Carl J. Meade accumulated more than 712 hours in space across three separate missions during his career as a NASA astronaut. Born in 1950 at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois, he transitioned from a military officer and test pilot into the specialized environment of orbital flight operations, ultimately conducting critical hardware testing and scientific research missions.
Academic and Military Background
Meade graduated from Randolph High School in 1968 before earning a Bachelor of Science in electronics engineering from the University of Texas in 1973. He continued his education at the California Institute of Technology, completing a Master of Science in the same field in 1975. His early professional experience included roles as a Hughes Fellow and an electronics design engineer at Hughes Aircraft Company. Upon entering the U.S. Air Force, he completed Undergraduate Pilot Training as a distinguished graduate. His military aviation career involved flying the RF-4C with the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and serving as a test pilot instructor at Edwards Air Force Base, where he taught radar flight test techniques and spin recovery.
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Selected by NASA in 1985, Meade flew his first mission, STS-38, in 1990 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. This five-day flight involved Department of Defense operations. In 1992, he participated in STS-50, which utilized the United States Microgravity Laboratory to study fluid physics and combustion science aboard Columbia. This mission set a record at the time as the longest flight in the history of the Space Shuttle Program, lasting over 331 hours. His final mission, STS-64 in 1994, featured a significant milestone when Meade conducted the first untethered spacewalk in a decade, logging nearly four hours of flight time in a self-rescue jetpack.
Technical Leadership and Later Career
Beyond his flight duties, Meade held various technical roles within the Astronaut Office, including representative to the Solid Rocket Booster and Space Shuttle Main Engine programs at Marshall Space Flight Center. He served as a spacecraft communicator in Mission Control and led rendezvous and docking operations. After retiring from NASA and the military in 1996, he joined Lockheed Skunk Works as Deputy Project Manager for the X-33 vehicle. He later moved into the private sector at Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems, serving as an engineering manager for the Crew Exploration Vehicle project.
Fast facts
- Born: 1950, Rantoul, Illinois
- Military Rank: Colonel
- Jet Time: Over 4,800 hours
- Space Missions: STS-38, STS-50, STS-64
- Spacewalk Time: 6.9 hours
- Education: California Institute of Technology
- Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross
Questions readers ask
What specific award did Meade receive at the Test Pilot School?
He received the Liethen-Tittle Award as the Outstanding Test Pilot for Class 80B.
Did Meade perform any untethered spacewalks?
Yes, he performed the first untethered spacewalk in 10 years during the STS-64 mission in 1994.
Achievements
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Recorded as military officer, astronaut and aircraft pilot
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