Jack R. Lousma
A Marine pilot who lived and worked in the sky, commanding both America's first space station and an early Space Shuttle mission.
Born 1936 (age 90)·American astronaut and politician·Birthday: February 29·The Silent Generation
Biography
Jack Lousma's path to space was carved through the disciplined ranks of the Marine Corps, where he became a naval aviator. Selected by NASA in 1966, his first flight was a marathon: 59 days aboard the Skylab space station in 1973 as part of the Skylab-3 crew. This mission was a grueling test of human endurance and scientific grit, requiring the crew to repair the damaged station and conduct a vast array of experiments. Nearly a decade later, Lousma returned to orbit as the commander of STS-3, the third Space Shuttle mission, which served as a crucial engineering test flight for the new vehicle. His career embodies the transition from the daring, long-duration expeditions of the 1970s to the reusable shuttle era.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Jack was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jack Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Jack's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
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
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Age 90 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as pilot for the Skylab-3 mission in 1973, spending 59 days living and working on America's first space station.
- Commanded the Space Shuttle Columbia on the STS-3 mission in 1982, a critical test flight for the shuttle program.
- Inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1997 for his contributions to spaceflight.
Did You Know?
He is the last surviving crew member from both of his historic spaceflights, Skylab-3 and STS-3.
During the Skylab mission, he and his crewmate performed a historic, unplanned spacewalk to deploy a sunshield.
After NASA, he ran for the U.S. Senate in Michigan in 1984 as a Republican candidate but was not elected.
“From orbit, the Earth has no borders, just a thin blue line of atmosphere.”
