Paul J. Weitz
Paul Joseph Weitz was an American naval officer, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, and later NASA manager. He was selected in NASA Astronaut Group 5 in 1966 and flew during both the Skylab and Space Shuttle eras.
- Born
- July 25, 1932
- Died
- October 22, 2017
- Birthplace
- Erie, Pennsylvania,United States
Flights
2
Spacewalks
1
EVA time
1 hour, 36 minutes
In space
33 days, 1 hour, 13 minutes
Bio
Weitz came to NASA from the United States Navy, where he trained as a naval aviator and test pilot. His engineering background and carrier aviation experience fit the Apollo-era astronaut corps, but his first flight assignment came with Skylab.
On Skylab 2, Weitz served as Pilot with Pete Conrad and Joseph Kerwin. The crew entered a damaged station, helped deploy a sunshade, inspected the workshop, and restored enough electrical and thermal capability for Skylab to become a working orbital laboratory.
A decade later, Weitz commanded STS-6, the first flight of Space Shuttle Challenger. That mission deployed the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite and included the first Space Shuttle , helping move the shuttle from early testing into operational use.
After flight status, Weitz held senior NASA management posts, including Deputy Director of the Johnson Space Center. His career bridges the improvised repair culture of Skylab and the early operational Shuttle program.