William E. Thornton
William Edgar Thornton was an American physician, engineer, inventor, and NASA astronaut. Selected as a scientist-astronaut in 1967, he became one of NASA's major figures in space medicine and crew health research.
- Born
- April 14, 1929
- Died
- January 11, 2021
- Birthplace
- Faison, British Empire,United States
Flights
2
Spacewalks
0
EVA time
N/A
In space
13 days, 1 hour, 16 minutes
Bio
Thornton trained in physics and medicine before joining NASA. His work centered on human physiology in space, crew exercise, instrumentation, and the practical medical problems that appear during longer missions.
He first flew on STS-8 in 1983, a shuttle mission that included medical and physiological research along with satellite deployment. He returned to orbit on STS-51-B in 1985, a Spacelab mission carrying a broad research program.
Thornton helped NASA understand how crews adapt physically to microgravity and how to monitor them in orbit. His equipment and medical research influenced later long-duration mission planning.
After flight status, Thornton continued medical research and engineering work. His career sits at the center of shuttle-era space medicine.