Gregory Bruce Jarvis served as a payload specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger during its final, fatal mission, STS-51-L. Selected by Hughes Aircraft Company to conduct orbital research on fluid behavior in weightless environments, he was an engineer and former military officer whose career concluded prematurely during the disaster at Cape Canaveral in 1986.
Early Life and Education
Born in Detroit in 1944, Jarvis attended Mohawk Central High School in New York, graduating in 1962. He pursued technical training in electrical engineering, earning a Bachelor of Science from the University at Buffalo followed by a Master of Science from Northeastern University in 1969. That same year, he entered the United States Air Force, where he served until 1973, leaving the military with the rank of captain.
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Following his military discharge, Jarvis began his tenure at the Hughes Aircraft Company. In June 1984, the firm selected him as a candidate for the Space Shuttle program. His primary objective involved conducting scientific experiments regarding the effects of microgravity on fluid dynamics. Though initially slated for a mission in April 1985, scheduling adjustments resulted in his reassignment to STS-51-L, set for launch in early 1986.
The Challenger Mission
Jarvis served as Payload Specialist 2 on the Challenger orbiter, launched from Kennedy Space Center on January 28, 1986. The crew included Commander Dick Scobee, pilot Michael J. Smith, and mission specialists Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, and Christa McAuliffe. The vehicle broke apart during launch, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members. Salvage operations recovered his remains from the ocean floor in April 1986, after which he was cremated and his ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
Commemoration
Public institutions and government bodies recognized his service through several memorials. The University at Buffalo renamed its East Engineering building as Jarvis Hall, and the Gregory B. Jarvis Middle School in Mohawk, New York, serves as a namesake institution. He received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor posthumously in 2004. Other tributes include a crater on the moon, a hydroelectric dam on Hinckley Lake, and a dedicated sculpture located at the University at Buffalo.
Fast facts
- Born: 1944, Detroit
- Died: 1986, Cape Canaveral
- Education: University at Buffalo, Northeastern University
- Military rank: Captain
- Employer: Hughes Aircraft Company
- Mission: STS-51-L
- Award: Congressional Space Medal of Honor (2004)
Questions readers ask
What was Gregory Jarvis' role on the Challenger?
He served as a payload specialist representing the Hughes Aircraft Company.
Was he awarded any honors after his death?
Yes, he received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 2004.
Achievements
- Affiliated with National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Hughes Aircraft Company
- Educated at University at Buffalo and Northeastern University
- Worked as engineer, astronaut and military officer
