THE ASTRONAUT CREW

Capt. Frederick H. Hauck, USN

Hauck, 47, will serve as Discovery commander. A native of Long Beach, he now lives in Winchester, Mass. He is the father of two children. Hauck joined the astronaut corps in 1978 and has flown on two previous shuttle flights, logging 339 hours in space. A former Navy test pilot, he flew 114 combat and combat support missions in Southeast Asia and among other decorations has received the Distinguished Flying Cross. Hauck holds a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Col. Richard O. Covey, USAF

Covey, 42, will pilot Discovery. He is a native of Fayetteville, Ark., and now considers Fort Walton Beach, Fla., as his hometown. He is the father of two daughters, ages 12 and 14. In the Air Force, Covey has served as both a test pilot and as a combat pilot, serving two tours of duty in Southeast Asia. Covey joined the astronaut corps in 1978 and piloted a shuttle mission in August, 1985, that is widely regarded as the program’s most successful. Astronauts on that mission deployed three satellites and repaired another one in space.

Lt. Col. David C. Hilmers, USMC

Hilmers, 38, will serve as flight engineer. A native of Clinton, Iowa, he now lives in Dewitt, Iowa. A summa cum laude mathematics graduate at Cornell University, Hilmers holds a master of science degree in electrical engineering and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Hilmers was a fighter pilot assigned to the Marine’s El Toro base in Orange County when he was selected for the astronaut corps in 1980. In 1985 he flew a classified space shuttle mission for the Defense Department. He is the father of two sons, ages 9 and 12.

John M. Lounge

Lounge, 42, was born in Denver and grew up in Burlington, Colo. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Lounge flew 99 combat missions as a Navy fighter pilot assigned to the Enterprise in Southeast AsIa. He holds the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Texas Air National Guard. An astronaut since 1981, Lounge will serve as a mission specialist, and his prime responsibility will be to deploy a tracking satellite from the shuttle’s cargo bay. He flew in a similar capacity on a shuttle mission in 1985. He is the father of three children, ages 17 to 4.

George D. (Pinky) Nelson

Nelson, 38, is the only non-pilot among the five-member Discovery crew. A doctor of astronomy, he will conduct numerous scientific experiments during the shuttle flight. Nelson was born in Iowa, grew up in Willmar, Minn., and studied physics and astronomy at Harvey Mudd College and the University of Washington. Selected as an astronaut candidate in 1978, Nelson has flown on two previous shuttle missions and has walked in space. He was given his nickname at birth by his father. Nelson has two daughters, ages 13 and 16.