National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058
Biographical Data

Reinhard Furrer (Ph.D.)
Payload Specialist (Deceased)

PERSONAL DATA: Born November 25, 1940, in Worgl, Germany. Single. He was a commercial pilot and held all sailing licences. He enjoyed open water dives and photographic exhibitions. Dr. Furrer died in an airplane accident on September 9, 1995.

EDUCATION: Realgymnasium at Kempten, Allgau. Studied physics at the Universities of Kiel and Berlin. Received a diploma in physics in 1969, and a doctor of philosophy degree in physics in 1972.

PROFESSION: University Teacher, Free University Berlin; and Scientist Astronaut at the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DFVLR).

ORGANIZATIONS: Member of the German Physics Society.

PUBLICATIONS: Published about 50 papers in international journals and international conferences.

EXPERIENCE:

• 1974, Sabbatical at the University of Stuttgart. Research Associate, Free University of Berlin.
• 1979, Assistant professor of Physics
• 1980-1981, Visiting Scientist of the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory, USA.
• 1983, Scientist Astronaut of the German Spacelab Mission "D-1".
• Practical research in the following fields: Atomic physics (highly ionized noble gasses), solid-state physics (single crystals of inorganic and organic materials), chemical physics and photophysics (solid-state photoreactions, photosynthesis), and biophysics (structural analysis of enzymes)
• Applied experimental methods: Optical spectroscopy, laser spectroscopy, HF-spectroscopy, Optically detected magnetic resonances, electron-spin-echoes, and transient electron spin mutations.
• Teaching experience: Lectured in experimental physics and supervised undergraduate and graduate students. Public lecture series "The Arthur Compton Lectures" at the University of Chicago.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: Dr. Furrer flew as a payload specialist on the crew of STS-61A Challenger (October 30 to November 6, 1985). STS-61A was the West German D-1 Spacelab mission. It was the first to carry eight crew members, the largest to fly in space, and was also the first in which payload activities were controlled from outside the United States. More than 75 scientific experiments were completed in the areas of physiological sciences, materials science, biology, and navigation. At mission conclusion Dr. Furrer had traveled 2.5 million miles in 110 Earth orbits and had logged over 168 hours in space.

SEPTEMBER 1995

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