Frederick W. Sturckow

Frederick Wilford "Rick" Sturckow is an engineer, retired United States Marine Corps officer, former NASA astronaut, and commercial spacecraft pilot. Sturckow is a veteran of four Space Shuttle missions and six Virgin Galactic suborbital space flights, earning him record of being launched into space more than any other human, as of November 2025. He flew as a pilot on STS-88 and STS-105 and as a commander on STS-117 and STS-128. All four missions docked with the International Space Station, making Sturckow one of three American astronauts to visit the station four times. Sturckow later was assigned to the Johnson Space Center as a CAPCOM. He left NASA in 2013 to become a pilot for Virgin Galactic.

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1961  Wikimedia, Wikidata
CJ Sturckow; Frederick Wilford Sturckow
astronaut, military officer, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Air Medal, NASA Astronaut Group 15, United States, 

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

• 

  Unity 21 ⓘ
  2021 crewed sub-orbital spaceflight

• 

  Unity 25 ⓘ
  2023 American crewed sub-orbital spaceflight

• 

  STS-88 ⓘ
  human spaceflight

• 

  STS-105 ⓘ
  human spaceflight

• 

  STS-117 ⓘ
  human spaceflight

• 

  STS-128 ⓘ
  human spaceflight

• 

  Galactic 02 ⓘ
  2023 private crewed suborbital spaceflight

• 

  Galactic 04 ⓘ
  suborbital tourist spaceflight

United States, Galactic 02, 

1961-08-11T00:00:00Z

1961-08-11T00:00:00Z

1961 Frederick W. Sturckow

1998-12-04T00:00:00Z

1998-12-04T00:00:00Z

1998 STS-88

2001-08-10T00:00:00Z

2001-08-10T00:00:00Z

2001 STS-105

2007-06-08T00:00:00Z

2007-06-08T00:00:00Z

2007 STS-117

2009-08-29T00:00:00Z

2009-08-29T00:00:00Z

2009 STS-128

2023-08-10T00:00:00Z

2023-08-10T00:00:00Z

2023 Galactic 02

2023-10-06T00:00:00Z

2023-10-06T00:00:00Z

2023 Galactic 04

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Frameless

S128E006313 - STS-128 - Sturckow uses Cycle Ergometer on Middeck (MDDK) during STS-128 - DPLA - 122ceb63ce9c16a0667158e2d8c1a410

NASA Astronaut Group 15

Rick Sturckow

STS-88 preflight breakfast

STS-88 crew

STS-105 crew

STS-105 preflight breakfast

Expedition 3 Crew (15208053698)

STS-117 crew in front of the atlantis on service tower

STS-117 new crew photo

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
event	spaceflight		Unity 21	sub-orbital spaceflight, test flight	Wikidata
event	spaceflight		Unity 25	human spaceflight	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	1998	STS-88	human spaceflight	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2001	STS-105	human spaceflight	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2007	STS-117	human spaceflight	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2009	STS-128	human spaceflight	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2023	Galactic 02	sub-orbital spaceflight	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2023	Galactic 04	spaceflight, tourism, flight	Wikidata
commons	image		S128E006313 - STS-128 - Sturckow uses Cycle Ergometer on Middeck (MDDK) during STS-128 - DPLA - 122ceb63ce9c16a0667158e2d8c1a410		Commons
commons	image		NASA Astronaut Group 15		Commons
commons	image		Rick Sturckow		Commons
commons	image		STS-88 preflight breakfast		Commons
commons	image		STS-88 crew		Commons
commons	image		STS-105 crew		Commons
commons	image		STS-105 preflight breakfast		Commons
commons	image		Expedition 3 Crew (15208053698)		Commons
commons	image		STS-117 crew in front of the atlantis on service tower		Commons
commons	image		STS-117 new crew photo		Commons