Bidspirit auction | Astronaut Kevin Kregel signed STS-28

Astronaut Kevin Kregel signed STS-28 commemorative cover PM 8 Aug 1989. Missions STS-70 STS-78 STS-87 STS-99. In April 1990, Kregel was employed by NASA as an aerospace engineer and instructor pilot. Stationed at Ellington Field, Houston, Texas, his primary responsibilities included flying as an instructor pilot in the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) and conducting the initial flight test of the T-38 avionics upgrade aircraft. Selected by NASA in March 1992, Kregel reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1992. He completed one year of training and is qualified for assignment as a pilot on future Space Shuttle flight crews. Additional duties have included: Astronaut Support Personnel team at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida supporting Space Shuttle launches and landings; CAPCOM in Mission Control. A veteran of four space flights, Kregel has logged 52 days, 17 hours, 20 minutes and 5 seconds in space. He was the pilot on STS-70 (July 13-22, 1995) and STS-78 (June 20 to July 7, 1996), and was the spacecraft commander on STS-87 (November 19 to December 5, 1997) and STS-99 (February 11-22, 2000). Kregel was assigned to the Space Launch Initiative Project, Engineering Directorate, Johnson Space Center, until 2003, when he decided to retire from NASA. He went on to become a pilot for Southwest Airlines until retiring on December 7, 2018.