MRU 'Rich' Clifford (1952-2021)

[mss]

28.12.2021 w wieku 69 lat zmarł były astronauta NASA Michael Richard Uram 'Rich' Clifford.

Odbył 3 loty w kosmos wahadłowcami o łącznym czasie: 27 dni 18 godzin 25 minut i 08 sekund.

Odbył także jeden spacer kosmiczny w czasie ostatniej misji.

W 1994 roku był zdianozawany chorobą Parkinsona i z powodu powikłań zmarł.

[Orionid]

Rich Clifford, astronaut who secretly flew with Parkinson's, dies at 69

Dec. 28, 2021 — Michael "Rich" Clifford, who as a NASA astronaut flew on three space shuttle missions, including one after his diagnosis with Parkinson's Disease, has died at the age of 69.

Clifford's death on Tuesday (Dec. 28) was confirmed by the Association of Space Explorers (ASE), a professional organization for astronauts and cosmonauts that included Clifford as a life member. He died due to complications from Parkinson's. (...)
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-122821a-nasa-astronaut-rich-clifford-obituary.html

https://www.brainandlife.org/articles/astronaut-rich-cliffords-journey-with-parkinsons-disease
https://parkinsonslife.eu/parkinsons-rich-clifford-astronaut/

[Orionid]

Michael Richard Uram 'Rich' Clifford to 284. człowiek w kosmosie.

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/clifford_michael.pdf

http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/clifford_michael.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/c/clifford.html
https://www.worldspaceflight.com/bios/c/clifford-m.php

https://mek.kosmo.cz/bio/usa/00284.htm
http://www.kozmo-data.sk/kozmonauti/clifford-michael-richard-uram.html
https://www.astronaut.ru/index/in_pers/13_009.htm
https://www.april12.eu/usaastron/clifford284ru.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_R._Clifford

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/news/releases/1996_1998/97-5.html

Orbitalne fotki załóg, których astronauta był członkiem
https://twitter.com/ASE_Astronauts/status/1476054570019266560

https://www.brainandlife.org/articles/astronaut-rich-cliffords-journey-with-parkinsons-disease/
https://whatsnew2day.com/nasa-astronaut-michael-rich-clifford-dies-at-age-69-from-complications-of-parkinsons/
https://daytonews.com/2021/12/29/nasa-astronaut-michael-rich-clifford-dies-at-69-due-to-complications-from-parkinsons/

[Orionid]

No more secrets for this former astronaut
Claudia Feldman April 16, 2014 Updated: April 16, 2014 5:22 p.m.

(...) After the doctor pronounced him good to go, Clifford mentioned that his racquet ball game had been declining throughout the year. He also said his right arm didn't swing normally when he walked. (...)

The fateful physical took place in the fall of 1994 after his second shuttle mission that April. Immediately, Clifford was referred to Dr. Joseph Jankovic, a Houston neurologist.

Cllifford remembers, "He looked at me for about five minutes and said, 'You've got Parkinson's. Now we've got to prove it's not something worse.' "

At that point Clifford barely knew what the neuro-degenerative disease was, but it was clear he wasn't getting good news.

NASA doctors followed Clifford's case closely and asked what he wanted to do about the upcoming mission.

"I want to fly," he told them emphatically.

After months of tests, the physicians cleared him to go.

"As long as you're performing," Clifford explains, "NASA supports you."

He offers several reasons why he didn't share the information more widely - he didn't want to distract from the important mission at hand, and he didn't want all questions at every press conference directed at him. (...)
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/article/No-more-secrets-for-this-former-astronaut-5407168.php#photo-6173794

[Orionid]

The Astronaut's Secret


GaBio Summit Keynote: Lieutenant Colonel Rich Clifford, NASA Astronaut, Parkinson’s Disease Advocate

[Orionid]

Former Astronaut Rich Clifford Dies, Aged 69
by Ben Evans 3 days ago



(...) Following his return from STS-53, in March 1993 Clifford was reassigned as a mission specialist on STS-59, a dual-shift Spacelab flight which launched on 9 April 1994. Designated SRL-1, this was the first Space Radar Laboratory, utilizing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrumentation in shuttle Endeavour’s payload bay to capture imagery of most of the Home Planet. (...)
https://www.americaspace.com/2021/12/29/former-astronaut-rich-clifford-dies-aged-69/

2 14.10.2023
https://twitter.com/ASE_Astronauts/status/1712921419133190608

Today, we remember ASE member Michael "Rich" Clifford on his #birthday. Clifford flew to space three times between 1992 and 1996 (STS-53, STS-59, and STS-76), including as part of a trip to the Mir space station. ✨

[mss]

Association of Space Explorers @ASE_Astronauts
Today, we remember ASE member Michael "Rich" Clifford on his #birthday. Clifford flew to space three times between 1992 and 1996 (STS-53, STS-59, and STS-76), including as part of a trip to the Mir space station. ✨

https://twitter.com/ASE_Astronauts/status/1845547620426555408