Astronauts and the BSA

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Background

The Boy Scouts of America teaches young people to be good citizens and trains them to become leaders. These qualities are also found in the U.S. astronaut program. Of the 312 pilots and scientists selected as astronauts since 1959, 179 were Scouts or have been active in Scouting: 39 Eagle Scouts, 25 Life Scouts, 14 Star Scouts, 26 First Class Scouts, 17 Second Class Scouts, 13 Tenderfoot Scouts, three Explorers, 27 Cub Scouts, 10 Webelos Scouts, and five with unknown ranks.

Of the 12 men to physically walk on the moon's surface, 11 were involved in Scouting.

The Boy Scouts of America is proud of America's astronauts.

Space Exploration Merit Badge

In 1965, the BSA launched its Space Exploration merit badge, and since that time, more than 360,000 badges have been earned. Requirements for earning this badge range from building, launching, and recovering a model rocket to designing an earth-orbiting space station.

Astronauts' Scouting Records and Hometowns

ADAMSON, James C.**
Eagle Scout
STS-28 and STS-43
Warsaw, New York

ALDRIN, Buzz**
Tenderfoot Scout
Gemini 12 and Apollo 11
Montclair, New Jersey

ALLEN, Andrew M.**
Cub Scout
STS-46, STS-62 and STS-75
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

ALLEN, Joseph P.**
First Class Scout
STS-5 and STS 51-A
Crawfordsville, Indiana

ALTMAN, Scott D.
Second Class Scout
STS-90, STS-106, STS-109
Lincoln, Illinois

ANDERS, William A.**
Life Scout
Apollo 8
Hong Kong

ANDERSON, Clayton C.
First Class Scout
Ashland, Nebraska

ANDERSON, Michael P.*
Webelos Scout
STS-89, STS-107
Plattsburgh, New York

ARMSTRONG, Neil A.**
Eagle Scout
Gemini 8 and Apollo 11
Wapakoneta, Ohio

BAGIAN, James P.**
Eagle Scout
STS-29 and STS-40
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

BAKER, Michael A.
Life Scout
STS-43, STS-52, STS-68, and STS-81
Memphis, Tennessee

BARRATT, Michael R.
Explorer
Vancouver, Washington

BARRY, Daniel T.
Star Scout
STS-72, STS-96, and STS-105
Norwalk, Connecticut

BASSETT, Charles A. II*
Life Scout
Dayton, Ohio

BEAN, Alan L.**
First Class Scout
Apollo 12 and Skylab 3
Wheeler, Texas

BLOOMFIELD, Michael J. **
First Class Scout
STS-86, STS-97, and
STS-110
Flint, Michigan

BOLDEN, Charles F. Jr.**
Second Class Scout
STS 61-C, STS-31,
STS-45, and STS-60
Columbia, South Carolina

BOWERSOX, Kenneth D.
Eagle Scout
STS-50, STS-61, STS-73, STS-82, and STS-113/
Exp 6
Portsmouth, Virginia

BRADY, Charles E.**
Eagle Scout
STS-78
Pinehurst, North Carolina

BRAND, Vance D.
Life Scout
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, STS-5, STS 41-B, and STS-35
Longmont, Colorado

BRIDGES, Roy D. Jr.
Life Scout
STS 51-F
Atlanta, Georgia

BROWN, Curtis L. Jr.**
Cub Scout
STS-47, STS-66, STS-77, STS-85, STS-95, and
STS-103
Elizabethtown, North Carolina

BROWN, David M.*
Life Scout
STS-107
Arlington, Virginia

BUCHLI, James F.**
Second Class Scout
STS 51-C, STS 61-A, STS-29, and STS-48
New Rockford, North Dakota

BULL, John S.**
Scout rank unknown
Memphis, Tennessee

BURBANK, Daniel C.
Cub Scout
STS-106
Manchester, Connecticut

BURSCH, Daniel W.
Tenderfoot Scout
STS-51, STS-68, STS-77, and STS-108(up)/Exp 4/STS-111(down)
Bristol, Pennsylvania

CAMARDA, Charles J.
First Class Scout
New York, New York

CAMERON, Kenneth D.**
Star Scout
STS-37, STS-56, and
STS-74
Cleveland, Ohio

CAREY, Duane G.**
Cub Scout
STS-109
St. Paul, Minnesota

CARPENTER, M. Scott**
Second Class Scout
Mercury 7
Boulder, Colorado

CARR, Gerald P.**
Eagle Scout
Skylab 4
Denver, Colorado

CARTER, Manley Lanier "Sonny" Jr.*
Eagle Scout
STS-33
Macon, Georgia

CASPER, John H.**
Life Scout
STS-36, STS-54, STS-62, and STS-77
Greenville, South Carolina

CERNAN, Eugene A.**
Second Class Scout
Gemini 9, Apollo 10, and Apollo 17
Chicago, Illinois

CHAFFEE, Roger B.*
Eagle Scout
Grand Rapids, Michigan

CHAMITOFF, Gregory Errol
Eagle Scout
San Jose, California

CLIFFORD, Michael R.**
First Class Scout
STS-53, STS-59, and
STS-76
San Bernardino, California

COATS, Michael L.**
First Class Scout
STS 41-D, STS-29, and STS-39
Sacramento, California

CONRAD, Charles Jr.*
Cub Scout
Gemini 5, Gemini 11, Apollo 12, and Skylab 2
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

COOPER, L. Gordon Jr.*
Life Scout
Mercury 9 and Gemini 5
Shawnee, Oklahoma

COVEY, Richard O.**
Eagle Scout
STS 51-I, STS-26,
STS-38, and STS-61
Fayetteville, Arkansas

CREIGHTON, John O.**
Eagle Scout
STS 51-G, STS-36, and STS-48
Orange, Texas

CULBERTSON, Frank L. Jr.**
Second Class Scout
STS-38, STS-51, and STS-105(up)/Exp 3/STS-108(down)
Charleston, South Carolina

DREW, Alvin B.
Webelos Scout
Washington, D.C.

DUFFY, Brian**
Cub Scout
STS-45, STS-57, STS-72, and STS-92
Boston, Massachusetts

DUKE, Charles M., Jr.**
Eagle Scout
Apollo 16
Charlotte, North Carolina

EDWARDS, Joe F. Jr.**
First Class Scout
STS-89
Richmond, Virginia

EISELE, Donn F.*
Eagle Scout
Apollo 7
Columbus, Ohio

ENGLAND, Anthony W.**
Star Scout
STS 51-F
Indianapolis, Indiana

ENGLE, Joe H.**
First Class Scout
16 flights in USAF/NASA X-15 - 3 flights into space; flew on space shuttle approach and landing tests 2 and 4; STS-2 and
STS-51-1
Dickinson County, Kansas

EVANS, Ronald E.*
Life Scout
Apollo 17
St. Francis, Kansas

FABIAN, John M.**
Life Scout
STS-7 and STS 51-G
Goosecreek, Texas

FINCKE, Edward Michael
Webelos Scout
Emsworth, Pennsylvania

FISHER, William F.**
Star Scout
STS 51-I
Dallas, Texas

FOALE, Michael C.
Wolf (equivalent to Cub Scout)
STS-45, STS-56, STS-63, STS-84, STS-86, and
STS-103
Cambridge, England

FORD, Kevin A.
Webelos Scout
Portland, Indiana

FOREMAN, Michael J.
First Class Scout
Wadsworth, Ohio

FORRESTER, Patrick G.
Eagle Scout
STS-105
El Paso, Texas

FOSSUM, Michael E.
Eagle Scout
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

FREEMAN, Theodore C.*
First Class Scout
Haverford, Pennsylvania

FRICK, Stephen N.
Tenderfoot Scout
STS-110
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

FULLERTON, Charles G.**
Eagle Scout
Space shuttle approach and landing tests 1, 3, and 5; STS-3 and STS 51-F
Rochester, New York

GARAN, Ronald J. Jr.
Tenderfoot Scout
Yonkers, New York

GARDNER, Dale A.**
First Class Scout
STS-8 and STS 51-A
Fairmont, Minnesota

GARDNER, Guy S.**
Life Scout
STS-27 and STS-35
Altavista, Virginia

GARRIOTT, Owen K.**
Star Scout
Skylab 3 and STS-9
Enid, Oklahoma

GERNHARDT, Michael L.
Cub Scout
STS-69, STS-83, STS-94, and STS-104
Mansfield, Ohio

GIBSON, Edward G.**
First Class Scout
Skylab 4
Buffalo, New York

GIBSON, Robert L.**
Star Scout
STS 41-B, STS 61-C,
STS-27, STS-47, and STS-71
Cooperstown, New York

GIVENS, Edward G. Jr.*
Life Scout
Quanah, Texas

GORDON, Richard F. Jr.**
Star Scout
Gemini 11 and Apollo 12
Seattle, Washington

GORIE, Dominic L.
Webelos Scout
STS-91, STS-99, and STS-108
Lake Charles, Louisiana

GREGORY, Frederick D.**
Life Scout
STS 51-B, STS-33, and STS-44
Washington, D.C.

GREGORY, William G.**
Eagle Scout
STS-67
Lockport, New York

GRIGGS, S. David*
Eagle Scout
STS 51-D
Portland, Oregon

GRISSOM, Virgil I.*
Star Scout
Mercury 4 and Gemini 3
Mitchell, Indiana

HADFIELD, Chris A.
Cub Scout
STS-74 and STS-100
Sarnia, Ontario, Canada

HAISE, Fred W. Jr.**
Star Scout
Apollo 13 and space shuttle approach and landing tests 1, 3, and 5
Biloxi, Mississippi

HAMMOND, L. Blaine Jr.**
First Class Scout
STS-39 and STS-64
Savannah, Georgia

HARRIS, Bernard A. Jr.**
Scout rank unknown
STS-55 and STS-63
Temple, Texas

HAWLEY, Steven A.
Tenderfoot Scout
STS 41-D, STS 61-C, STS-31, STS-82, and
STS-93
Ottawa, Kansas

HENIZE, Karl G.*
First Class Scout
STS 51-F
Cincinnati, Ohio

HENRICKS, Terence T.**
Cub Scout
STS-44, STS-55, STS-70, and STS-78
Bryan, Ohio

HERRINGTON, John B.**
Second Class Scout
STS-113
Wetumka, Oklahoma

HOBAUGH, Charles O.
Cub Scout
STS-114
Bar Harbor, Maine

HOFFMAN, Jeffrey A.**
Eagle Scout
STS 51-D, STS-35, STS-46, STS-61, and STS-75
Brooklyn, New York

HUSBAND, Rick D.*
Second Class Scout
STS-96, STS-107
Amarillo, Texas

JOHNSON, Gregory H.
Eagle Scout
Upper Riuslip, Middlesex, United Kingdom

JONES, Thomas D.**
Eagle Scout
STS-59, STS-68,STS-80, and STS-98
Baltimore, Maryland

KELLY, James M.
Webelos Scout
STS-102
Burlington, Iowa

KELLY, Mark E.
Cub Scout
STS-103
West Orange, New Jersey

KELLY, Scott J.
Cub Scout
STS-103
Orange, New Jersey

KOPRA, Timothy L.
Tenderfoot Scout
Austin, Texas

KREGEL, Kevin R.**
Life Scout
STS-70, STS-78, STS-87, and STS-99
Amityville, New York

LEE, Mark C.**
Eagle Scout
STS-30, STS-47, STS-64, and STS-82
Viroqua, Wisconsin

LEESTMA, David C.**
Cub Scout
STS 41-G, STS-28, and STS-45
Muskegon, Michigan

LIND, Don L.**
Eagle Scout
STS 51-B
Midvale, Utah

LINDSEY, Steven W.
Eagle Scout
STS-87, STS-95, and STS-104
Temple City, California

LINNEHAN, Richard M.
First Class Scout
STS-78, STS-90, and STS-109
Lowell, Massachusetts

LLEWELLYN, John A.**
King's Scout (equivalent to Eagle Scout)
Cardiff, Wales

LOPEZ-ALEGRIA, Michael E.
Cub Scout
STS-73, STS-92, and STS-113
Madrid, Spain

LORIA, Christopher J.
Webelos Scout
Newton, Massachusetts

LOUNGE, John M. "Mike"**
Star Scout
STS 51-I, STS-26, and STS-35
Denver, Colorado

LOUSMA, Jack R.**
Tenderfoot Scout
Skylab 3 and STS-3
Grand Rapids, Michigan

LOVE, Stanley G.
Tenderfoot Scout
Eugene, Oregon

LOVELL, James A. Jr.**
Eagle Scout
Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13
Cleveland, Ohio

LOW, G. David**
Life Scout
STS-32, STS-43, and
STS-57
Cleveland, Ohio

MASSIMINO, Michael J.
Webelos Scout
STS-109
Franklin Square, New York

MATTINGLY, Thomas K. II**
Life Scout
Apollo 16, STS-4, and STS-51-C
Chicago, Illinois

McARTHUR, William S. Jr.
Life Scout
STS-58, STS-74, and
STS-92
Wakulla, North Carolina

McBRIDE, Jon A.**
Cub Scout
STS 41-G
Charleston, West Virginia

McCOOL, William C.*
Eagle Scout
STS-107
San Diego, California

McCULLEY, Michael J.**
Eagle Scout
STS-34
San Diego, California

McDIVITT, James A.**
Tenderfoot Scout
Gemini 4 and Apollo 9
Chicago, Illinois

McNAIR, Ronald E.*
Star Scout
STS-41-B
Lake City, South Carolina

MEADE, Carl J.**
Cub Scout
STS-38, STS-50, and
STS-64
Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois

MICHEL, F. Curtis**
Tenderfoot Scout
LaCrosse, Wisconsin

MITCHELL, Edgar D.**
Life Scout
Apollo 14
Hereford, Texas

MORIN, Lee M.
Scout rank unknown
STS-110
Manchester, New Hampshire

MULLANE, Richard M.**
Second Class Scout
STS 41-D, STS-27, and STS-36
Wichita Falls, Texas

MUSGRAVE, Story**
Cub Scout
STS-6, STS 51-F, STS-33, STS-44, STS-61, and
STS-80
Lexington, Kentucky

NELSON, George D.**
First Class Scout
STS 41-C, STS 61-C, and STS-26
Charles City, Iowa

NOGUCHI, Soichi
Star Scout
Yokohama, Japan

NORIEGA, Carlos I.
Webelos Scout
STS-84 and STS-97
Santa Clara, California

O'CONNOR, Bryan D.**
Explorer
STS 61-B and STS-40
Orange, California

O'LEARY, Brian T.**
Eagle Scout
Boston, Massachusetts

OEFELEIN, William A.
First Class Scout
Anchorage, Alaska

OLIVAS, John D.
Webelos Scout
El Paso, Texas

ONIZUKA, Ellison S.*
Eagle Scout
STS 51-C and STS 51-L
Kealakekua, Hawaii

OSWALD, Stephen S.**
Eagle Scout
STS-42, STS-56, and
STS-67
Seattle, Washington

OVERMYER, Robert F.*
First Class Scout
STS-5 and STS 51-B
Lorain, Ohio

PARAZYNSKI, Scott E.
Eagle Scout
STS-66, STS-95, STS-86, and STS-100
Little Rock, Arkansas

PARKER, Robert A. R.**
Second Class Scout
STS-9 and STS-35
New York City, New York

PETTIT, Donald R.
Eagle Scout
STS-113(up)/Exp 6
Silverton, Oregon

PHILLIPS, John L.
Cub Scout
STS-100
Scottsdale, Arizona

POGUE, William R.**
Second Class Scout
Skylab 4
Okemah, Oklahoma

POINDEXTER, Alan G.
Life Scout
Rockville, Massachusetts

POLANSKY, Mark L.
Scout rank unknown
STS-98
Edison, New Jersey

READDY, William F.**
Cub Scout
STS-42, STS-51, and
STS-79
McLean, Virginia

REIGHTLER, Kenneth S. Jr.**
Eagle Scout
STS-48 and STS-60
Patuxent River, Maryland

REILLY, James F.
First Class Scout
STS-89 and STS-104
Mesquite, Texas

RICHARDS, Paul W.**
Tenderfoot Scout
STS-102
Dunmore, Pennsylvania

ROBINSON, Stephen K.
Life Scout
STS-85, STS-95, and STS-114
Sacramento, California

ROMINGER, Kent
Cub Scout
STS-73, STS-80, STS-85, STS-96, and STS-100
Del Norte, Colorado

SCHIRRA, Walter M. Jr.**
First Class Scout
Mercury 8, Gemini 6, and Apollo 7
Hackensack, New Jersey

SCHMITT, Harrison H.**
Tenderfoot Scout
Apollo 17
Santa Rita, New Mexico

SCHWEICKART, Russell L.**
First Class Scout
Apollo 9
Neptune, New Jersey

SCOTT, David R.**
Life Scout
Gemini 8, Apollo 9, and Apollo 15
San Antonio, Texas

SCOTT, Winston E.**
First Class Scout
STS-72 and STS-87
Miami, Florida

SEARFOSS, Richard A.**
Eagle Scout
STS-58, STS-76, and
STS-90
Mount Clemons, Michigan

SEE, Elliot M. Jr.*
Eagle Scout
Dallas, Texas

SELLERS, Piers J.
Wolf (equivalent to Cub Scout)
STS-112
Crowborough, Sussex, United Kingdom

SHEPARD, Alan B. Jr.*
First Class Scout
Mercury 3 and Apollo 14
East Derry, New Hampshire

SHEPHERD, William M.**
Cub Scout
STS-27, STS-41, STS-52, and Exp 2/STS-102(down)
Oak Ridge, Tennessee

SHRIVER, Loren J.**
Second Class Scout
STS 51-C, STS-31, and STS-46
Jefferson, Iowa

SMITH, Steven L.
Tenderfoot Scout
STS-68, STS-82, STS-103, and STS-110
Phoenix, Arizona

SPRING, Sherwood C.**
Life Scout
STS 61-B
Hartford, Connecticut

SPRINGER, Robert C.**
Life Scout
STS-29 and STS-38
St. Louis, Missouri

STAFFORD, Thomas P.**
Star Scout
Gemini 6, Gemini 9, Apollo 10, and Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
Weatherford, Oklahoma

SWIGERT, John L. Jr.*
Second Class Scout
Apollo 13
Denver, Colorado

TANNER, Joseph R.
Eagle Scout
STS-66, STS-82, and
STS-97
Danville, Illinois

THOMAS, Donald A.
Cub Scout
STS-65, STS-70, STS-83, and STS-94
Cleveland, Ohio

THORNTON, William E.**
Second Class Scout
STS-8 and STS 51-B
Faison, North Carolina

THUOT, Pierre J.**
Cub Scout
STS-36, STS-49, and
STS-62
Groton, Connecticut

TRULY, Richard H.**
Eagle Scout
Space shuttle approach and landing tests 2 and 4, STS-2, and STS-8
Fayette, Mississippi

VAN HOFTEN, James, D. A.**
Life Scout
STS 41-C and STS 51-I
Fresno, California

VEACH, Charles Lacy*
First Class Scout
STS-39 and STS-52
Chicago, Illinois

VOSS, James S.**
Scout rank unknown
STS-44, STS-53, STS-69,
STS-101, and STS-102(up)/
Exp 2/STS-105(down)
Cordova, Alabama

WALKER, David M*
Eagle Scout
STS 51-A, STS-30, STS-53, and STS-69
Columbus, Georgia

WHITE, Edward H. II*
Second Class Scout
Gemini 4
San Antonio, Texas

WILLIAMS, Clifton C. Jr.*
Life Scout
Mobile, Alabama

WILLIAMS, Dafydd (David) Rhys
Cub Scout
STS-90
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

WILLIAMS, Donald E.**
Explorer
STS 51-D and STS-34
Lafayette, Indiana

WILLIAMS, Jeffrey N.
Star Scout
STS-101
Superior, Wisconsin

WOLF, David A.
Cub Scout
STS-58, STS-86/Mir, Mir/STS-89, and STS-112
Indianapolis, Indiana

WOODWARD, Neil W. III
Second Class Scout
Chicago, Illinois

WORDEN, Alfred M.**
First Class Scout
Apollo 15
Jackson, Michigan

YOUNG, John W.**
Second Class Scout
Gemini 3, Gemini 10, Apollo 10, Apollo 16,
STS-1, and STS-9
San Francisco, California

* Deceased
** Retired or no longer on active astronaut list