Atlantis (STS-51-J) first launched 1985

STS-51-J crew (L-R): Robert Stewart, David Hilmers, Karol Bobko, William Pailes, Ronald Grabe

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Endeavour was launched on her maiden voyage October 3, 1985.  Its crew consisted of Commander Karol Bobko, Pilot Ronald Grabe, David Hilmers, Robert Stewart, and William Pailes.  The four-day mission carried a payload for the Department of Defense.

The crew returned to Earth October 7.

Discovery (STS-42) launched 1992

STS-42 crew (L-R): Stephen Oswald, Roberta Bondar, Norman Thagard, Ronald Grabe, David Hilmers, Ulf Merbold, William Readdy

STS-42 mission patch

Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-42), launched January 22, 1992, carried seven astronauts into space to study the effects of microgravity on different organisms.  Its crew consisted  of Commander Ronald Grabe, Pilot Stephen Oswald, Norman Thagard, William Readdy, David Hilmers, Roberta Bondar (CSA) and Ulf Merbold (ESA).

Merbold, Germany's first astronaut, made his second flight on STS-42.  Roberta Bondar was Canada's first female astronaut and this was her only space flight.

They landed January 30.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Ronald Grabe!

Ronald John Grabe, born June 13, 1945 in New York City, New York, is a veteran of four space shuttle flights.  In 1969 he was assigned as F-100 pilot in Vietnam where he flew 200 combat missions.

He became an astronaut in 1981 and his first flight into space was aboard the maiden voyage of Atlantis (STS-51-J) as pilot in October 1985.  It was the second shuttle mission dedicated completely to the Department of Defense.

His second flight was back aboard Atlantis (STS-30) as pilot in May 1989. The crew deployed the Magellan probe, to study Venus.

His third flight was as commander aboard Discovery (STS-42) in January 1992.  This mission carried Canada's first female astronaut Roberta Bondar. 

Grabe's last flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-57) as commander June-July 1993. 

He retired from NASA in 1994.

Atlantis (STS-30) launched 1989

STS-30 crew (L-R): Ronald Grabe, David Walker, Norman Thagard, Mary Cleave, Mark Lee

Mission patch

Space shuttle Atlantis (STS-30), launched May 4, 1989, deployed the Magellan space probe to Venus.  Atlantis' crew consisted of Commander David Walker, Pilot Ronald Grabe, Mark Lee, Norman Thagard and Mary Cleave.

The Magellan probe was deployed only 6 hours and 14 minutes after takeoff.  The crew returned home May 8.