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STS-36 Commander John O.
Creighton, wearing United States (U.S.) Ski Team baseball
cap and sunglasses, skis on the middeck of Atlantis, Orbiter
Vehicle (OV) 104. He became the self-proclaimed "world's
fastest skier" with this workout. While some may question
his right to that claim (based on the 17,500 mph clip the
Shuttle flies in Earth orbit), few would take issue with the
ingenuity involved in fashioning the make-shift ski paraphernalia.
Creighton and four other astronauts spent four days, 10 hours
and 19 minutes aboard the spacecraft for the Department of
Defense (DOD) devoted mission. |
JOHN O. CREIGHTON (CAPTAIN, USN, RET.)
NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)
PERSONAL DATA: Born April 28, 1943, in Orange, Texas, but
considers Seattle, Washington, to be his hometown. Married to the
former Terry Stanford of Little Rock, Arkansas. Recreational interests
include skiing, tennis and boating. His mother, Mrs. C. Alberta Creighton,
resides in Seattle, Washington. Terry's parents, Helen and Jim Stanford,
reside in Stone Mountain, Arkansas.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Ballard High School, Seattle,
Washington, in 1961; received a bachelor of science degree from the
United States Naval Academy in 1966 and a master of science in Administration
of Science and Technology from George Washington University in 1978.
ORGANIZATIONS: Member of the Society of Experimental Test
Pilots and the Association of Space Explorers.
SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded the Defense Superior Service
Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, 10 air Medals,
the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry,
the NASA Distinguished Service & Leadership Medal, 3 United States
Space Flight Medals, the French Legion of Honor and the Saudi Arabia
King Fahd Medal.
EXPERIENCE: Creighton started flight training following
graduation from Annapolis and received his wings in October, 1967.
He was with VF-154 from July 1968 to May 1970, flying F-4J's and made
two combat deployments to Vietnam aboard the USS RANGER (CVA-61).
From June 1970 to February 1971, he attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot
School at Patuxent River, Maryland, and upon graduation was assigned
as a project test pilot with the Service Test Division at the Naval
Air Station Patuxent River. During this two year tour of duty, he
served as the F-14 engine development project officer. In July 1973,
Creighton commenced a four year assignment with VF-2 and became a
member of the first F-14 operational squadron, completing two deployments
aboard the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) to the Western Pacific. He returned
to the United States in July 1977 and was assigned to the Naval 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
175 combat missions.
NASA EXPERIENCE: 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 the Space 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 the Challenger disaster helping to shape
the plan for resuming safe manned space flight. Starting with STS-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
on STS-51G (June 17-24, 1985), was spacecraft commander on STS-36
(February 28 to March 4, 1990) and STS-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 is currently a Test Pilot
with Boeing Airplane Company.
SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE:
STS-51G Discovery (June 17-24, 1985) was a 7-day mission during which
the crew deployed communications satellites for Mexico (Morelos),
the Arab League (Arabsat), and the United States (AT&T Telstar).
They used the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) to deploy and later
retrieve the SPARTAN satellite which performed 17 hours of x-ray astronomy
experiments while separated from the Space Shuttle. In addition, the
crew activated the Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (ADSF),
six Getaway Specials, participated in biomedical experiments, and
conducted a laser tracking experiment as part of the Strategic Defense
Initiative. Mission duration was 112 earth orbits in 169 hours and
39 minutes. STS-36 Atlantis (February
28 to March 4, 1990) carried Department of Defense payloads and
a number of secondary payloads. Mission duration was 72 earth orbits
in 106 hours, 19 minutes, 43 seconds.
STS-48 Discovery (September 12-18, 1991)
was a 5-day mission during which the crew deployed the Upper 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.
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