172.243.193.142 at 23:43, 7 October 2025

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{{short description|NASA astronaut and engineer (born 1948)}}
{{Infobox astronaut
|name = Jerry Ross
|image = Jerry Ross.jpg
|caption = EVA portrait, c. 2002
|birth_name = Jerry Lynn Ross
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|1|20}}
|birth_place = [[Crown Point, Indiana]], U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|education = [[Purdue University]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]], [[Master of Science|MS]])
|type = [[NASA astronaut]]
|rank = [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]], [[United States Air Force|USAF]]
|time = 58d 0h 52m
|selection = [[NASA Astronaut Group 9|NASA Group 9 (1980)]]
|eva1 = 9
|eva2 = 57h 55m<ref name="EVA">{{cite web |url=http://www.spacefacts.de/eva/astronauts/english/ross_jerry.htm |title=Jerry L. Ross' EVA experience |access-date=December 19, 2018 |publisher=Spacefacts.de}}</ref>
|mission = [[STS-61-B]] [[STS-27]] [[STS-37]] [[STS-55]] [[STS-74]] [[STS-88]] [[STS-110]]
|insignia = [[File:Sts-61-b-patch.png|50px]] [[File:Sts-27-patch.png|50px]] [[File:Sts-37-patch.png|50px]] [[File:Sts-55-patch.png|50px]] [[File:Sts-74-patch.png|50px]] [[File:Sts-88-patch.png|50px]] [[File:Sts-110-patch.png|45px]]
}}
'''Jerry Lynn Ross''' (born January 20, 1948, [[Crown Point, Indiana]]) is a retired [[United States Air Force]] officer, [[engineer]], and a former [[NASA]] [[astronaut]]. Ross is a veteran of seven [[Space Shuttle]] missions, making him the joint record holder for most spaceflights (a record he shares with [[Franklin Chang-Díaz]]).

His papers, photographs, and many personal items are in the Barron Hilton Flight and Space Exploration Archives at Purdue University. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame during ceremonies in May 2014.

Ross is the author of ''Spacewalker: My Journey in Space and Faith as NASA's Record-Setting Frequent Flyer'' (Purdue University Press, 2013) with John Norberg. In March 2014, it was announced ''Spacewalker'' would be available in a French translation through the specialist aerospace publisher, Altipresse.

Fellow astronaut, [[Chris Hadfield]], describes Ross in his 2013 autobiography, ''An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth'', as "the embodiment of the trustworthy, loyal, courteous and brave astronaut archetype."<ref name="Hadfield">{{cite book|first=Chris|last=Hadfield|author-link=Chris Hadfield|title=An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything|publisher=[[Little, Brown and Company]]|location=[[New York City]]|year=2013|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780316253017/page/27 27]|isbn=978-0-316-25301-7|lccn=2013943519|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780316253017/page/27}}</ref>

==Education==
Ross graduated from [[Crown Point High School]], [[Crown Point, Indiana]], in 1966. He received a [[Bachelor of Science]] in 1970 and a [[Master of Science]] degree in 1972, both in [[mechanical engineering]] from [[Purdue University]]. At Purdue, he joined the [[Purdue Reamer Club]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Purdue Reamer Club|url=https://archives.lib.purdue.edu/agents/corporate_entities/392#:~:text=The%20Purdue%20Reamer%20Club%20was,Special's%20many%20iterations%20since%20then.|access-date=2021-05-04|website=Purdue University Archives and Special Collections}}</ref>

==Military career==
Ross, an Air Force [[Reserve Officers' Training Corps|ROTC]] student at Purdue University, received his commission upon graduation in 1970. After receiving his master's degree from Purdue in 1972, he entered active duty with the Air Force and was assigned to the Ramjet Engine Division of Air Force Aero-Propulsion Laboratory at [[Wright-Patterson Air Force Base]], in Ohio. He conducted computer-aided design studies on [[ramjet]] propulsion systems, served as the project engineer for [[captive test]]s of a supersonic ramjet missile using a rocket sled track, and as the project manager for preliminary configuration development of the [[ASALM]] strategic air-launched missile.

From June 1974 to July 1975, he was the [[Laboratory Executive Officer]] and Chief of the [[Management Operations Office]]. Ross graduated from the [[USAF Test Pilot School]]’s Flight Test Engineer Course in 1976 and subsequently was assigned to the [[6510th Test Wing]] at [[Edwards Air Force Base]], California. While on assignment to the 6510th’s Flight Test Engineering Directorate, he was project engineer on a limited flying qualities evaluation of the [[Boeing RC-135S|RC-135S]] aircraft, and, as lead [[B-1 Lancer|B-1]] flying qualities flight test engineer, was responsible for the stability, control, and flight control system testing performance on the B-1 aircraft. As chief B-1 flight test engineer, he was also responsible for training and supervising all Air Force B-1 flight test engineer crew members and for performing the mission planning for the B-1 offensive avionics test aircraft.

Ross has flown in 21 different types of aircraft, holds a [[private pilot]]'s license, and has logged over 3,900 flying hours, the majority in military aircraft. He retired from the Air Force on March 31, 2000.

==NASA career==
In February 1979, Ross was assigned to the [[Payload Operations Division]] at the [[Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center]], as a payload officer/flight controller who was responsible for the flight operations integration of payloads into the [[Space Shuttle]]. Ross was selected as an [[astronaut]] in May 1980. His technical assignments since then have included [[extra-vehicular activity|EVA]], or "[[space walks]]", RMS ([[Remote Manipulator System]], or "robotic arm"), and [[chase team]]; support crewman for [[STS 41-B]], [[STS 41-C]] and [[STS 51-A]]; spacecraft communicator ([[Capsule communicator|CAPCOM]]) during [[STS 41-B]], [[STS 41-C]], [[STS 41-D]], [[STS 51-A]] and [[STS 51-D]]; Chief of the [[Mission Support Branch]]; member of the 1990 [[Astronaut Selection Board]]; Acting Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office, Chief of the Astronaut Office EVA and Robotics Branch, and Astronaut Office Branch Chief for [[Kennedy Space Center]] Operations Support. Ross was assigned to [[STS-62-A]], the first Shuttle mission to launch from [[Vandenberg Air Force Base]], but the mission was canceled after the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster]].

Ross flew as a [[mission specialist]] on [[STS 61-B]] (1985), [[STS-27]] (1988) and [[STS-37]] (1991), was the [[Payload Commander]] on [[STS-55]]/[[Spacelab]]-D2 (1993), and again served as a mission specialist on the second Space Shuttle to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station [[Mir]], [[STS-74]] (1995), the first [[International Space Station]] assembly mission, [[STS-88]] (1998) and [[STS-110]] (2002). A veteran of 7 space flights, Ross has over 1,393 hours in space, including 57 hours and 55 minutes on 9 [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA]]s.<ref name="EVA" /> (see below)

In addition to his record number of launches, among his many personal milestones, Ross held the U.S. record for spacewalks (9) until that was surpassed by the current record holder, [[International Space Station|ISS]] [[Expedition 14]] commander [[Michael Lopez-Alegria]] (10 EVA's totaling 67 hours and 40 minutes). However, there is speculation that on [[STS-27]] (1988), Ross made an additional EVA. This shuttle mission was a classified [[United States Department of Defense|DoD]] satellite launch and therefore information about the flight has never been released. Ross also holds the record for most flights on a single Space Shuttle orbiter (''[[Space Shuttle Atlantis|Atlantis]]'') at five.<ref name="Atlantis Legacy">{{cite web |date=June 2, 2010 |title=The legacy of space shuttle Atlantis |url=http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-060210a.html |access-date=June 4, 2010 |publisher=CollectSPACE}}</ref>

In 2013 John Norberg, who worked with Ross on his book, filed a Freedom of Information Act concerning STS-27 with the National Reconnaissance Office. The NRO confirmed it had control of the records and declined to release any information about the flight. Ross has never commented on the objectives or his work on STS-27. Ross officially ranks third in the world for spacewalks behind Russian Anatoly Solovyev (16) and Lopez-Alegria.

Ross served as Chief of the Vehicle Integration Test Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas until he retired in January 2012.

Ross retired from [[NASA]] on January 28, 2012, after being the first person to launch into space 7 times. He also leaves [[NASA]] after placing third in the most spacewalks after completing 9 EVA's.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1201/31lucidross |title=Shuttle-era astronauts Lucid and Ross retire from NASA |access-date=January 31, 2012 |publisher=SpaceflightNow.com}}</ref>

==Spaceflight experience==
[[STS-61-B]] ''[[Space Shuttle Atlantis|Atlantis]]'' was launched at night from the [[Kennedy Space Center]] (KSC), Florida, on November 26, 1985. During the mission, the crew deployed the [[MORELOS-B]], [[AUSSAT-2]], and [[SATCOM Ku-2]] [[communications satellites]], and operated numerous other experiments. Ross conducted two 6-hour spacewalks to demonstrate Space Station construction techniques with the [[Experimental Assembly of Structures in EVA and Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures|EASE/ACCESS]] experiments. After completing 108 orbits of the Earth in 165 hours, 4 minutes, 49 seconds, ''Atlantis'' landed on Runway 22 at [[Edwards Air Force Base]], California, on December 3, 1985.

[[STS-27]] ''[[Space Shuttle Atlantis|Atlantis]]'', was launched from KSC on December 2, 1988. The mission carried a [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] payload, as well as a number of secondary payloads. After 68 orbits of the Earth in 105 hours, 6 minutes, 19 seconds, the mission concluded with a dry lakebed landing on Runway 17 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on December 6, 1988. The mission is noteworthy due to the severe damage ''Atlantis'' sustained to its critical heat-resistant tiles during ascent.

[[STS-37]] ''[[Space Shuttle Atlantis|Atlantis]]'', was launched from KSC on April 5, 1991, and deployed the 35,000 pound [[Compton Gamma Ray Observatory]]. Ross performed two spacewalks totaling 10 hours and 49 minutes to manually deploy the stuck Gamma Ray Observatory antenna and to test prototype [[Space Station Freedom]] hardware. After 93 orbits of the Earth in 143 hours, 32 minutes, 44 seconds, the mission concluded with a landing on Runway 33, at Edwards Air Force Base, on April 11, 1991.

[[STS-55]] ''[[Space Shuttle Columbia|Columbia]]'', was launched from KSC on April 26, 1993. With Ross serving as [[Payload Commander]]/[[Mission Specialist]], nearly 90 experiments were conducted during the German-sponsored [[Spacelab]] D-2 mission to investigate [[life sciences]], [[materials science]], [[physics]], [[robotics]], [[astronomy]], and the Earth's atmosphere. ''Columbia'' landed on May 6, 1993, at Edwards Air Force Base, after 160 orbits of the Earth in 239 hours and 45 minutes.<ref name=NASABIO/>

[[STS-74]] ''[[Space Shuttle Atlantis|Atlantis]]'', launched from KSC on November 12, 1995, was NASA's second Space Shuttle mission to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station [[Mir]]. During the eight-day flight, t the crew aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis attached a permanent [[Space rendezvous|docking]] module to Mir, conducted a number of secondary experiments, and transferred {{frac|1|1|2}} tons of supplies and experiment equipment between ''Atlantis'' and the Mir station. ''Atlantis'' landed at Kennedy Space Center on November 20 after accomplishing their achievements in 129 orbits of the Earth, traveling 3.4 million miles in 196 hours, 30 minutes, 44 seconds.<ref name=NASABIO/>

[[STS-88]] ''[[Space Shuttle Endeavour|Endeavour]]'' (December 4–15, 1998) was the first [[International Space Station]] assembly mission. During the 12-day mission, the U.S.-built ''Unity'' module was mated with the Russian ''Zarya'' module. Ross performed three spacewalks totaling 21 hours 22 minutes to connect umbilicals and attach tools/hardware. The crew also deployed two satellites, [[Mighty Sat 1]] and [[SAC-A]]. The mission was accomplished in 185 orbits of the Earth in 283 hours and 18 minutes.<ref name=NASABIO/>

[[STS-110]] ''[[Space Shuttle Atlantis|Atlantis]]'' (April 8–19, 2002) was the 13th Shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station (ISS). The first mission in the final phase of the ISS Assembly included the delivery and installation of the [[S0 Truss]]; the first time the station's robotic arm was used to maneuver space walkers around the station; it was also the first time that all of a shuttle crew's spacewalks were based from the station's, [[Quest Airlock|''Quest'' Airlock]]. Ross performed 2 EVAs totaling 14 hours and 9 minutes. Mission duration was 259 hours and 42 minutes.<ref name=NASABIO>{{NASA}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/ross_jerry.pdf |title=JERRY L. ROSS (COLONEL, USAF, RET.), NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER) |publisher=NASA |date=May 2014 |access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref>

==Organizations==
Ross is a lifetime member of the [[Association of Space Explorers]], the [[Purdue Alumni Association]], and a corresponding member of the [[International Academy of Astronautics]].

==Awards and honors==
*[[Defense Superior Service Medal]] with one [[Oak leaf cluster|Oak Leaf]]
*[[Legion of Merit]]
*[[Defense Meritorious Service Medal]] with three [[Oak Leaf Clusters]]
*[[Meritorious Service Medal (United States)|Meritorious Service Medal]] with one Oak Leaf
*[[Distinguished Graduate]] of the [[USAF Test Pilot School]]
*[[Outstanding Flight Test Engineer Award]], Class 75B
*Recipient of 15 NASA medals
*American Astronautical Society [[Victor A. Prather Award]] for space walking achievements (1985, 1990, 1999), and [[Flight Achievement Award]] (1992, 1996, 1999, 2002)
*[[Honorary Doctor of Science]], Purdue University
*[[Jerry Ross Elementary School]] in [[Crown Point, Indiana]] was named after him.

==References==
{{Include-NASA}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{NASA Astronaut Group 9|state=expanded}}
{{U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Jerry Lynn}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Aviators from Indiana]]
[[Category:United States Air Force officers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:Purdue University College of Engineering alumni]]
[[Category:U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal]]
[[Category:United States Air Force astronauts]]
[[Category:United States Astronaut Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:NASA civilian astronauts]]
[[Category:People from Crown Point, Indiana]]
[[Category:Recipients of the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement]]
[[Category:Space Shuttle program astronauts]]
[[Category:Spacewalkers]]
[[Category:Mir crew members]]

Jerry L. Ross - Revision history

172.243.193.142 at 23:43, 7 October 2025