Joseph Peter Kerwin (born February 19, 1932) is an American physician and former NASA astronaut.[1] He served as the science pilot for the Skylab 2 mission from May 25, 1973, to June 22, 1973. He was the first physician to be selected for astronaut training and the first doctor from the United States to enter space.[2][3]
Kerwin was the one who uttered the words during Apollo 13: "Farewell, Aquarius, and we thank you."[4] He was inducted into the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1997.
After graduating from high school, Kerwin enrolled at the College of the Holy Cross. He graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in philosophy with a minor in pre-med, ranked eighth in a class of 380 students. During his junior year, Kerwin won a national rhyme contest involving Lucky Strike cigarettes. His senior thesis was titled, "Psychological Aspects of Competitive Swimming".[2][5]
Kerwin was selected for NASA Astronaut Group 4 as a scientist-astronaut in June 1965.[11] He was serving as a pilot and a flight surgeon for the Navy at the time of his selection.[12] He was one of the capsule communicators (CAPCOMs) on Apollo 13 (in 1970).[13]
Kerwin served as Science Pilot for the Skylab 2 (SL-2) mission which launched on May 25 and splashed down on June 22, 1973. With him for the initial activation and 28-day flight qualification operations of the Skylab Orbital Workshop were Charles "Pete" Conrad (spacecraft commander) and Paul J. Weitz (Pilot).
Kerwin was subsequently in charge of the on-orbit branch of the Astronaut Office, where he coordinated astronaut activity involving rendezvous, satellite deployment and retrieval, and other Space Shuttle payload operations. Kerwin was part of the NBC broadcasting team for coverage of the launch of STS-1.
Kerwin administers dental exam to Skylab 2 Commander Charles "Pete" Conrad
From 1982–83, Kerwin served as NASA's senior science representative in Australia. In this capacity, he served as liaison between NASA's Office of Space Tracking and Data Systems and Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. During this time, Kerwin was considered to fly on the mission that would become STS-41-C (then known as STS-13), but his assignment in Australia prevented his selection.[14]
From 1984–1987, Kerwin served as Director of Space and Life Sciences at the Johnson Space Center. There, he was responsible for direction and coordination of medical support to operational crewed spacecraft programs, including health care and maintenance of the astronauts and their families; for direction of life services, supporting research and light experiment project; and for managing JSC earth sciences and scientific efforts in lunar and planetary research. In 1986, he issued a report on the deaths of the crew killed in the Challenger disaster to Associate Administrator for Space Flight, Richard H. Truly.[15]
Post-NASA career
Paul J. Weitz, (left) Charles Conrad Jr. (middle); and Joseph P. Kerwin (right); America's first space station crew would spend 28 days in space
Kerwin retired from the Navy, left NASA, and joined Lockheed in 1987. At Lockheed, he managed the Extravehicular Systems Project, providing hardware for Space Station Freedom, from 1988 to 1990; with Paul Cottingham and Ted Christian invented the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER), first tested for use by space walking astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) during Space Shuttle flight STS-64. He then served on the Assured Crew Return Vehicle team, and served as Study Manager on the Human Transportation Study, a NASA review of future space transportation architectures. In 1994–95 he led the Houston liaison group for Lockheed Martin's FGB contract, the procurement of the Russian "space tug" which has become the first element of the ISS. He served on the NASA Advisory Council from 1990 to 1993.
He joined Systems Research Laboratories (SRL) in June 1996, to serve as Program Manager of the SRL team which bid to win the Medical Support and Integration Contract at the Johnson Space Center. The incumbent, KRUG Life Sciences, was selected. Then, to his surprise, KRUG recruited him to replace its retiring president, T. Wayne Holt. He joined KRUG on April 1, 1997. On March 16, 1998, KRUG Life Sciences became the Life Sciences Special Business Unit of Wyle Laboratories of El Segundo, California.
Kerwin married Shirley Ann née Good of Danville, Pennsylvania in 1960.[16] They have three daughters: Sharon (born September 14, 1963), Joanna (born January 5, 1966), and Kristina (born May 4, 1968); and six grandchildren. His hobbies are reading and classical music. He resides in College Station, Texas with his family.
Kerwin is co-author, along with fellow astronaut Owen K. Garriott and writer David Hitt, of Homesteading Space, a history of the Skylab program published in 2008.[23]
^ abcRusnak, Kevin M. (May 12, 2000). "Dr. Joseph P. Kerwin Oral History". NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project | Edited Oral History Transcript. NASA. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
^Recer, Paul (May 13, 1973). "Kerwin: Time Now for Homesteading". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. Associated Press. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Astronauts Honored". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. October 6, 1973. p. 5A – via Newspapers.com.
