A veteran of four space shuttle missions, Astronaut Tom Henricks became the
first person to log over 1,000 hours as a space shuttle pilot/commander. He
was accepted into NASA's astronaut training program in 1985 and was the only
astronaut assigned to the Shuttle Program Office during the return to flight
phase following the Challenger accident. In addition to his time in space, he
held many key technical and management positions at both the Johnson Space
Center and Kennedy Space Center.
Henricks was an officer in the United States Air Force (USAF) becoming the
youngest colonel in 1991. During his career, he flew fighter planes throughout
the U. S. and Europe. He was a Top Gun and served tours in England and
Iceland. He was also a test pilot of the F-4 Phantom and the F-16 Fighting
Falcon. Overall, he has flown over 30 different types of aircraft and logged
over 6,000 hours flying time. He retired from government service in 1997 to
pursue his business career.
Born in Bryan, Ohio, Henricks received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil
engineering from the USAF Academy and a master's degree in public
administration from Golden Gate University. He has earned numerous accolades,
including the Distinguished Flying Cross, an honorary doctorate from Defiance
College and a space in the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. Henricks currently
resides in Texas.
