NAME:  Jerry L. Ross (Colonel, USAF)
       NASA Astronaut
 
BIRTHPLACE AND DATE:  Born January 20, 1948, in Crown Point, Indiana.  His
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Ross, reside in Crown Point.
 
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:  Brown hair; green eyes; 5 feet 10 inches; 180 pounds.
 
EDUCATION:  Graduated from Crown Point High School, Crown Point, Indiana, in
1966; received bachelor of science and master of science degrees in Mechanical
Engineering from Purdue University in 1970 and 1972, respectively.
 
MARITAL STATUS:  Married to the former Karen S. Pearson of Sheridan, Indiana.
Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Morris D. Pearson, reside in Sheridan, Indiana.
 
CHILDREN:  Amy J., March 30, 1971; Scott L., April 27, 1972.
 
RECREATIONAL INTERESTS:  He enjoys softball, racquetball, woodworking,
photography, model rocketry, and flying.
 
ORGANIZATIONS:  Member of the Air Force Association, Pi Tau Sigma; and a
lifetime member of the Purdue Alumni Association.
 
SPECIAL HONORS:  Awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Defense
Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with 1 Oak
Leaf Cluster; named a Distinguished Graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School and
recipient of the Outstanding Flight Test Engineer Award, Class 75B; presented
the Air Force Systems Command Technical Achievement and Scientific Achievement
Awards (1974); and named Air Force Aero-Propulsion Laboratory Junior Officer of
the Year in 1974.  Recipient of NASA Space Flight Medal (1985, 1988, and
1991).  Awarded the American Astronautical Society, Victor A. Prather Award
(1985 and 1991).
 
EXPERIENCE:  Ross, an Air Force ROTC student at Purdue University, received his
commission upon graduation in 1970.  After receiving his master's degree from
Purdue in 1972, he entered active duty with the Air Force and was assigned to
the Ramjet Engine Division of Air Force Aero-Propulsion Laboratory at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.  While there, he conducted
computer-aided design studies on ramjet and mixed cycle propulsion systems and
served as the project engineer for captive tests of a supersonic ramjet missile
using a rocket sled track.  He also served as project manager for preliminary
configuration development of the ASALM strategic air-launched missile and, from
June 1974 to July 1975, was Laboratory Executive Officer and Chief of the
Management Operations Office.  Ross graduated from the USAF Test Pilot School's
Flight Test Engineer Course in 1976 and was subsequently assigned to the 6510th
Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, California.  While on assignment to the
6510th's Flight Test Engineering Directorate, he was project engineer on a
limited flying qualities evaluation of the RC-135S aircraft and, as lead B-1
flying qualities flight test engineer, was responsible for the stability and
control and flight control system testing performed on the B-1 aircraft.  He
was also responsible, as chief B-1 flight test engineer, for training and
supervising all Air Force B-1 flight test engineer crew members and for
performing the mission planning for the B-1 offensive avionics test aircraft.
 
Ross has flown in 21 different types of aircraft, holds a private pilot's
license, and has logged nearly 2,100 flying hours -- the majority of it in
military aircraft.
 
NASA EXPERIENCE:  In February 1979, Ross was assigned to the Payload Operations
Division at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center as a payload officer/flight
controller.  In this capacity, he was responsible for the flight operations
integration of payloads into the Space Shuttle.
 
Ross was selected as an astronaut in May 1980.   His technical assignments
since then have included EVA, RMS, and chase team.  He was the support crewman
for STS 41-B, 41-C and 51-A.  He was a CAPCOM during STS 41-B, 41-C, 41-D, 51-A
and 51-D.  He also has served as Chief of the Mission Support Branch, and was a
member of the 1990 Astronaut Selection Board.
 
Ross was a mission specialist on STS 61-B which launched at night from Kennedy
Space Center, Florida, on November 26, 1985.  During the mission the crew
deployed the MORELOS-B, AUSSAT II, and SATCOM Ku-2 communications satellites,
conducted two 6-hour space walks to demonstrate Space Station construction
techniques with the EASE/ACCESS experiments, and operated numerous other
experiments.  After completing 108 orbits of the Earth in 165 hours, STS 61-B
Atlantis landed on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on December
3, 1985.
 
During 1986 and 1987, Ross helped develop the Space Station assembly concepts
and EVA operational design.  He served as a Technical Advisor to the Space
Station Work Package 3 Source Selection Board.  He also was a prime participant
in the development and evaluation of the new, higher pressure, space suits and
gloves.
 
Ross then flew as a mission specialist on the crew of STS-27, on board the
Orbiter Atlantis, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on
December 2, 1988.  The mission carried a Department of Defense payload, as well
as a number of secondary payloads.  After 68 orbits of the earth in 105 hours,
the mission concluded with a dry lakebed landing on Runway 17 at Edwards Air
Force Base, California, on December 6, 1988.
 
Ross again flew as a mission specialist on STS-37 aboard the Orbiter Atlantis.
The mission launched from KSC on April 5, 1991, and deployed the 35,000 Gamma
Ray Observatory.  Ross performed two space walks totaling 10 hours and 49
minutes to manually deploy the stuck Gamma Ray Observatory antenna and to test
prototype Space Station Freedom hardware.  After 93 orbits of the Earth in 144
hours, the mission concluded with a landing on Runway 33, at Edwards Air Force
Base, on April 11, 1991.
 
With the completion of this flight, Ross has logged a total of 414 hours in
space, including over 23 hours on four space walks.
 
CURRENT ASSIGNMENT:  Ross is in training as the payload Commander (Mission
Specialist) on STS-55, Spacelab D-2, currently scheduled for launch in January
1993.
 
JANUARY 1992