John M . Fabian John McCreary Fabian ( born January 28 , 1939 , in Goose Creek , Texas ) is a former NASA Astronaut and Air Force officer who flew two space shuttle missions and on the development of the shuttle ' s robotic arm . He later led the Air Force ' s space operations . NASA experience . Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978 , and became an astronaut in August 1979 . During the following years , he worked extensively on satellite deployment and retrieval activities , including development of the Canadian Remote Manipulator System . A veteran of two space flights , he has logged over 316 hours in space . He served as a mission specialist on STS - 7 ( June 18 - June 24 , 1983 ) and STS - 51G ( June 17 – 24 , 1985 ) . He was scheduled to fly next in May 1986 on STS - 61G , and was also in training for space shuttle life science mission SLS - 1 . Fabian instead left NASA on January 1 , 1986 to become Director of Space , Deputy Chief of Staff , Plans and Operations , Headquarters USAF . Colonel Fabian retired from the USAF in June 1987 and joined Analytic Services Inc ( ANSER ) , a non - profit aerospace public service research institute in Arlington , Virginia , where he retired as President and Chief Executive Officer in 1998 . He currently lives in Port Ludlow , Washington . Fabian continues to serve as an independent consultant and public speaker on the NASA space program and environmental stewardship . Space flight experience . Fabian first flew as a mission specialist on STS - 7 , which launched from Kennedy Space Center , Florida , on June 18 , 1983 . This was the second flight for the Orbiter Challenger and for the first mission with a 5 - person crew . During the mission , the crew deployed satellites for Canada ( ANIK C - 2 ) and Indonesia ( PALAPA B - 1 ) ; operated the Canadian - built Remote Manipulator System ( RMS ) to perform the first deployment and retrieval exercise with the Shuttle Pallet Satellite ( SPAS - 01 ) ; conducted the first formation flying of the Orbiter with a free - flying satellite ( SPAS - 01 ) ; carried and operated the first U . S . / German cooperative materials science payload ( OSTA - 2 ) : and operated the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System ( CFES ) and the Monodisperse Latex Reactor ( MLR ) experiments , in addition to activating seven Getaway Specials , Mission duration was 147 hours before landing at Edwards Air Force Base , California , on June 24 , 1983 . Fabian was the first person to deploy and subsequently retrieve a free - flying satellite . In doing so , he used the Canadian - built robotic arm to release and later recapture the SPAS - 01 satellite . On his second mission , Fabian flew on STS - 51 - G which launched from the Kennedy Space Center , Florida , on June 17 , 1985 , and landed at Edwards Air Force Base , California , on June 24 , 1985 , after completing approximately 170 hours of space flight . This international 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 . Military experience . Fabian , an Air Force ROTC student at Washington State University , was commissioned upon graduation in 1962 . After an assignment at the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright - Patterson Air Force Base , Ohio , he was assigned as an aeronautics engineer in the service engineering division , San Antonio Air Material Area , Kelly Air Force Base , Texas . He then attended flight training at Williams Air Force Base , Arizona , and subsequently spent 5 years as a KC - 135 co - pilot , aircraft commander , and instructor pilot at Wurtsmith Air Force Base , Michigan . He saw action in Southeast Asia , flying 90 combat missions . Following additional graduate work at the University of Washington , he served 4 years on the faculty of the Aeronautics Department at the USAF Academy in Colorado where he was a tenured associate professor . He has logged 4 , 000 hours flying time , including 3 , 400 hours in jet aircraft . Personal data . Born January 28 , 1939 , in Goosecreek , Texas , but considers Pullman , Washington , to be his hometown . He was active in the Boy Scouts of America where he achieved its second highest rank , Life Scout . Recreational interests include politics and environmental advocacy . In 1998 he retired to Port Ludlow , Washington , bordered by Hood Canal and the Olympic Mountains on northwest Washington ' s Olympic Peninsula . In 2002 he helped form the Hood Canal Coalition , an environmental watchdog group opposing a new industrial harbor complex and a gravel mine ' s shipping operation slated to transverse the Hood Canal Bridge . From 2000 to 2011 , he participated in the " Lunch with an Astronaut " and " Astronaut Encounter " programs at Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center . Education . Graduated from Pullman High School , Pullman , Washington , in 1957 ; received a bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Washington State University in 1962 ; a master of science in Aerospace Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1964 ; and a doctorate in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of Washington in 1974 . While at Washington State University he was a member of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity . Member of Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Tau engineering honor societies . WSU Commander of Arnold Air Society 1960 - 61 . Associations . Fellow , American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics ; Fellow , American Astronautical Society ; President , Association of Space Explorers - USA ; Member , International Academy of Astronautics ; Vice President , International Astronautical Federation ; Served 4 terms as International Co - President of the Association of Space Explorers . Trustee , Washington State University Foundation . Trustee , Phi Sigma Kappa Foundation . Served with the Presidential Commission Investigating the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident and the Presidential Commission on Design of the International Space Station . Member of NASA Advisory Committees on the Joint US - Russian Space Shuttle - MIR Program and the International Space Station . Member , Advisory Committee , Georgia Tech Research Institute . Founder of Hood Canal Coalition , a state - wide organization of nearly 4000 members with the support of more than 60 other , independent environmental , political , recreational , tribal , and community groups . The coalition opposes the industrialization of Hood Canal and the development of a harbor complex intended to load strip - mined gravel onto ships the size of aircraft carriers and barges the size of football fields . Major national , state , regional and local elected officials support the work of the coalition . See www . hoodcanalcoalition . org Honors . Air Force Astronaut Wings ; NASA Space Flight Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster ; NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal ; Fédération Aéronautique Internationale - Komarov Diploma ; Defense Superior Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster , Legion of Merit , Defense Meritorious Service Medal , Air Force Meritorious Service Medal ; French Legion of Honor , Saudi Arabian King Abdul Aziz Medal ; Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters ; Air Force Commendation Medal ; Washington State University Sloan Engineering Award ( 1961 ) ; Air Training Command Academic Training Award ( 1966 ) ; Squadron Officer School Commandant ' s Trophy ( 1968 ) ; Squadron Officer School Chief of Staff Award ( 1968 ) ; Washington State University Distinguished Alumnus Award ( 1983 ) ; University of Washington Distinguished Alumnus Award , Aeronautics and Astronautics , ( 1984 ) ; Washington State Service to Humanity Award ( 1983 ) ; Distinguished Alumnus Award ( 1985 ) ; Medallion of Merit ( 1987 ) ; Phi Sigma Kappa ; Leonov Medal ( Association of Space Explorers ) ( 1992 ) ; Magnuson Puget Sound Legacy Award ( People for Puget Sound ) ( 2010 ) . Distinguished Member , Association of Space Explorers ( 2010 ) .