Hoot’s second Shuttle flight, his first as Commander, was scheduled for 1985, but many delays in the Shuttle program pushed it later and later into the year.  His crew was a great bunch—with several good friends from the Astronaut Corps.  Three members of the crew—Hoot, George “Pinkie” Nelson, and Steve Hawley—had flown before, but it was a first for Charlie Bolden, and Franklin Chang Diaz, as well as Payload Specialists (who would only be...

December is a remarkable time of the year—a time for giving and receiving. Some celebrate Christmastime as a remembrance that God gave the world his Son, Jesus Christ, who taught us to love one another and to be good human beings. Regardless of one’s spiritual preferences, we all share some important beliefs about this time: it is a time for brightening the long winter days with sparkling trees, visiting friends and family, and giving and...