Owen Garriott

Owen Garriott, born around November 22, 1930, pursued a distinguished academic and professional career before becoming an astronaut. After graduating from Enid High School, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1953. He continued his studies at Stanford University, receiving his Master of Science in 1957 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering in 1960. From 1953 to 1956, Garriott served as an electronics officer in the U.S. Navy. In 1961, he joined Stanford University as an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, a position he held until his selection by NASA for astronaut training on June 28, 1965. He was also presented with an honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Science from Phillips University of Oklahoma in 1973. Garriott's notable spaceflight career included serving as science-pilot for Skylab-3, the second manned Skylab mission, which took place from July 28 to September 25, 1973. He later flew as a mission specialist on STS-9, launched on November 28, 1983, which was significant as the first space shuttle flight to feature an international crew. Following his Skylab mission, he worked in Science and Applications at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, eventually becoming Assistant Director for Space and Life Science. He was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 1973. Garriott resigned from NASA on August 1, 1986, and subsequently served as Vice President of Space Programs for Teledyne Brown Engineering from 1988 to 1993. He was married twice and had four children from his first marriage: Randall, Robert, Richard, and Linda. His second wife was Evelyn. Garriott enjoyed sailing, scuba diving, skiing, and amateur radio. His son, Richard Garriott, became the first American and second person worldwide to follow a parent into space, launching aboard Soyuz TMA-13 in 2008, with Owen Garriott present at mission control. Owen Garriott passed away on April 15, 2019, at the age of 88, at his home in Huntsville, Alabama.