James Donald "Wxb" Wetherbee (born November 27, 1952) (

Capt Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

USN The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

, Ret.), is a retired United States Navy officer and

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

, test pilot, aerospace engineer, and NASA

astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

. He is a veteran of six Space Shuttle missions and is the only American to have commanded five spaceflight missions.

Early life and education

Wetherbee was born on November 27, 1952, in Flushing, New York, and raised in Huntington Station, New York. He enjoys tennis, skiing, softball, running, and music. He graduated from

Holy Family Diocesan High School Holy Family Diocesan High School was a college preparatory school located at 275 Wolf Hill Road in South Huntington, New York. It was a Catholic School operated by the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The first year of operation was 1966–67 school ye ...

in South Huntington, New York, in 1970. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in

Aerospace Engineering Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is si ...

from the University of Notre Dame in 1974.

Naval service

Following his graduation from Notre Dame, he received his commission in the United States Navy, in 1975. He was designated a

Naval Aviator Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based a ...

in December 1976. After training in the

A-7E The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV). The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design was ...

, he was assigned to Attack Squadron 72 (VA-72) from August 1977 to November 1980, aboard the

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

, , and logged 125 night carrier landings. After attending the

U.S. Naval Test Pilot School The United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS), located at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River in Patuxent River, Maryland, provides instruction to experienced United States Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and foreign military experi ...

in Patuxent River, Maryland, in 1981, he was assigned to the Systems Engineering Test Directorate. He was a project officer and test pilot for the weapons delivery system and avionics integration for the F/A-18 aircraft. Subsequently, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 132 (VFA-132), he flew operationally in the F/A-18 from January 1984, until his selection for the astronaut candidate program. He has logged over 7,000 hours flying time in 20 different types of aircraft, including 345 carrier landings.

NASA career

Wetherbee was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1984, and became an astronaut in June 1985. He piloted mission

STS-32 STS-32 was the 33rd mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the ninth launch of . Launched on January 9, 1990, it marked the first use of the Launch Complex 39A of Kennedy Space Center at since 1986; it also marked the first use of Mobil ...

in 1990 and commanded missions

STS-52 STS-52 was a ''Space Transportation System'' ( NASA Space Shuttle) mission using Space Shuttle ''Columbia'', and was launched on October 22, 1992. Crew Backup crew Mission highlights Primary mission objectives were deployment of t ...

(1992), STS-63 (1995), STS-86 (1997), STS-102 (2001), and STS-113 (2002). The final three missions were dockings with Mir and the International Space Station; STS-113 was the last Space Shuttle mission before the ''Columbia'' disaster. Wetherbee served as Deputy Director of the

Johnson Space Center The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is NASA's center for human spaceflight (originally named the Manned Spacecraft Center), where human spaceflight training, research, and flight control are conducted. It was renamed in honor of the late U ...

(August 1995 to April 2000), Director of the Flight Crew Operations Directorate (April 2000 – 2002), and Technical Assistant to the Director of JSC's Safety & Mission Assurance Directorate (April 2003 to June 2004).

Spaceflight experience

: ''Columbia'' (January 9–20, 1990) included the successful deployment of the

Syncom Syncom (for "synchronous communication satellite") started as a 1961 NASA program for active geosynchronous communication satellites, all of which were developed and manufactured by the Space and Communications division of Hughes Aircraft Comp ...

IV-F5 satellite, and retrieval of the 21,400-pound Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) using the Remote Manipulator System (RMS). The crew also operated a variety of middeck experiments and conducted numerous medical test objectives, including in-flight aerobic exercise and muscle performance to evaluate human adaptation to extended duration missions. Mission duration was 173 orbits in 261 hours and 01 minute.

: ''Columbia'' (October 22 to November 1, 1992) successfully deployed the Laser Geodynamic Satellite (LAGEOS), a joint Italian-American project. The crew also operated the first U.S. Microgravity Payload (USMP) with French and American experiments, and successfully completed the initial flight tests of the Canadian-built Space Vision System (SVS). Mission duration was 236 hours and 56 minutes. STS-63: ''Discovery'' (February 2–11, 1995), was the first joint flight of the new Russian-American Space Program. Mission highlights included the rendezvous with the Russian Space Station, Mir, operation of Spacehab, and the deployment and retrieval of Spartan 204. The mission was accomplished in 129 orbits in 198 hours and 29 minutes. STS-86: ''Atlantis'' (September 25 to October 6, 1997) was the seventh mission to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station Mir. Highlights included the delivery of a Mir attitude control computer, the exchange of U.S. crew members Mike Foale and David Wolf, a

spacewalk Extravehicular activity (EVA) is any activity done by an astronaut in outer space outside a spacecraft. In the absence of a breathable atmosphere of Earth, Earthlike atmosphere, the astronaut is completely reliant on a space suit for environmen ...

by Scott Parazynski and

Vladimir Titov Vladimir Georgiyevich Titov (russian: Владимир Георгиевич Титов; born 1 January 1947 in Sretensk, Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia) is a retired Russian Air Force Colonel and former cosmonaut. He has participated in four spaceflig ...

to retrieve four experiments first deployed on Mir during the

STS-76 STS-76 was NASA's 76th Space Shuttle mission, and the 16th mission for ''Atlantis''. STS-76 launched on 22 March 1996 at 08:13:04 UTC from Kennedy Space Center, launch pad 39B. STS-76 lasted over 9 days, traveled about while orbiting Ear ...

docking mission, the transfer to Mir of 10,400 pounds of science and logistics, and the return of experiment hardware and results to Earth. Mission duration was 169 orbits in 259 hours and 21 minutes. STS-102: ''Discovery'' (March 8–21, 2001) was the eighth Space Shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station. The mission accomplishments included the delivery of the Expedition 2 crew and the contents of the ''Leonardo'' Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, the completion of two successful spacewalks, the return to Earth of the Expedition 1 crew, as well as the return of Leonardo, the reusable cargo carrier built by the Italian Space Agency. Mission duration was 307 hours and 49 minutes. STS-113: ''Endeavour'' (November 23 to December 7, 2002) was the sixteenth Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station. The launch occurred on November 23, 2002, to deliver the P1 Truss segment, which provides structural support for the Space Station radiators. ''Endeavour'' also delivered a new Expedition 6 crew to the Station, returning to Earth on December 7, 2002, with the Expedition 5 crew ending their 6-month stay in space. The total mission duration was 13 days, 18 hours and 47 minutes.

Post-NASA career

Wetherbee retired from the U.S. Navy in 2003 and left NASA in 2005 to become a consultant. He joined BP in 2006, as a safety auditor, and retired in 2014. He is currently working as a

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...

and as a

consultant A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization. Consulting servic ...

for leaders in hazardous environments.

Personal life

Wetherbee is married to former Robin DeVore Platt of Jacksonville, Florida and has two daughters. He currently resides in Oregon.

Organizations

Lifetime Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots; Honorary Member, Musicians' Union, Local 47,

American Federation of Musicians The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM/AFofM) is a 501(c)(5) labor union representing professional instrumental musicians in the United States and Canada. The AFM, which has its headquarters in New York City, ...

, Los Angeles, California.

Awards and honors

* Distinguished Flying Cross * Navy Achievement Medal * two Meritorious Unit Commendations * six

NASA Space Flight Medal The NASA Space Flight Medal is a decoration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. According to its statutes, it is awarded "for significant achievement or service during individual participation as a civilian or military astronau ...

s * two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals * four

NASA Distinguished Service Medal The NASA Distinguished Service Medal is the highest award that can be bestowed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States. The medal may be presented to any member of the federal government, including both milita ...

s * Lifetime Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots * Honorary Member of the Musicians' Union, Local 47,

, Los Angeles, CA. * Inducted into the Long Island Air and Space Hall of Fame in the Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, NY. * Inducted into the

U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame The United States Astronaut Hall of Fame, located inside the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Heroes & Legends building on Merritt Island, Florida, honors American astronauts and features the world's largest collection of their personal memora ...

Records

* Only American to have commanded five missions in space. * Has landed the Space Shuttle more times than anyone (five). * Was the tallest person to fly in space at 6'4" (1.93 m), until Michael Strahan flew to space onboard Blue Origin NS-19.

References

External links

Wetherbee's official NASA biography

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wetherbee, Jim 1952 births Living people 1990 in spaceflight 1992 in spaceflight 1995 in spaceflight 1997 in spaceflight 2001 in spaceflight 2002 in spaceflight American aerospace engineers American businesspeople American test pilots Aviators from New York (state) BP people Engineers from New York City People from Huntington Station, New York People from Queens, New York Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the NASA Distinguished Service Medal Space Shuttle program astronauts United States Astronaut Hall of Fame inductees United States Naval Aviators United States Naval Test Pilot School alumni United States Navy astronauts United States Navy captains Notre Dame College of Engineering alumni Mir crew members