Charles Arthur "Art" Bassett
NASA Astronaut
Nationality	American
Status	Died during training
Born	December 30, 1930(1930-12-30) Dayton, Ohio
Died	February 28, 1966 (aged 35) St. Louis, Missouri
Other occupation	Test Pilot
Rank	Captain, United States Air Force
Selection	1963 NASA Group 3
Missions	None

Charles Arthur "Art" Bassett, II (December 30, 1931 – February 28, 1966) was a United States Air Force officer and a NASA astronaut who died during a training flight. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Dayton is a city in southwestern Ohio, United States. It is the County seat and largest city of Montgomery County. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Test pilots are Aviators who fly new and modified Aircraft in specific maneuvers allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated 1957 - Man In Space Soonest Group 1 - USA Neil A Armstrong, Albert S Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program An astronaut or cosmonaut (космона́вт) is a person trained

Personal

Bassett was born in Dayton, Ohio, on December 30, 1931, and died February 28, 1966, in St. Louis, Missouri (see below). Dayton is a city in southwestern Ohio, United States. It is the County seat and largest city of Montgomery County. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee

Education

He was active in the Boy Scouts of America where he achieved its second highest rank, Life Scout. The Boy Scouts of America ( BSA) is the largest youth organization in the United States with over five million After graduating from Berea High School in Berea, Ohio in 1950, he attended Ohio State University from 1950 to 1952, and Texas Technological College, now Texas Tech, from 1958 to 1960. Berea High School is a High school located in Berea Ohio. It was founded in 1882 and the current structure was built in 1929 Berea is a city in Cuyahoga County in the US state of Ohio, and is a suburb of Cleveland. The Ohio State University ( OSU) is a Coeducational public Research university in the state of Ohio. Texas Tech University is a public, coeducational research university in Lubbock Texas. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering with honors from Texas Tech; he had done graduate work at University of Southern California. The University of Southern California (commonly referred to as USC, SC, Southern California, and incorrectly

Organizations

Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Phi Kappa Tau, Eta Kappa Nu, Tau Beta Pi and the Daedalians. Phi Kappa Tau ( ΦΚΤ) is a US national college fraternity History Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity (commonly called Phi Tau Eta Kappa Nu ( ΗΚΝ) is a national electrical and Computer engineering Honor society in the United States founded in October 1904 The Tau Beta Pi Association (commonly Tau Beta Pi, ΤΒΠ, or TBP) is the Engineering Honor society in the United States

USAF career

Bassett was a captain in the United States Air Force. He graduated from the Aerospace Research Pilot School and the Air Force Experimental Pilot School. He served as an experimental test pilot and engineering test pilot in the Fighter Projects Office at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County California in the Antelope He logged over 3,600 hours-flying time, including over 2,900 hours in a jet aircraft. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving

NASA career

Bassett was one of the third group of astronauts named by NASA in October 1963. Astronaut Group 3, was the third group of Astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program In addition to participating in the overall astronaut-training program, he had specific responsibilities pertaining to training and simulators. On November 8, 1965, he was selected as pilot of the upcoming Gemini 9 mission. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Gemini 9A (officially Gemini IX-A) was a 1966 manned spaceflight in NASA 's Gemini program.

Bassett and pilot Elliott See died on February 28, 1966, in the crash of a T-38 trainer jet. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The jet crashed into McDonnell Aircraft Building 101 known as the McDonnell Space Center located 1000 feet from Lambert Field airport in St. Louis, Missouri not long before Gemini 9 flew. Lambert-St Louis International Airport is the primary airport for St Gemini 9A (officially Gemini IX-A) was a 1966 manned spaceflight in NASA 's Gemini program. Building 101 was were the Gemini Space Capsule was built and the astronauts were to train there for two weeks in the simulator. They died within 500 feet of were it was being built. A NASA investigative panel later concluded that pilot error, caused by poor visibility due to bad weather, was the principal cause of the accident. Pilot error (sometimes called cockpit error) is a term used to describe the cause of a crash of an airworthy Aircraft where the pilot is considered to be principally The panel concluded that See was flying too low to the ground during his approach, probably as a result of the poor visibility.

Bassett was survived by his wife and two children. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States, established during the American Civil War

Memorials

Charles Bassett is honored at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Center Space Mirror Memorial, alongside 24 other NASA astronauts who died in pursuit of space exploration. The John F Kennedy Space Center ( KSC) is the NASA Space vehicle launch facility and Launch Control Center ( Spaceport) on The Space Mirror Memorial, also known as the Astronaut Memorial, is a Memorial on the grounds of the John F

Texas Tech University dedicated an Electrical Engineering research laboratory building in Bassett's honor November 1996. In attendance that day, in addition to University administrators and NASA officials, was fellow Texas Tech graduate, NASA Astronaut, and future STS-107 Columbia commander Rick Husband. STS-107 was a Space shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle Columbia, launched January 16, 2003. Space Shuttle Columbia ( NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first spaceworthy Space shuttle in NASA 's Richard Douglas "Rick" Husband ( July 12, 1957 – February 1, 2003) was an Astronaut and the Space shuttle commander

External links

• NASA biography
• Astronauts memorial foundation website
• Spacefacts biography of Charles Bassett
• Arlington National Cemetery headstone picture and bio
• Charles Bassett at Find A Grave