Background
Thagard, Norman E. was born on July 3, 1943 in Marianna, Florida, United States. Son of James E. Thagard and Mary F. Nicholson.
Astronaut educator engineer physician
Thagard, Norman E. was born on July 3, 1943 in Marianna, Florida, United States. Son of James E. Thagard and Mary F. Nicholson.
Bachelor of Science, Florida State University, 1965. Master of Science, Florida State University, 1966. Doctor of Medicine, University Texas Southwest Medical School, 1977.
Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Florida Atlantic University.
Intern, internal medicine, Medical U. South Carolina, 1977-1978; astronaut, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1978-1996; retired, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1996; mission specialist, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Shuttle Challenger Flight STS-7, deployed satellites (ANIKC-2, PALAPA B-1), operated Remote Manipulator Sys., conducted experiments, 1983; mission specialist, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Spacelab-3 Mission STS-51 B, 1985; mission specialist, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Shuttle Atlantis Flight STS-30, deployed Magellan Venus exploration spacecraft, 1989; payload commander, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Shuttle Discovery Flight STS-42, International Microgravity Laboratory-1 module experiments, 1992; crew member, Space Station MIR-18, 1995; professor electrical engineering, director college relations College Engineering, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical U.-Florida State University, Tallahassee, since 1996.
With United States Marine Corps, 1966-1971, Captain 1967-1971, in Vietnam flew 163 combat missions. Fellow American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (associate). Member Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Association Space Explorers, Aerospace Medical Association, Society for Human Performance in Extreme Environments, Phi Kappa Phi.
Married Rex Kirby Johnson. Children: Norman Gordon, James Robert, Daniel Cary.