Happy birthday, astronaut James Buchli!

James Buchli, born June 20, 1945 in New Rockford, North Dakota, flew into space four times with NASA's Space Shuttle program.  He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1967 and received a commission in the US Marine Corps.  He served in the Vietnam War as a Platoon Commander with the 9th Marine Regiment, and then for B Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion.  He returned to the US in 1969 and completed his training as a naval flight officer. 

Buchli was chosen as an astronaut in 1979.  His first flight was aboard Discovery (STS-51-C) as mission specialist in January 1985.  The mission was dedicated to the US Department of Defense, and he returned to Earth after just over 3 days in space.

His second mission was aboard Challenger (STS-61-A) as flight engineer in October-November 1985, the last successful mission of the Challenger.  He spent seven days in space.

Buchlil's third mission was aboard Discovery (STS-29) as mission specialist in March 1989 to insert a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) into orbit. He spent almost 5 days in space before returning to Earth.

His fourth and final mission was aboard Discovery (STS-48) as mission specialist in September 1991 to deploy the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS).  He returned to Earth after more than 5 days in space.

Buchli retired from NASA in 1992

Happy birthday, astronaut Anna Lee Fisher!

Anna Lee Fisher, born August 24, 1949 in New York City, went into space aboard Discovery (STS-51-A) as mission specialist in November 1984. She is the first mother to go into space and was married to fellow astronaut Bill Fisher. She operated the Canadarm to successfully capture a satellite.

Fisher was scheduled to fly aboard STS-61-C but after the Challenger disaster, the mission was cancelled.  She spent almost 8 days in space. 

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Bonnie Dunbar!

Bonnie Dunbar, born March 3, 1949 in Sunnyside, Washington, has flown on five space shuttle missions and been to Mir twice.

Her first flight as aboard Challenger (STS-61-A) as mission specialist in October-November 1985. The mission was funded and directed by West Germany.

Her second flight was aboard Columbia (STS-32) as mission specialist in January 1990.  

Her third flight was again aboard Columbia (STS-50) as mission specialist in June-July 1992.  Its primary objective was the US Microgravity Laboratory 1.

Her fourth flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-71) as mission specialist to the space station Mir in June-July 1995.  It was the first Space Shuttle docking to the Russian space station.

Her fifth and final flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-89) as mission specialist to Mir in January 1998.  The mission swapped crew members aboard Mir. 

Steven Nagel, Space Shuttle astronaut, born October 27, 1946

Steven Nagel, born October 27, 1946 in Columbia, Missouri, went into space four times.

His first flight was aboard Discovery (STS-51-G) as mission specialist in June 1985.  It was Shannon Lucid's first flight as well.

His second flight was aboard Challenger (STS-61-A) as pilot in October-November 1985.  It was the last successful flight of Challenger and holds the record for the largest crew - eight - aboard any since spacecraft for the entire mission.

His third mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-37) as commander in April 1991.  The mission included two EVAs, the first since 1985. 

His fourth and final mission was aboard Columbia (STS-55) as commander in April-May 1993.  The mission hosted 88 experiments from 11 different nations.

He was married to fellow astronaut Linda Godwin.  

Nagel passed away in August 2014 from advanced melanoma.

German astronaut Reinhard Furrer born 1940

Reinhard Furrer, born November 25, 1940 in an area of Germany which is now Austria, went into space aboard the space shuttle Challenger (STS-61-A) as a payload specialist in October-November 1985. 

He was killed in a plane crash during an air show in Berlin when the pilot lost control of the plane in 1995.

Happy birthday, German astronaut Ernst Messerschmid!

Ernst Messerschmid, born May 21, 1945 in Reutlingen, Germany, went into space on the shuttle mission directed, sponsored and paid for by West Germany.  It was the last successful mission of Challenger (STS-61-A) and had a non-NASA designation Deutschland-1 (D-1).  Messerschmid joined fellow German astronaut Reinhard Furrer and Dutch astronaut Wubbo Ockels. 

Wubbo Ockels, first Dutch astronaut, born 1946

Wubbo Ockels, born March 28, 1946 in the Netherlands, was the first Dutch citizen in space.  He flew aboard Challenger (STS-61-A) October-November 1985, as a payload specialist.  The mission was funded and directed by West Germany, and carried two Germans Reinhard Furrer and Ernst Messerschmid.

It was Ockels only trip into space.  He passed away from kidney cancer in May 2014.

Henry Hartsfield, Space Shuttle astronaut, born 1933

Henry "Hank" Hartsfield, born November 21, 1933 in Birmingham, Alabama, was a veteran of 3 Space Shuttle flights, including one of the first, STS-4 aboard Columbia.  In June 1982, he and Ken Mattingly made the final test run of the Space Shuttle program, which was the last time only two astronauts were aboard a shuttle.

His second flight was on Discovery (STS-41-D) in August-September 1984 as commander.  Its initial launch date was June 26 but at T-6 seconds before blast off, the launch was aborted.  Its mission was delayed over two months.

His third and final flight was aboard Challenger (STS-61-A) in October-November 1985.  It was the last successful flight of the Challenger.  He was commander of the only space shuttle mission to carry 8 astronauts for the entire mission. 

Hartsfield passed away in July 2014 from complications due to back surgery.

Challenger (STS-61-A) launched 1985, ninth and final flight

Back row (L-R): Steven Nagel, Guy Bluford, Ernst Messerschmid, Wubbo Ockels

Front row (L-R): Reinhard Furrer, Bonnie Dunbar, James Buchli, Henry Hartsfield

Space Shuttle Challenger blasted off October 30, 1985, on what would be its final flight.  It still holds the distinction for having the largest crew (8) on board from launch to landing.  The mission was funded, directed and controlled by West Germany, so the mission is also known as D-1.

Her record-setting crew was: Commander Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr.; Pilot Steven R. Nagel; Mission Specialist 1 Bonnie J. Dunbar; Mission Specialist 2 James F. Buchli; Mission Specialist 3 Guion S. Buford; Payload Specialist 1 Reinhard Furrer; Payload Specialist 2 Ernst Messerschmid; and Payload Specialist Wubbo Ockels (the Netherlands).

Wubbo Ockels, born in Amsterdam, was the first Dutch citizen to go to space.  This was the only mission in space for him and the two German scientists. 

Guy Bluford is the first African-American astronaut to space twice.  He would go into space 2 more times. 

Challenger would be destroyed with her entire crew in January 1986.