Donald E . Williams Captain Donald Edward Williams ( born February 13 , 1942 ) is a retired United States Navy officer and a former NASA astronaut . He has logged a total of 287 hours and 35 minutes in space . Williams was born in 1942 in Lafayette , Indiana and raised in the nearby town of Green Hill . He graduated from Otterbein High School in Otterbein , Indiana in 1960 . Williams then went on to earn a bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in 1964 . Organizations . Society of Experimental Test Pilots , the Association of Space Explorers , and the National Aeronautic Association . Experience . Williams received his commission through the Naval ROTC program at Purdue University . He completed flight training at Pensacola , Florida , Meridian , Mississippi and Kingsville , Texas , receiving his aviator wings in May 1966 . After A - 4 Skyhawk training , he made two Vietnam War deployments aboard the with Attack Squadron 113 ( VA - 113 ) . He served as a flight instructor in Attack Squadron 125 ( VA - 125 ) at Naval Air Station Lemoore , California for 2 years and transitioned to the A - 7 Corsair II aircraft . He made two additional Vietnam deployments aboard the " Enterprise " with Carrier Air Wing 14 staff and Attack Squadron 97 ( VA - 97 ) . Williams completed a total of 330 combat missions . In 1973 , Williams attended the Armed Forces Staff College . He graduated from the U . S . Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River , Maryland , in June 1974 , and was assigned to the Naval Air Test Center ' s Carrier Suitability Branch of Flight Test Division . From August 1976 to June 1977 , following reorganization of the Naval Air Test Center , he was head of the Carrier Systems Branch , Strike Aircraft Test Directorate . He reported next for A - 7 refresher training , and was assigned to Attack Squadron 94 ( VA - 94 ) when he was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA . He has logged more than 6 , 000 hours flying time , which includes 5 , 700 hours in jets and 745 carrier landings . NASA Experience . Selected by NASA in January 1978 , Williams became an astronaut in August 1979 , qualified for assignment as a pilot on future Space Shuttle flight crews . Since then he has had various support assignments , including working at the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory ( SAIL ) as a test pilot , and at the Kennedy Space Center participating in Orbiter test , checkout , launch and landing operations . From September 1982 through July 1983 , he was assigned as the Deputy Manager , Operations Integration , National Space Transportation System Program Office at the Johnson Space Center . From July 1985 through August 1986 , Williams was the Deputy Chief of the Aircraft Operations Division at the Johnson Space Center , and from September 1986 through December 1988 , he served as Chief of the Mission Support Branch within the Astronaut Office . Williams served as pilot on STS - 51 - D in 1985 , and was the spacecraft commander on STS - 34 in 1989 . In March 1990 , Williams retired from the U . S . Navy and left NASA . He is currently a Division Manager with Science Applications International Corporation ( SAIC ) , working on several projects in the Houston area , nationally , and internationally . Space Flight Experience . STS - 51 - D ( April 12 – 19 , 1985 ) was launched from and returned to land at the Kennedy Space Center , Florida . During the mission , the crew deployed ANIK - C for Telesat Canada , and Syncom IV - 3 for the U . S . Navy . A malfunction in the Syncom spacecraft resulted in the first unscheduled EVA , rendezvous and proximity operations for the Space Shuttle in an attempt to activate the satellite . Additionally , the crew also conducted several medical experiments , two student experiments , activated two Getaway Special s , and filmed experiments with toys in space . The mission was accomplished in 109 orbits of the Earth in 167 hours , 54 minutes . STS - 34 ( October 18 – 23 , 1989 ) was launched from Kennedy Space Center , Florida and returned to land at Edwards Air Force Base , California . During the mission the crew successfully deployed the Galileo spacecraft , starting its journey to explore Jupiter , operated the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Instrument ( SSBUV ) to map atmospheric ozone , and performed numerous secondary experiments involving radiation measurements , polymer morphology , lightning research , microgravity effects on plants , and a student experiment on ice crystal growth in space . The mission was accomplished in 79 orbits of the Earth in 119 hours , 41 minutes .