Mark Hess
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                  April 10, 1991
(Phone:  202/453-8536)

Barbara Schwartz
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone:  713/483-5111)


RELEASE:  91-52

ASTRONAUT GARDNER TO HEAD USAF TEST PILOT SCHOOL


	Col. Guy S. Gardner has been named Commandant of the USAF 
Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.  He will leave 
the astronaut corps in June 1991 to assume his new position, which 
is a part of the Air Force Systems Command.

	"We are happy that Guy has this outstanding opportunity.  
Although we'll miss his expertise here, we will look forward to 
working with him in his new assignment," said David Leestma, 
Deputy Director of Flight Crew Operations. 

	Gardner was pilot on two Space Shuttle missions:  STS-27, a 
Department of Defense flight aboard Atlantis on Dec. 2-6, 1988; and 
STS-35, which launched the ASTRO-1 astronomy laboratory aboard 
Columbia on Dec. 2-10, 1990.  He has worked at  Johnson Space 
Center, Houston, since his selection in May 1980.

	After graduating from the Test Pilot School in 1975, Gardner 
served as a test pilot with the 6512th Test Squadron and as an 
instructor test pilot at the Edwards facility.

                                            - end -