Crouch, Gernhardt, Halsell, Kilrain, Linteris, Thomas, Voss, Janice. Backup Crew: Coleman, Catherine. Payload: Columbia F22 / Spacelab LM Unit 1 / EDO. Mass: 115,900 kg (255,500 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-83. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Columbia. Duration: 3.97 days. Decay Date: 1997-04-08 . USAF Sat Cat: 24755 . COSPAR: 1997-013A. Apogee: 302 km (187 mi). Perigee: 298 km (185 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 90.50 min.

  The launch of STS-83, the first Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1) mission, was postponed for a day to replace some insulation around a water coolant line in Columbia's payload bay. Liftoff was further delayed 20 minutes due to anomalous oxygen readings in the orbiter's payload bay. STS-83 was cut short due to a problem with one of the three fuel cells that provide electricity and water to Columbia (flight rules required that all three must be operating). At 14:30 GMT on April 6 the crew were ordered to begin a Minimum Duration Flight (MDF). On April 8 the OMS engines ignited at 17:30 GMT for the deorbit burn, and Columbia landed on Runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center at 18:33 GMT.

  With delays in International Space Station construction leaving ample room in the shuttle schedule, NASA made the unique decision to leave the equipment installed in Columbia and refly this mission with the same crew later in 1997 as STS-94.

• Landing of STS-83 - . Return Crew: Crouch, Gernhardt, Halsell, Kilrain, Linteris, Thomas, Voss, Janice. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Crouch, Gernhardt, Halsell, Kilrain, Linteris, Thomas, Voss, Janice. Program: Spacelab. Flight: STS-83. STS-83 landed at 18:33 GMT. .

• STS-94 - . Call Sign: Columbia. Crew: Crouch, Gernhardt, Halsell, Kilrain, Linteris, Thomas, Voss, Janice. Payload: Columbia F23 / Spacelab LM Unit 1 / EDO. Mass: 115,900 kg (255,500 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Crouch, Gernhardt, Halsell, Kilrain, Linteris, Thomas, Voss, Janice. Agency: NASA Houston. Manufacturer: Bremen. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-94. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Columbia. Duration: 15.70 days. Decay Date: 1997-07-17 . USAF Sat Cat: 24849 . COSPAR: 1997-032A. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). Perigee: 296 km (183 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 90.50 min.

  STS-94 was the reflight, with the same equipment and crew, of the curtailed STS-83 mission. Cargo Bay Payloads:

  • MSL-1: The Microgravity Science Laboratory included the first test of the International Space Station's EXPRESS Rack. MSL-1 also contained numerous other experiment payloads to test materials and combustion processes in zero gravity.
  • CRYOFD: The Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) heat pipe was a Hitchhiker payload.
  • OARE: The Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment was a self-calibrating instrument that monitored extremely small accelerations and vibrations experienced during orbit of the Shuttle.
  In-Cabin Payloads: SAREX, MSX

  The mission this time went for its full two week duration and the crew completed the full list of experiments. The deorbit burn was on July 17, 1997 at 09:44 GMT and Columbia landed on KSC's Runway 33 at 10:46:34 GMT.

• Landing of STS-94 - . Return Crew: Crouch, Gernhardt, Halsell, Kilrain, Linteris, Thomas, Voss, Janice. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Crouch, Gernhardt, Halsell, Kilrain, Linteris, Thomas, Voss, Janice. Program: STS. Flight: STS-94. STS-94 landed at 10:46 GMT. .