463:, California. Thornton, participating as a scientist-astronaut, was one of five crew members. During the flight Thornton made almost continuous measurements and investigations of adaptation of the human body to weightlessness, especially of the nervous system and of the space adaptation syndrome. This was a continuation of his previous work in these areas. Much of the equipment used was designed and developed by Thornton. The mission was accomplished in 98 orbits of the Earth, traveling 2.2 million miles in 145 hours, 8 minutes, 4 seconds. He became the oldest person to fly in space.
481:(April 29 to May 6, 1985). The Spacelab-3 science mission was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and returned for a night landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California. During the 7-day flight, Thornton was responsible for the first animal payload on a shuttle mission and other medical investigations. The mission was accomplished in 110 orbits of the Earth, traveling 2.9 million miles (4.7 million km) in 169 hours and 39 minutes.
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300:, San Antonio, where he completed the Primary Flight Surgeon's training in 1964. It was during his two-year tour of duty there that he became involved in space medicine research and subsequently applied and was selected for astronaut training. Dr. Thornton developed and designed the first mass measuring devices for space, which remain in use today.
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As a member of the
Astronaut Office Operations Missions Development group, Thornton was responsible for developing crew procedures and techniques for deployable payloads, and for maintenance of crew conditions in flight. He developed advanced techniques for, and made studies in,
424:, and in space exploration, and has designed the necessary exercise and other hardware to support such missions. He continued analysis and publication of results from studies of neurological adaptation, and the study of neuromuscular inhibition following flight,
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from 1956 to 1959, he also organized and directed its
Avionics Division. He returned to the University of North Carolina Medical School in 1959, graduated in 1963, and completed internship training in 1964 at the Wilford Hall USAF Hospital at
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computer analysis. Space-related items include the first in-flight mass measurement devices, shock and vibration isolation systems, an improved waste collection system, an improved lower body negative pressure (LBNP) apparatus, and others.
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areas. He developed the
Shuttle treadmill for in-flight exercise and several other on-board devices. He was long an advocate for exercise as a countermeasure for conditions such as
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training, Thornton served as officer-in-charge of the
Instrumentation Lab at the Flight Test Air Proving Ground. He later became a consultant to Air Proving Ground Command.
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Thornton continued his work in space medicine while awaiting his next flight opportunity. He worked on problems relative to extending mission durations in the
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Thornton retired from NASA effective May 31, 1994. Thornton was later a
Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine,
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455:(August 30 to September 5, 1983). This was the third flight for the Challenger and the first mission with a night launch from
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432:. He has completed designs for exercise and other countermeasure equipment for the Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO), and for
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At the conclusion of the STS-51B flight, Thornton had logged over 313 hours in space across his two missions.
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missions, and principal investigator for Skylab experiments on mass measurement, anthropometric measurements,
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Thornton holds more than 60 patents that range from military weapons systems through the first real-time
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784:. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Associated Press. September 7, 1983. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
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William Edgar
Thornton was born on April 14, 1929. He attended primary and secondary schools in
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713:"Exercise and pharmacological countermeasures for bone loss during long-duration space flight"
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385:. His work concentrated on the space adaptation syndrome, with relevant investigations on
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Following graduation from the
University of North Carolina and having completed Air Force
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504:. He donated his NASA papers and archives to the North Carolina State Archives in 2010.
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American
Astronautical Society's Melbourne W. Boynton Award for 1975 (1977)
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799:"Astronaut William Thornton, who invented shuttle treadmill, dies at 91"
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751:. Austin, Texas. August 29, 1983. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
612:. Cocoa, Florida. June 12, 1994. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
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Association of
Military Surgeons of the United States Kern Award (1986)
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Peter R. Cavanagh; Angelo A. Licata & Andrea J. Rice (June 2005),
323:, Texas. Thornton was physician crew member on the highly successful
257:(UNC) in 1952. In 1963, he received a doctorate in medicine from UNC.
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Thornton was selected as a scientist-astronaut in August 1967 with
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Thornton was married to the former
Elizabeth Jennifer Fowler of
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253:. He received a bachelor of science degree in physics from the
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University of North Carolina Distinguished Alumni Award (1983)
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and was then assigned to the USAF Aerospace Medical Division,
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operations he continued physiological investigations in the
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Thornton was a member of the astronaut support crew for the
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Thornton has logged over 2,500 hours pilot flying time in
876:
NASA Astronaut Group 6, "XS-11 (The Excess Eleven)", 1967
1239:
University of North Carolina School of Medicine alumni
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As chief engineer of the electronics division of the
745:"Space Shuttle Astronauts Ready for Unearthly Tasks"
331:, a simulation of a Spacelab life sciences mission.
205:(April 14, 1929 – January 11, 2021) was an American
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325:Skylab Medical Experiments Altitude Test (SMEAT)
319:. He completed the required flight training at
778:"Space Agency: Shuttle Gets Better Every Trip"
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559:NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal
1154:List of United States Marine Corps astronauts
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839:National Aeronautics and Space Administration
527:NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal
21:For other people named William Thornton, see
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1159:List of United States Space Force astronauts
552:AIAA Jeffries Medical Research Award (1985)
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292:Thornton returned to active duty with the
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581:, on January 11, 2021, at the age of 91.
107:University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
1219:University of Houston–Clear Lake faculty
1144:List of astronauts by year of selection
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428:in space and on Earth, and post-flight
1204:Military personnel from North Carolina
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500:, and was an adjunct professor at the
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737:
606:"Veteran Astronaut Retires from NASA"
7:
1224:People from Faison, North Carolina
494:University of Texas Medical Branch
459:, Florida, and a night landing at
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887:← NASA Astronaut Group 6 →
669:"William Thornton NASA Biography"
23:William Thornton (disambiguation)
1234:Space Shuttle program astronauts
1199:United States Air Force officers
826: This article incorporates
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502:University of Houston–Clear Lake
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834:William Thornton NASA Biography
717:Gravitational and Space Biology
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1229:Physicians from North Carolina
545:Aerospace Medical Association
521:NASA Exceptional Service Medal
18:American astronaut (1929–2021)
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1149:Astronaut ranks and positions
577:Thornton died at his home in
362:related to space operations.
255:University of North Carolina
229:, also from UNC. He flew on
219:University of North Carolina
694:"New Citizens to be Astros"
513:Recipient of the Air Force
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20:
958:
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749:Austin American-Statesman
209:astronaut. He received a
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537:NASA Space Flight Medals
274:Del Mar Engineering Labs
245:Early life and education
566:Personal life and death
430:orthostatic hypotension
294:United States Air Force
283:Lackland Air Force Base
889:NASA Astronaut Group 7
885:NASA Astronaut Group 5
828:public domain material
579:Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas
572:Hertfordshire, England
461:Edwards Air Force Base
440:Spaceflight experience
317:NASA Astronaut Group 6
251:Faison, North Carolina
203:William Edgar Thornton
54:William Edgar Thornton
992:NASA Astronaut Groups
574:. They had two sons.
434:Space Station Freedom
298:Brooks Air Force Base
1214:Physician astronauts
997:NASA Astronaut Corps
698:Muncie Evening Press
674:. NASA. January 2021
457:Kennedy Space Center
321:Reese Air Force Base
1209:American physicists
1194:American astronauts
211:Bachelor of Science
150:NASA Group 6 (1967)
805:. January 14, 2021
764:"STS-8 Fact Sheet"
762:Cliff Lethbridge.
383:bone loss in space
287:San Antonio, Texas
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549:Award (1984)
539:(1983, 1985)
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348:hemodynamics
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192:May 31, 1994
123:Space career
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85:(2021-01-11)
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1189:2021 deaths
1184:1929 births
915:Karl Henize
809:January 15,
360:kinesimetry
356:kinesiology
278:Los Angeles
233:twice, the
1178:Categories
585:References
479:Challenger
476:Spacelab-3
453:Challenger
261:Experience
241:missions.
231:Challenger
213:degree in
189:Retirement
141:13d 1h 16m
60:1929-04-14
420:, in the
223:doctorate
146:Selection
103:Education
729:16038092
678:June 18,
336:Skylab 2
239:STS-51-B
227:medicine
164:STS-51-B
156:Missions
1137:Related
561:(1988).
472:STS-51B
467:STS-51B
365:During
329:SMD III
215:physics
1006:Groups
727:
529:(1974)
523:(1972)
517:(1956)
401:, and
342:, and
221:and a
97:, U.S.
74:, U.S.
68:Faison
830:from
672:(PDF)
450:STS-8
445:STS-8
403:STS-8
399:STS-7
395:STS-6
391:STS-5
387:STS-4
235:STS-8
217:from
160:STS-8
95:Texas
811:2021
725:PMID
680:2021
535:two
377:and
373:and
358:and
267:ROTC
237:and
207:NASA
80:Died
50:Born
410:EKG
276:at
225:in
1180::
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