Thomas David Jones
Thomas David Jones is an American planetary scientist, former Air Force officer, author, and NASA astronaut. He flew four shuttle missions and performed three during the installation of the Destiny laboratory on the ISS.
- Born
- January 22, 1955
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Baltimore, Maryland,United States
Flights
4
Spacewalks
3
EVA time
19 hours, 49 minutes
In space
53 days, 49 minutes
Bio
Jones graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and earned a doctorate in planetary science from the University of Arizona. Before NASA, he worked as a bomber pilot, intelligence officer, and scientist.
He flew STS-59 and STS-68, both Space Radar Laboratory Earth-observation missions, then STS-80 and STS-98. On STS-98, Jones performed three EVAs with Robert Curbeam to install the Destiny laboratory module.
After NASA, Jones became a writer, speaker, consultant, and public advocate for space exploration and planetary defense. His books and public work have helped interpret astronaut experience for broader audiences.