Paul Lockhart's path to becoming an astronaut (aviation in family and test pilot school)

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Christopher Lusardi

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Nov 14, 2020, 7:49:37 PM11/14/20

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ALPHA x PAUL LOCKHART - ASTRONAUT INTERVIEW - NASA/SPACEX LAUNCH

Published: Nov 14, 2020

Publisher: Alpha Industries

But, aviation was always part of my family. My dad was one of the first air traffic controllers. And so, when I was a young boy in West Texas (uh you know), I grew up watching (uh) airplanes take off from the airfield out near where we lived and sat in the tower (and in the tower) and watch the airplanes take off and land.

And so, that's where I developed my first passion for aviation. But, it really expanded in the 1960s when the space program began to get started. In fact, if you look back over here on this (uh this) piece of (uh) equipment here from Alpha Industries you can see all of the Apollo patches that came for the moon landings that began in 1969.

But of course, as everybody should know that's not when our space program started with Apollo. It began before that. So, you had the Mercury and Gemini programs.

Well, I was a (a) ready watcher of those launches. And, I thought to myself. Well, that's what I want to do someday is become an astronaut. Because they kind of had everything that you want, cool spacesuits, a little bit of danger, a little bit of excitement. You know. They were always on television.

I thought that's what I wanted to do.

So, I started out in high school (uh) just being a normal high school person actually, not really focused much on becoming an astronaut.

But then, when I went to my undergraduate work at Texas Tech University and was getting my degree and about to graduate, I sat down and really asked myself What did I want to do. And, I said. You know. I've always had the dream of becoming an astronaut. But, I made that one decision that really led me to it.

I said I didn't want to be an astronaut. I will become an astronaut.

And so, I made the right decision to go speak to the only person at Texas Tech University who is actually focused on aviation. And, that was the Air Force recruiter in the ROTC.

So, the next thing, you know. I'm taking a physical at the local Air Force base. And, he says. I'm going to get you a pilot slot. And, I knew right then I was on my way.

So, the next few years found me doing (doing) graduate work at the University of Texas in aerospace engineering. And, once I finished that, I went right into the Air Force and started flying aircraft.

And then, I laid down that plan of to become an astronaut which was to fly high performance aircraft, become a test pilot, and then eventually apply to NASA and get selected.

And, all of that came kinda true. So, I got to fly my high-performance aircraft. I got to go to test pilot school. And then, the first time I applied to NASA, NASA said no thank you.

So, that was my first really big introduction to you don't always get through it first what you want to do.

But, I was persistent and continued to develop my (my) skill sets.

And then in 1996, I applied again and that was the year that NASA brought in its largest group of astronauts ever. And, I happen to be part of that class of 10 pilots and about 35 mission specialists. So, there were 10 pilots. And, we all were picked up in the group of (16, and so um 16 group of, the class of) (um) the 16th class of astronauts in 1996.