David Leestma

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David Leestma
NASA astronaut
RankCaptain, USN
Time in space
22d 4d 32m
SelectionNASA Group 9 (1980)
Total EVAs
1
Total EVA time
3h 29m
MissionsSTS-41-G
STS-28
STS-45
Mission insignia

David Cornell Leestma (born May 6, 1949) is a former American astronaut and retired Captain in the United States Navy.

Personal data

Born May 6, 1949, in Muskegon, Michigan. He and his wife have six children. He enjoys golfing, tennis, aviation, and fishing.

Education

Graduated from

Aeronautical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1971, and a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School
in 1972.

Organizations

Associate Fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA); Life Member, Association of Naval Aviation.

Special honors

The

Battle "E" Award (VF-32), the Rear Admiral Thurston James Award (1973), the NASA Space Flight Medal (1984, 1989, 1992), the NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1985, 1988, 1991, 1992), and the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal (1993, 1994). He was awarded the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive Award in 1998 and again in 2004.[1]

Experience

Leestma joined the

F-14A Tomcat and then transferred to VF-32 in June 1974 and was stationed at Virginia Beach, Virginia. Leestma made three overseas deployments to the Mediterranean/North Atlantic areas while flying aboard the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy. In 1977, he was reassigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Four (VX-4) at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California
. As an operational test director with the F-14A, he conducted the first operational testing of new tactical software for the F-14 and completed the follow-on test and evaluation of new F-14A avionics, including the programmable signal processor. He also served as fleet model manager for the F-14A tactical manual.

He has logged over 3,500 hours of flight time, including nearly 1,500 hours in the F-14A. Leestma retired from the Navy as a captain.[3]

NASA experience

He was selected by

T-38A transition to the T-38N avionics upgrades. In September 1998, Leestma was reassigned as the deputy director, Engineering, in charge of the management of Johnson Space Center Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) Projects. In August 2001 he was assigned as the JSC Project Manager for the Space Launch Initiative, responsible for all JSC work related to the development of the new launch system. Leestma is currently serving as the Assistant Program Manager for the Orbital Space Plane Program, responsible for the vehicle systems and operations of the new crewed vehicle that is to serve as the transfer vehicle for space flight crews to and from the International Space Station
.

A veteran of three space flights, Leestma has logged a total of 532.7 hours in space. He was a mission specialist on STS-41-G (October 5–13, 1984), STS-28 (August 8–13, 1989), and STS-45 (March 24 to April 2, 1992).[4][5]

Space flight experience

Remote Manipulator System (RMS), operated the OSTA-3 payload (including the SIR-B radar, FILE, and MAPS experiments) and the Large Format Camera (LFC), conducted a satellite refueling demonstration using hydrazine fuel with the Orbital Refueling System (ORS), and conducted numerous in-cabin experiments as well as activating eight "Getaway Special" canisters. Dave Leestma and Kathryn Sullivan successfully conducted a 3½ hour extravehicular activity (EVA) to demonstrate the feasibility of actual satellite refueling.[6]

STS-28 Columbia, launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 8, 1989. The mission carried Department of Defense payloads and a number of secondary payloads. After 80 orbits of the Earth, this five-day mission concluded with a lakebed landing on Runway 17 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on August 13, 1989.

STS-45 Atlantis, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on March 24, 1992. During the nine-day mission, the crew operated the twelve experiments that constituted the ATLAS-1 (Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science) cargo. ATLAS-1 obtained a vast array of detailed measurements of atmospheric, chemical and physical properties, which will contribute significantly to improving our understanding of our climate and atmosphere. STS-45 landed on April 2, 1992, on Runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, after completing 142 orbits of the Earth.[7]

References

  1. ^ Walker, Finch. "Three veteran astronauts to be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on Saturday". Florida Today. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Testimonials". SeaCadetsDC. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  3. ^ "Three Space Explorers Inducted into Astronaut Hall of Fame at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex - Space Coast Daily". spacecoastdaily.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  4. ^ "Three Former NASA Astronauts Inducted Into U.S. Astronaut Hall Of Fame". RTTNews. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  5. ^ "Three Space Explorers Inducted into Astronaut Hall of Fame at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex - Space Coast Daily". spacecoastdaily.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  6. ^ "America's First Spacewalking Woman: Kathryn D. Sullivan". airandspace.si.edu. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  7. ^ "Three Space Explorers Inducted into Astronaut Hall of Fame at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex - Space Coast Daily". spacecoastdaily.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
. "DAVID C. LEESTMA (CAPTAIN, U.S. NAVY, RET.) NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)" (PDF). NASA. May 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2021.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Leestma&oldid=1214608369"