Alan G. Poindexter

Astronaut

1961-11-05 – 2012-07-01

Alan G. Poindexter was an American naval officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. He flew on Space Shuttle missions STS-122 and STS-131, commanding the latter. He died in 2012 following a personal watercraft accident.

Quotes by Alan G. Poindexter

I'm really hopeful about the future of space exploration and human spaceflight. Civilization as we know it has been defined by exploration. You know, we need to go off and find out what's around the next corner and what's just beyond what we already know. It's part of our being; it's part of our moral fiber to go off and explore.
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I feel privileged and honored to have flown. It's been a tremendous ride, looking back on the legacy and accomplishments, like the Hubble telescope and the launching of the International Space Station in 1998.
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I flew fighters for the Navy in San Diego for three years, went and did my post-graduate education, and then I was a test pilot in Patuxent River, Maryland, for a few years. I was back in the fleet in the Navy when I was selected to come back here to NASA to become an astronaut.
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