John Creighton | |
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| Born | John Oliver Creighton (1943-04-28)April 28, 1943 (age 82) Orange, Texas, U.S. |
| Education | United States Naval Academy (BS) George Washington University (MS) |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Captain,USN |
Time in space | 16d 20h 24m |
| Selection | NASA Group 8 (1978) |
| Missions | STS-51-G STS-36 STS-48 |
Mission insignia |    |
John Oliver Creighton (born April 28, 1943), (Capt,USN, Ret.), is a formerNASAastronaut who flew threeSpace Shuttle missions.
Creighton was born on April 28, 1943, inOrange, Texas, but considersSeattle, Washington, to be his hometown. He is married to the former Terry Stanford ofLittle Rock, Arkansas.
He graduated fromBallard High School,Seattle, Washington, in 1961; received aBachelor of Science degree from theUnited States Naval Academy in 1966 and aMaster of Science degree in Administration of Science and Technology fromGeorge Washington University in 1978.
Creighton started flight training following graduation from theUnited States Naval Academy and received hisaviator wings in October 1967. He was with squadronVF-154 from July 1968 to May 1970, flyingF-4J Phantoms and made two combat deployments toVietnam aboard theaircraft carrierUSS Ranger. From June 1970 to February 1971, he attended theU.S. Naval Test Pilot School atNaval Air Station Patuxent River,Maryland, and upon graduation was assigned as a project test pilot with the Service Test Division at NAS Patuxent River. During this two-year tour of duty, he served as theF-14 Tomcat engine development project officer. In July 1973, Creighton commenced a four-year assignment withVF-2 and became a member of the first F-14 operational squadron, completing two deployments aboardUSS Enterprise to theWestern Pacific. He returned to the United States in July 1977 and was assigned to theNaval Air Test Center's Strike Directorate as operations officer and F-14 program manager.
He has logged over 6,000 hours flying time, the majority of it in jet fighters, and has completed 500 carrier landings and 175combat missions.
Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978, Creighton became an astronaut in August 1979. During the following four years, he held a variety of technical assignments in support of theSpace Shuttle Program. Following his first flight, Creighton became the astronaut representative to the Shuttle Program Manager. During the ensuing two years, Creighton participated in all the key decisions following theChallenger disaster helping to shape the plan for resuming safe crewed space flight. Starting withSTS-26, Creighton served as Lead "CAPCOM" for the first four Space Shuttle flights. In March 1989 he was assigned to command STS-36 but continued to serve as Head of the Mission Support Branch in the Astronaut Office until commencing full-time training for his upcoming flight. Following his second flight, Creighton headed up the Operations Development Branch within the Astronaut Office for one year prior to resuming full-time training for his next command. Creighton served as pilot onSTS-51-G (June 17–24, 1985), was spacecraft commander onSTS-36 (February 28 to March 4, 1990) andSTS-48 (September 12–18, 1991), and has logged over 403 hours in space. Captain Creighton left NASA and retired from the Navy in July 1992. He was formerly atest pilot and worked in Aircraft Marketing & Delivery with theBoeing Airplane Company until he retired in 2007.
STS-51-GDiscovery (June 17–24, 1985) was a 7-day mission during which the crew deployed communications satellites forMexico (Morelos), theArab League (Arabsat), and the United States (AT&TTelstar). They used theRemote Manipulator System (RMS) to deploy and later retrieve the SPARTAN satellite which performed 17 hours ofX-ray astronomy experiments while separated from the Space Shuttle. In addition, the crew activated the Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (ADSF), sixGetaway Specials, participated in biomedical experiments, and conducted a laser tracking experiment as part of theStrategic Defense Initiative. Mission duration was 112 Earth orbits in 169 hours and 39 minutes.
STS-36Atlantis (February 28 to March 4, 1990) carriedDepartment of Defense payloads and a number of secondary payloads. Mission duration was 72 Earth orbits in 106 hours, 19 minutes, 43 seconds.
STS-48Discovery (September 12–18, 1991) was a 5-day mission during which the crew deployed theUpper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) which is 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 81 Earth orbits in 128 hours, 27 minutes, 34 seconds.
He unsuccessfully ran as aRepublican candidate for theWashington State Senate in 1997.[1]
He is a member of theSociety of Experimental Test Pilots and theAssociation of Space Explorers.
He was awarded theDefense Superior Service Medal,Legion of Merit,Distinguished Flying Cross, tenAir Medals, theArmed Forces Expeditionary Medal, theVietnam Cross of Gallantry, theNASA Distinguished Service Medal, NASA Leadership Medal, threeNASA Space Flight Medals, the FrenchLegion of Honor and the Saudi Arabia King Fahd Medal.
NASA Astronaut Group 8, "TFNG (Thirty-Five New Guys)", 1978  | |||||||
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