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List of astronauts educated at the United States Naval Academy

As of 2023, fifty-four United States astronauts have graduated from the United States Naval Academy (USNA), more than from any other undergraduate institution.[a][1] The Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland, with the mission of educating and commissioning officers for the United States Navy and Marine Corps. During the latter half of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th, the United States Naval Academy was the primary source of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps officers, with the class of 1881 being the first to provide officers to the Marine Corps. Graduates of the Academy are also given the option of entering the United States Army or United States Air Force; known as cross-commissioning. Most Midshipmen are admitted through the congressional appointment system.[2] The curriculum emphasizes various fields of engineering.[3] Graduates who enter aviation and space-related fields have the opportunity to be selected for astronaut training by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

James A. Lovell

This list is drawn from graduates of the Naval Academy who became astronauts. The Academy was founded in 1845 and graduated its first class in 1846. The first alumnus to fly as an astronaut was Alan Shepard, of the class of 1945. As of 2023, the most recent alumnus to be selected as an astronaut was Kayla Barron, of the class of 2010. Two alumni were part of Project Mercury, three were part of Project Gemini, seven were part of the Apollo program, three walked on the Moon, one was part of the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project, and forty-two were part of the Space Shuttle program.

In addition to the 52 astronauts who are alumni of the Academy, more than 990 noted scholars from a variety of academic fields are Academy graduates, including 45 Rhodes Scholars and 16 Marshall Scholars. Additional notable graduates include 1 President of the United States, 2 Nobel Prize recipients, and 73 Medal of Honor recipients.[b]

Astronauts

In this table, "class year" refers to the alumni's class year, which usually is the same year they graduated. However, in times of war, classes often graduated early. For example, the Class of 1943 actually graduated in 1942. (Note: The United States Air Force Academy did not graduate its first class until 1959, so a significant percentage of USNA graduates were commissioned in the US Air Force until that time.)

NameClass yearNotabilityReferences
Alan Shepard1945Rear admiral, World War II veteran, Navy test pilot, first U.S. Astronaut in space onboard Mercury-Redstone 3 and only Mercury Seven astronaut to walk on the Moon while commanding Apollo 14[a][4][5][6]
Wally Schirra1946Only astronaut to fly in America's first three space programs: Project Mercury (Mercury 8), Project Gemini (Gemini 6A), and Project Apollo (Apollo 7 Commander)[a][7][8][9]
James Irwin1951Served as an SR-71 Blackbird pilot and became a NASA astronaut, serving as the lunar module pilot on the Apollo 15, on which the first lunar rover was used; walked on the Moon[a][10][11][12]
Donn F. Eisele1952Test pilot, CMP on Apollo 7, the first Apollo program crewed mission[a][13][14][15]
Edward Givens1952Test pilot, died in an automobile crash before making a spaceflight[a][16][17][18]
Jim Lovell1952Served in the Korean War, Navy test pilot, astronaut participating in Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and commanding the ill-fated Apollo 13, which he brought back safely[a][19][20][21]
Thomas P. Stafford1952Pilot, Gemini 6A, commanded Gemini 9A, Apollo 10, and Apollo-Soyuz Test Project[a][22][23][24]
Theodore Freeman1953Test pilot, died in a plane crash before making a spaceflight[a][25][26][27]
William Anders1955Astronaut, flew on Apollo 8; ambassador to Norway (1975–1977)[a][c][28][29]
Charles Duke1957Lunar Module Pilot Apollo 16; walked on the Moon[a][30][31]
Bruce McCandless II1958Performed the first un-tethered spacewalk on STS-41-B and also flew on STS-31; son of Rear Admiral Bruce McCandless, Medal of Honor recipient of World War II, class of 1932[a][32][33]
S. David Griggs1962Performed an unscheduled spacewalk during STS-51-D[a][34][35]
Robert C. Springer1964Mission specialist on STS-29 and STS-38[a][36][37]
John Oliver Creighton1966Pilot of STS-51-G, commanded STS-36 and STS-48[a][38][39]
David Walker1966Pilot of STS-51-A, commanded STS-30, STS-53 and STS-69[a][40][41]
James Buchli1967Mission specialist on STS-51-C, STS-61-A, STS-29 and STS-48[a][42][43]
Michael J. Smith1967Pilot of the Space Shuttle Challenger when it was destroyed during STS-51-L[a][44][45]
Charles Bolden1968Major General; United States Marine Corps test pilot; pilot of STS-61-C and STS-31; commanded STS-45 and STS-60; nominated in 2009 to be NASA Administrator[a][46][47]
Michael Coats1968Pilot of STS-41-D, and commanded STS-29 and STS-39[a][48][49]
Bryan D. O'Connor1968Pilot of STS-61-B, and commanded STS-40[a][50][51]
John M. Lounge1969Mission specialist on STS-51-I, STS-26 and STS-35[a][52][53]
Robert D. Cabana1971Pilot of STS-41 and STS-53, commanded STS-65 and STS-88[a][54][55]
Frank L. Culbertson Jr.1971Pilot of STS-38, commanded STS-51 and International Space Station Expedition 3[a][56][57]
David Leestma1971Mission specialist on STS-41-G, STS-28 and STS-45[a][58][59]
William Shepherd1971Mission specialist on STS-27, STS-41 and STS-52; commanded International Space Station Expedition 1[a][60][61]
John L. Phillips1972Mission specialist on STS-100 and STS-119; flight engineer of International Space Station Expedition 11[a][62][63]
Stephen S. Oswald1973Pilot of STS-42 and STS-56, commanded STS-67[a][64][65]
Kenneth S. Reightler Jr.1973Pilot of STS-48 and STS-60[a][66][67]
William F. Readdy1974Mission specialist on STS-42, pilot of STS-51 and commanded STS-79[a][68][69]
Stephen Thorne1975Test pilot and Space Shuttle program trainee, died in a plane crash before making a spaceflight[a][70][71]
Jerry M. Linenger1977Mission specialist on STS-64, and long-duration spaceflight on the Mir space station[a][72][73]
Pierre J. Thuot1977Mission specialist on STS-36, STS-49 and STS-62[a][74][75]
Ken Bowersox1978Pilot of STS-50, commanded STS-61, STS-73, STS-82 and International Space Station Expedition 6[a][76][77]
Daniel W. Bursch1979Mission specialist on STS-51, STS-68 and STS-77; flight engineer of International Space Station Expedition 4[a][78][79]
Michael Foreman1979Mission specialist on STS-123[a][80][81]
Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie1979Pilot of STS-91 and STS-99; commanded STS-108 and STS-123[a][82][83]
Joe F. Edwards Jr.1980United States Navy test pilot, pilot of STS-89[a][84][85]
Michael López-Alegría1980Mission specialist for STS-73, STS-92, and STS-113; commanded International Space Station Expedition 14. American record holder for space walks, with 10[a][86][87]
Kathryn P. Hire1981Mission specialist on STS-90 and STS-130[a][88][89]
Brent W. Jett Jr.1981Pilot of STS-72 and STS-81; commanded STS-97 and STS-115[a][90][91]
Wendy B. Lawrence1981Navy helicopter pilot and mission specialist for STS-67, STS-86, STS-91, and STS-114; daughter of William P. Lawrence, Superintendent of the Academy while she was a Midshipman[a][92][93]
Christopher Loria1983Assigned as the pilot of STS-113, but an injury resulted in medical disqualification from spaceflight[a][94][95]
William C. McCool1983Pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia, killed when the craft disintegrated during re-entry at the conclusion of STS-107[a][96][97][98]
Robert Curbeam1984Mission specialist on STS-85, STS-98 and STS-116[a][99][100]
Charles O. Hobaugh1984Pilot of STS-104 and STS-118; Commander of STS-129[a][101][102]
George D. Zamka1984Pilot of STS-120; Commander of STS-130[a][103][104]
Lisa Nowak1985Mission specialist on STS-121, terminated by NASA after arrest on an attempted kidnapping charge[105]
Stephen Frick1986Pilot of STS-110 and commanded STS-122[a][106][107]
Stephen Bowen1986Mission specialist on STS-126[a][108][109]
Sunita Williams1987Mission specialist on STS-116 and STS-117, flight engineer for Expeditions 14 and 15; Commander of Expedition 33[a][110][111]
Kenneth Ham1987Pilot of STS-124[a][112][113]
Christopher Cassidy1993Mission specialist on STS-127, Commander of Expedition 63[a][114][115]
Nicole Aunapu Mann1999Selected in 2013 and completed astronaut training in 2015, commanded SpaceX Crew-5, first Native American woman in space[116]
Kayla Barron2010Selected in 2017, spent 177 days on the ISS as a member of NASA SpaceX Crew-3[117]
Alan Shepard
Charles Duke
Charles Bolden
John L. Phillips
Ken Bowersox
Michael Lopez-Alegria
Wendy B. Lawrence
Sunita Williams

References

General

 a: "Astronauts". United States Naval Academy. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
 b: "Notable Graduates". United States Naval Academy. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
 c: "United States Ambassadors". United States Naval Academy. Retrieved January 30, 2023.

Inline citations

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