James Buchli
Buchli in 1987
Born	James Frederick Buchli (1945-06-20)June 20, 1945 (age 80) New Rockford, North Dakota, U.S.
Education	United States Naval Academy (BS) University of West Florida (MS)
Space career
NASA astronaut
Rank	Colonel,USMC
Time in space	20d 10h 25m
Selection	NASA Group 8 (1978)
Missions	STS-51-C STS-61-A STS-29 STS-48
Mission insignia

James Frederick Buchli (born June 20, 1945) is a retiredUnited States Marineaviator and formerNASAastronaut who flew on fourSpace Shuttle missions.

Buchli graduated from Fargo Central High School,Fargo, North Dakota, in 1963 and received aBachelor of Science degree inAeronautical Engineering from theUnited States Naval Academy in 1967. He also earned aMaster of Science degree inAeronautical Engineering Systems from theUniversity of West Florida in 1975.

Buchli is an associate member of Naval Academy Alumni,American Legion,Association of Space Explorers, andAmerican Geophysical Union.

Buchli received his commission in theUnited States Marine Corps following graduation from theUnited States Naval Academy atAnnapolis, Maryland in 1967. He graduated fromBasic Infantry Officer's Course and was subsequently sent to theRepublic of Vietnam for a 1-year tour of duty, where he served as a Platoon Commander with the9th Marine Regiment, and then as Executive Officer and Company Commander for B Company,3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. He returned to the United States in 1969 fornaval flight officer training atNaval Air Station Pensacola,Florida. After earning hiswings, he spent the next 2 years assigned toVMFA-122 atMarine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay,Hawaii, andMarine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. In 1973, he proceeded to duty withVMFA-115 atRoyal Thai Air Base Nam Phong inThailand, and again MCAS Iwakuni. Upon completing this tour of duty, he again returned to the United States and participated in the Marine Advanced Degree Program at theUniversity of West Florida. He was assigned subsequently toVMFA-312 atMarine Corps Air Station Beaufort,South Carolina, and in 1977, to theU.S. Naval Test Pilot School atNaval Air Station Patuxent River,Maryland.

He has logged over 4,200 hours flying time: 4,000 hours injet aircraft, including combat in theF-4 Phantom II.

Buchli became a NASA astronaut in August 1979, selected as part ofGroup 8. He was a member of the support crew forSTS-1 andSTS-2, and On-OrbitCAPCOM for STS-2. A veteran of four space flights, Buchli has orbited the Earth 319 times, traveling 7.74 million miles in 20 days, 10 hours, 25 minutes, 32 seconds. He served as amission specialist onSTS-51-C,STS-61-A,STS-29, andSTS-48. From March 1989 till May 1992 he also served as DeputyChief of the Astronaut Office.

On September 1, 1992, Buchli retired from the Marine Corps and the NASA Astronaut Office to accept a position as manager of space station systems operations and requirements withBoeing Defense and Space Group, atHuntsville, Alabama. In April 1993, he was reassigned as Boeing deputy for payload operations,Space Station Freedom Program. Buchli currently serves as operations and utilization manager for space station, Boeing Defense and Space Group, atHouston, Texas.

• STS-51-C flew theSpace ShuttleDiscovery, and was the first dedicatedDepartment of Defense mission. Launched January 24, 1985, fromKennedy Space Center, STS-51-C performed its mission to deploy a modifiedInertial Upper Stage (IUS) vehicle from the Space Shuttle. Landing occurred on January 27, 1985, after slightly more than three days on orbit, ending a mission lasting 73 hours, 33 minutes, and 27 seconds.
• STS-61-A, launched October 30, 1985, and landing November 6, saw the Space ShuttleChallenger perform aWest German D-1Spacelab mission. It was the first to carry eight crew members, then the largest crew to fly in space, and the first in which payload activities were controlled from outside the United States. More than 75 scientific experiments were completed in the areas of physiological sciences, materials processing, biology, and navigation, and the mission duration was 168 hours, 44 minutes, and 51 seconds.
• STS-29, flew theDiscovery from March 13, 1989, to March 18, a five-day mission during which the crew deployed aTracking and Data Relay Satellite, and performed numerous secondary experiments, including a space station "heat pipe"radiator experiment, two student experiments, aprotein crystal growth experiment, and achromosome andplant celldivision experiment. In addition, the crew took over 3,000 photographs of the Earth using several types of cameras, including theIMAX 70 mm movie camera, during the 119 hours, 39 minutes, 40 second mission.
• STS-48, from September 12, to September 18, 1991, was a five-day mission during which the crew of theDiscovery deployed theUpper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) designed to provide scientists with their first complete data set on the upper atmosphere's chemistry, winds, and energy inputs. The crew also conducted numerous secondary experiments ranging from growing protein crystals, to studying how fluids and structures react in weightlessness. Mission duration was 128 hours, 27 minutes; 34 seconds.

Buchli is a recipient of theDefense Superior Service Medal,Legion of Merit,Purple Heart,Defense Meritorious Service Medal,Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal andVietnam Gallantry Cross with silver star. He is a 2019 inductee into theUnited States Astronaut Hall of Fame. Buchli was the 49th recipient of theTheodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award on July 30, 2024.^[1]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toJames Buchli.

• "Biographical Data: JAMES F. BUCHLI (COLONEL, USMC, RET.) NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)"(PDF). NASA. December 1993. RetrievedJanuary 10, 2021.
• Spacefacts biography of James Buchli

• 1945 births
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