# Discovery Pilot Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-pilot-question/316371>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 10, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-pilot-question/316371 "2005-08-10T00:53:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-pilot-question/316371/1 "2005-08-10T00:53:50Z")

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According to the Nasa website, Jim Kelly was the pilot of \<i\>Discovery\</i\> on the latest space mission.

Could anyone else on this mission have piloted the shuttle if something had happened to Kelly? If not…what would they have done?

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-pilot-question/316371/2 "2005-08-10T01:04:56Z")

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His superior, Mission Commander Eileen Collins, [had piloted the shuttle on a previous mission.](http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/whos_who_level2/collins.html). IIRC, both the Mission Commander and the Pilot are always trained to land the shuttle.

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-pilot-question/316371/3 "2005-08-10T01:10:38Z")

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The Commander/Pilot relationship on the shuttle is similar to the pilot/co-pilot relationship on aircraft although the pilot is the less senior of the two on the shuttle. Both the shuttle Commander and Pilot are trained to operate and land the shuttle.

> **[How do I become an astronaut?](https://science.howstuffworks.com/question534.htm)**
>
> Like a firefighter or a rock star, an astronaut is one of those jobs kids say they want to have when they grow up. If you're still serious, we can tell you what it takes.

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**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-pilot-question/316371/4 "2005-08-10T01:19:58Z")

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> [@Shagnasty](#):
>
> The Commander/Pilot relationship on the shuttle is similar to the pilot/co-pilot relationship on aircraft although the pilot is the less senior of the two on the shuttle. Both the shuttle Commander and Pilot are trained to operate and land the shuttle.
> 
> [How do I become an astronaut? | HowStuffWorks](http://people.howstuffworks.com/question534.htm)

Thank you Shagnasty. I realize that many questions are answerable on the 'net, and I tried searching, but I wouldn’t have found all this on my own.