NASA Astronaut Group Nine Candidates

NASA Astronaut Group Nine Candidates of January 1980 autographed color 8 x 10" NASA lithograph photograph signed by all twenty-one candidates.

Candidates are as follows: James P. Bagian, MD, Mission Specialist; John E. Blaha, Lt. Colonel, USAF, Pilot; Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Major, USMC Pilot; Roy D. Bridges, Jr., Lt. Colonel, USAF Pilot; Franklin R. Chang, PhD, Mission Specialist; Mary L. Cleave, PhD, Mission Specialist; Bonnie J. Dunbar, Ms., Mission Specialist; William F. Fisher, MD, Mission Specialist; Guy S. Gardner, Major, USAF, Pilot; Ronald J. Grabe, Major, USAF, Pilot; David C. Hilmers, Captain, USMC, Mission Specialist; David C. Leestma, Lt. Commander, USN, Mission Specialist; John M. Lounge, Mr., Mission Specialist; Claude Nicollier, Mr., ESA Mission Specialist; Wubbo Ockels, PhD, ESA Mission Specialist; Bryan D. O'Conner, Major, USMC, Pilot; Richard N. Richards, Lt. Commander, USN, Pilot; Jerry L. Ross, Captain, USAF, Mission Specialist; Michael J. Smith, Lt. Commander, USN, Pilot; Sherwood C. Spring, Major, USA, Mission Specialist; and Robert C. Springer, Lt. Colonel, USMC, Mission Specialist. 

Provenance: From the Family Collection of Astronaut David Griggs. Accompanied by a signed Letter of Certification by Alison Griggs.

The photograph has light wear along the edges and some slight areas of toning, otherwise in very good condition.

NASA Astronaut Group 9 was a group of 19 NASA astronauts announced on May 29, 1980, and completed their training by 1981. This group was selected to supplement the 35 astronauts that had been selected in 1978, and marked the first time that non-Americans were trained as mission specialists with the selections of ESA astronauts Claude Nicollier and Wubbo Ockels. In keeping with the previous group, astronaut candidates were divided into pilots and mission specialists, with eight pilots, eleven mission specialists, and two international mission specialists within the group.