Michael "Rich" Clifford
October 13, 1952 – December 28, 2021STS 53, STS 59, STS 76 #AdAstra pic.twitter.com/1bpLvORKJz
— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) December 28, 2021
Michael "Rich" Clifford
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Michael "Rich" Clifford
October 13, 1952 – December 28, 2021STS 53, STS 59, STS 76 #AdAstra pic.twitter.com/1bpLvORKJz
— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) December 28, 2021
Biologist, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Biologist and Payload integrator, Editor of NASAWatch.com and Astrobiology.com, Lapsed climber, Explorer, Synaesthete, Former Challenger Center board member... More by Keith Cowing
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So sad to hear of Rich’s passing. He was wonderful to work with and just plain chat. Deepest sympathies to his family & friends.
Way back when I was many of the numerous spaceflight instructors at JSC who trained him during his ASCAN classes and, I think, his basic rendezvous training (in some capacity…as OJT, regular, or certifying instructor…can’t remember); I never worked one of his flights, unless it would have been as a temp fill-in on this or that integrated sim for STS-76…can’t remember that, either.
One thing that brings him often to mind (every time I find myself putting some chore off until tomorrow or such for this or that little thing, in fact) was his arrival a few minutes late for a 7AM Single System Trainer one-on-one class…from having just mowed his lawn! Even after adapting to living in the TX heat (coming from a northern clime), I don’t think I’ve EVER gotten out on the lawn that early…and then, even more amazing, just strolling in for another full day at work. I wish I had ever been that efficient and all-tasks-motivated…
Godspeed, Rich, on your continuing exploration to even higher altitudes.
Like Bob, I worked with Rich at JSC and found him friendly and just a regular person. Very fun to talk to and easy to work with. I was his ascent abort instructor on STS-59 and helped him design a customized abort procedure cue card which he flew with. He gave me the card after the flight with a nice note attached. It’s one of my treasured mementos from that time.
Condolences to Rich’s family and friends. I’m sure everyone he knew misses him greatly.