Alan G. Poindexter
A naval aviator turned shuttle commander who delivered Europe's Columbus lab to the ISS, bridging ocean and orbital frontiers.
1961–2012 (age 51)·American test pilot and astronaut·Birthday: November 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alan Poindexter's path to space was carved through the skies over the world's oceans. A second-generation naval aviator, he flew combat missions in the Gulf War before becoming a test pilot, evaluating some of the Navy's most advanced aircraft. Selected by NASA in 1998, he brought a pilot's crisp efficiency to the astronaut corps. His first flight, STS-122 in 2008, was a crucial construction mission to the International Space Station; as pilot, he helped deliver and install the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory, a permanent piece of real estate for science in orbit. He returned to space as commander of STS-131 in 2010, a complex resupply mission that required intricate robotic operations. Poindexter was the steady hand at the controls, a leader who translated his military discipline into the precise ballet of orbital mechanics. His career was a testament to the seamless link between naval service and space exploration.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Alan was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Alan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2012Died at 51
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
Key Achievements
- Commanded the STS-131 Space Shuttle mission, a resupply flight to the International Space Station in 2010.
- Served as pilot on STS-122, delivering the European Columbus laboratory module to the ISS in 2008.
- Logging over 3000 flight hours in more than 30 aircraft types and 668 hours in space.
- Received numerous military awards including the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.
Did You Know?
His father, John Poindexter, was a U.S. Navy admiral and National Security Advisor.
He held a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.
He was a standout swimmer at Georgia Tech, where he earned his undergraduate degree.
The callsign for his STS-131 mission was 'Discovery,' named after the space shuttle he commanded.
“Flying the shuttle is the ultimate test of a naval aviator's skills.”
