Space Shuttle Veterans Move On

Two veteran astronauts are retiring from NASA and moving on to new phases of their lives. Astronaut Scott J. "Doc" Horowitz, a retired US Air Force colonel, has left NASA for a position with private industry. Astronaut Duane G. "Digger" Carey has left the space agency to see the world from a new perspective.

Horowitz is a veteran of four Space Shuttle flights. He's traveled more than 16 million miles in space during his missions, leading activities in science, satellite maintenance and International Space Station assembly as a commander and pilot.

Horowitz (above) served as pilot on Shuttle mission STS-75. The mission performed microgravity and tethered satellite science in 1996. He flew as pilot of STS-82, a maintenance mission to the Hubble Space Telescope in 1997. His third flight was as pilot on STS-101 in 2000, an International Space Station assembly mission. In August 2001, Horowitz commanded STS-105, a Station crew exchange and assembly mission.

"Scott has made a huge contribution to NASA's exploration effort. He's flown aboard the Space Shuttle four times, commanded a Shuttle mission to the International Space Station, and led the Astronaut Office's Advanced Projects Branch, which has provided key technical input to NASA's plan for exploration of the moon and Mars," said Ken Bowersox, director of Flight Crew Operations. "His forthright manner, technical expertise and inquisitive nature will be missed," he added.

After fulfilling his dream to pilot a Space Shuttle and see the world from space, Duane Carey is pursuing another dream to see the world from the open road.

Carey (below) is a retired Air Force Lt. Col. He plans to begin a motorcycle tour of the United States and eventually the world, camping along the way. He and his wife, Cheryl, are moving to Colorado Springs (CO), to prepare for the trip.

Selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1996, Carey was the pilot for Space Shuttle mission STS-109 in 2002, a maintenance flight to the Hubble Space Telescope. Carey served as a Space Shuttle CAPCOM, the communications liaison between Mission Control and spacecraft. He also worked in the Astronaut Office Spacecraft Systems/Operations Branch in Houston.

"Duane is an exceptional Shuttle pilot, but years ago he was bitten by the motorcycle touring bug, and he always wanted to return to near-Earth exploration of our country aboard a motorcycle," Bowersox said. "We'll really miss his skill and expertise, but we all envy him in some way for heading off in a new direction."

"Cheryl and I will attempt to fulfill a dream we first envisioned over 25 years ago. Our 22-plus years of public service in the Air Force and NASA have been incredibly rewarding, and we hope we've contributed something useful to our country over those years." Carey said.

During his motorcycle travels, Carey plans to talk to young people about the importance of math and science and the wonder of space travel.

"I owe a lot to my country," he explained. "I've been an Air Force jet pilot, and I've been an astronaut. Now I want to tell people the importance of space flight, especially in the smaller, more rural communities I expect to visit. To explore, we must always take some risks. We have to explore new territory. We don't know what we'll find out there, but we have to go out and find our future," Carey said.

FMI: www.nasa.gov