Francis Gregory "Greg" Neubeck (born April 11, 1932) is a retired Colonel in the United States Air Force and a former USAF astronaut. Although he trained for the USAF Manned Orbital Laboratory (MOL), the program was cancelled before any of the MOL crews reached space.[1]
Francis G. Neubeck | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 11, 1932 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Status | Retired |
| Alma mater | USNA, B.S. 1955 AU, MBA 1972 |
| Occupation | Test pilot |
| Space career | |
| USAF astronaut | |
| Rank |  Colonel, USAF |
| Selection | 1965 USAF MOL Group 1 |
| Missions | None |
Neubeck was born April 11, 1932, in Washington, D.C., and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1955 from the United States Naval Academy. Although a USNA graduate, he chose to begin his career in the United States Air Force. In 1972, he earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Auburn University in Alabama.[2]
Greg always got a lot done on his own. He was the quietest of all of us and maybe the most independent, and that worked for him because he really knew his stuff.
— Lachlan Macleay, describing his MOL colleague.[3]
At the start of his USAF career, Neubeck worked on the development of weapons systems and as a flight instructor.[4] He was one of the 32 finalists for NASA Astronaut Group 2 in 1962, but ultimately was not selected.[5] He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in Class 60C, Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) Class III, and MOL.[6] In 1965, he was selected as one of the first astronauts to the Air Force's classified Manned Orbital Laboratory.[7] The goal of the MOL program, canceled in 1969 before sending any astronauts into space, was to man a space station with military astronauts using a modified Gemini spacecraft.[8] The history of the MOL program was presented in the public television series NOVA episode called "Astrospies" which aired February 12, 2008.[9]
After the MOL program cancellation, Neubeck continued his USAF career including a combat tour in south-east Asia.[4] He also served as vice commander at the Tactical Air Warfare Center at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida before retiring from the Air Force in 1986.[2] Neubeck worked in the aerospace industry, became an author, and ran for public office.[4] In 1986, he became the Republican nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's first congressional district but was not elected. As of 2007, Neubeck resides in Florida.[2]
References
edit- ^ "Space and Missile Systems Center History" (PDF). USAF. 2006-09-12. pp. 60–62. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
- ^ a b c "Astrospies Neubeck biography". NOVA. PBS. December 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
- ^ "SECRET ASTRONAUTS – Col. Francis G. Neubeck, USAF". Pbs.org.
- ^ a b c Shayler, David J. (2001). Gemini: Steps to the Moon. Springer Press. p. 418. ISBN 9781852334055. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
- ^ Burgess, Colin (2013). Moon Bound: Choosing and Preparing NASA's Lunar Astronauts. New York: Springer Science+Business Media. pp. 117–120. ISBN 978-1-4614-3854-0.
- ^ USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond. Privately Published. 1994. p. 247.
- ^ "Secret Astronauts". NOVA. PBS. December 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
- ^ Nutter, Ashley (2008-06-02). "Suits for Space Spies". NASA. Archived from the original on 2005-06-06. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
- ^ "Astrospies". NOVA. PBS. December 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
External links
edit
- "Francis Neubeck biography". Spacefacts. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
- "Florida: U.S. Representatives, 1980s". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2008-10-11.