William E. Thornton

American - (NASA)

Deceased

Date of Birth: April 14, 1929
Date of Death: Jan. 14, 2020

William Edgar Thornton is a former NASA astronaut.

Spaceflight Record

William E. Thornton flew on two previous launch(es).

Space Shuttle Challenger / OV-099 | STS-8

National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of America
Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Aug. 30, 1983, 6:32 a.m.

Status: Success

Mission:

STS-8 was the third mission of Space Shuttle Challenger. It deployed an Indian 10 and Weather satellite. It was the first night launch and night landing of the Shuttle program. It also carried the first African-American astronaut; Guion Bluford.

Low Earth Orbit

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Space Shuttle Challenger / OV-099 | STS-51-B

National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of America
Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
April 29, 1985, 4:02 p.m.

Status: Success

Mission:

STS-51-B was the seventeenth flight of the shuttle program and the seventh for Space Shuttle Challenger. It was the second flight for SpaceLab.

Low Earth Orbit

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Acting Administrator: James Free

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA have many launch facilities but most are inactive. The most commonly used pad will be LC-39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Recent Launches