John Blaha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | John Elmer Blaha (1942-08-26)August 26, 1942 (age 83) San Antonio,Texas, U.S. |
| Education | United States Air Force Academy (BS) Purdue University (MS) |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Colonel,US Air Force |
Time in space | 161 days, 2 hours and 45 minutes |
| Selection | NASA Group 9 (1980) |
| Missions | |
Mission insignia |        |
John Elmer Blaha (born August 26, 1942, inSan Antonio, Texas) is a retiredUnited States Air Forcecolonel and a formerNASAastronaut. He is a veteran of five space missions aboard theSpace Shuttle andMir.
Blaha is married to the former Brenda I. Walters ofSt. Louis, Missouri. They have three children.[1]
Blaha graduated fromGranby High School inNorfolk, Virginia, in 1960; received aBachelor of Science inengineering science from theUnited States Air Force Academy in 1965; and received aMaster of Science inastronautical engineering fromPurdue University in 1966.[2]
Blaha received hispilot wings atWilliams Air Force Base, Arizona, in 1967. He was subsequently assigned as an operational pilot flyingF-4,F-102,F-106, andA-37 aircraft (completing 361 combat missions inVietnam). He attended theUSAF Aerospace Research Pilot School atEdwards Air Force Base, California, in 1971, and piloted theNF-104 research aircraft to 104,400 feet. Following graduation, he served as anF-104 instructor pilot at the test pilot school, teaching low lift-to-drag approach, zoom, performance, stability/control, and spin flight test techniques. In 1973, he was assigned as atest pilot working with theRoyal Air Force at theAeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment,Boscombe Down, United Kingdom. During a three-year tour, he flew stability/control, performance, spin, and weapons delivery flight tests in theSEPECAT Jaguar,Blackburn Buccaneer,BAE Hawk, andBAC Jet Provost aircraft. In 1976, he attended the U.S. Air ForceAir Command and Staff College. After graduation, he was assigned to work for the Assistant Chief of Staff, Studies and Analyses, at Headquarters USAF in thePentagon. During this tour, he presentedF-15 Eagle andF-16 Fighting Falcon study results toDepartment of Defense,State Department, and Congressional staffs.
Selected as an astronaut in May 1980, Blaha has logged 161 days in space on five space missions.
In addition to flying five space missions, Blaha has served as the chairman, NASA Space Flight Safety Panel; weather manager, Mission Management Team; lead spacecraft communicator; member, NASA Space Shuttle Improvement Panel. Blaha also led the design, development, and integration of the Orbiter Head Up Display system. Additionally, he led the development of contingency abort procedures which significantly improve crew survivability in the event of multiple main engine failures during ascent. He has logged more than 7,000 hours of flying time in 34 different aircraft, and has written numerous technical articles on spacecraft performance and control.
Blaha retired from NASA in September 1997 to return to his hometown of San Antonio, Texas, where he joined the executive management team of theUnited Services Automobile Association.[3]
STS-29 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission using theDiscovery. Launched on March 13, 1989,[4] from the Kennedy Space Center'sLaunch Complex 39B, its main objective was the deployment of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-D).[5]: 2.30–2.31 Blaha served as the pilot of the STS-29 mission, marking his first spaceflight.[4] In this role, Blaha supported the commander during the launch, orbit, and landing procedures. Additionally, he was involved in on-orbit operations.[6]
STS-33 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission involving theDiscovery. The shuttle was launched on November 23, 1989, from Launch Complex 39B.[5]: 2.35 Blaha was chosen for this mission as a replacement forS. David Griggs, who died in an accident in June 1989. This marked the first crew substitution of its kind since the Apollo 13 mission.[5]: 2.35 TheDiscovery completed its mission objectives and returned to Earth, landing on November 28, 1989, at Edwards Air Force Base on Runway 22.[7]
STS-43 was a shuttle mission aboard theAtlantis. The shuttle launched on August 2, 1991, fromLaunch Complex 39A.[8] One of the primary objectives of the mission was the deployment of the fifth Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-E.[5]: 2.49 Blaha served as the commander, marking his third mission to space[5]: 2.49 and his first as commander. In addition to the deployment of TDRS-E,[9] the STS-43 crew conducted various secondary payloads and experiments, which contributed to advancements in a range of scientific fields.[9] TheAtlantis successfully concluded its mission by landing on August 11, 1991, at theShuttle Landing Facility.[8]
STS-58 was a shuttle mission utilizing theColumbia. The shuttle launched on October 18, 1993, fromLaunch Complex 39B.[10] Blaha served as the commander for this mission, marking his fourth journey to space.[5]: 2.69 The mission's emphasis was on biomedical studies under theSpacelab Life Sciences (SLS-2) program. This program involved a comprehensive set of experiments to study the physiological effects of prolonged spaceflight.[11] With a duration of 14 days, 0 hours, 12 minutes, and 32 seconds, STS-58 became the longest mission of the Space Shuttle program.[5] TheColumbia completed its mission by landing on November 1, 1993, at 15:05:42 UTC at the Edwards Air Force Base, touching down on Runway 22.[10][5]
Blaha beganRussian language training in August 1994 at theDefense Language Institute inMonterey, California, and commenced an intensive training program at theGagarin Cosmonaut Training Center,Star City, Russia in January 1995. He launched onSTS-79 on September 16, 1996. After docking he transferred to theMir Space Station. Assigned as a Board Engineer 2, he spent the following 4 months with the Mir 22Cosmonaut crew conductingmaterial science, fluid science, and life science research. Blaha returned to Earth aboardSTS-81 on January 22, 1997.[12][13]
Blaha was not permitted to vote in theNovember 1996 election, because his mission onMir began before ballots were finalized and lasted beyond Election Day.[14] In 1997, Texas amended its election statutes to permit voting from space, as a result of his predicament.[14]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration.
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