A Passionate Life.... By Anne Lenehan /Page 11
Story knew there would be no further spaceflights for him. He grew reminiscent in the days
which followed but could still muster his sense of humour. In his journal he wrote: "I
have been a crash test dummy for 30 years".... "I have 25 million miles, enough frequent
flyer miles for a one-way trip to the sun!!"
Story will forever remain the only astronaut to have flown on all five space shuttles.
As the era of active spaceflight status drew to a close, Story looked to the future and to other
avenues of exploration - to the expression of spaceflight in creative mediums and to the communication
of his experiences through speaking engagements throughout the world. He left NASA in September
1997, having spent 30 years with the space program.
On a more personal note, Story's first marriage ended after 20 years and he remarried during
the 1980s, becoming a father for the sixth time. The 80s were tumultuous times emotionally for
Story, with the death of his mother in 1982 and the tragic and untimely death of one of his
sons in 1989. Through sheer strength of character, Story pressed on through those tragedies
and successfully completed six space shuttle missions. He set various records within the NASA
world, one of the more interesting ones being a world record for the most hours in the T-38
supersonic jet. He was also highly instrumental in the development of NASA's spacewalking equipment
and techniques for the space shuttle era. Many who followed in his footsteps sought ideas and
information, which he willingly gave, as they planned their own spacewalks.
Upon leaving NASA, Story began to share his experiences with audience throughout America and
indeed around the world. He joined Walt Disney Imagineering as a consultant and later Applied
Minds Inc. as a concept artist.
Story calls Florida home, where has created a palm farm and nature reserve on his beautiful
estate. He remarried for the third time and is now the father to seven children.
For Story, life has always been about "the journey." He once wrote in his journal:
"Live in the moment, the past is history, the future is a mystery, the destination is unknown."
Page 1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
9 10
11
