Richard Alan "Rick" Searfoss (June 5, 1956 – September 29, 2018) was an American aviator who was United States Air Force colonel, NASA astronaut and test pilot.

From 1981 to 1984, he flew the F-111F operationally at RAF Lakenheath, England, followed by a tour at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, where he was an F-111A instructor pilot and weapons officer until 1987.

Additionally, he served as the Astronaut Office representative for both flight crew procedures and Shuttle computer software development.

He also served as the Astronaut Office Vehicle System and Operations Branch Chief, leading a team of several astronauts and support engineers working on Space Shuttle and International Space Station systems development, rendezvous and landing/rollout operations, and advanced projects initiatives.

The crew performed neurovestibular, cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, metabolic, and musculoskeletal medical experiments on themselves and 48 rats, expanding our knowledge of human and animal physiology both on earth and in space flight.

Searfoss flew his second mission as pilot of STS-76 aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which launched at night on March 22, 1996.

In support of a joint U.S./Russian program, the crew transported to Mir nearly two tons of water, food, supplies, and scientific equipment, as well as U.S. Astronaut Shannon Lucid to begin her six-month stay in space.

For the year and a half immediately prior to his death, he was a T-38 instructor pilot at Edwards Air Force Base.

After leaving NASA, Searfoss served as a judge for the Ansari X-Prize, where he officially declared SpaceShipOne to have won the competition on October 4, 2004, after completing two flights within a two-week period.

[citation needed] In January 2017, Searfoss was a featured guest on the first Star Trek Cruise, where he gave a presentation with actor Robert Picardo about the history and future of space flight.