John Blaha at Kennedy Space Center in Nov '08 after a Meet an Astronaut event
Selected as an astronaut in May 1980, Blaha has logged 161 days in space on five space missions.
In addition to flying five space missions, Blaha has served as the chairman, NASA Space Flight Safety Panel; weather manager, Mission Management Team; lead spacecraft communicator; member, NASA Space Shuttle Improvement Panel. Blaha also led the design, development, and integration of the Orbiter Head Up Display system. Additionally, he led the development of contingency abort procedures which significantly improve crew survivability in the event of multiple main engine failures during ascent. He has logged more than 7,000 hours of flying time in 34 different aircraft, and has written numerous technical articles on spacecraft performance and control.
Blaha retired from NASA in September 1997 to return to his hometown of San Antonio, Texas, where he joined the executive management team of the United Services Automobile Association.[3]
STS-29 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission using the Discovery. Launched on March 13, 1989,[4] from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B, its main objective was the deployment of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-D).[5]:2.30–2.31 Blaha served as the pilot of the STS-29 mission, marking his first spaceflight.[4] In this role, Blaha supported the commander during the launch, orbit, and landing procedures. Additionally, he was involved in on-orbit operations.[6]
STS-33 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission involving the Discovery. The shuttle was launched on November 23, 1989, from Launch Complex 39B.[5]:2.35 Blaha was chosen for this mission as a replacement for S. David Griggs, who died in an accident in June 1989. This marked the first crew substitution of its kind since the Apollo 13 mission.[5]:2.35 The Discovery completed its mission objectives and returned to Earth, landing on November 28, 1989, at Edwards Air Force Base on Runway 22.[7]
STS-43 was a shuttle mission aboard the Atlantis. The shuttle launched on August 2, 1991, from Launch Complex 39A.[8] One of the primary objectives of the mission was the deployment of the fifth Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-E.[5]:2.49 Blaha served as the commander, marking his third mission to space[5]:2.49 and his first as commander. In addition to the deployment of TDRS-E,[9] the STS-43 crew conducted various secondary payloads and experiments, which contributed to advancements in a range of scientific fields.[9] The Atlantis successfully concluded its mission by landing on August 11, 1991, at the Shuttle Landing Facility.[8]
STS-58 was a shuttle mission utilizing the Columbia. The shuttle launched on October 18, 1993, from Launch Complex 39B.[10] Blaha served as the commander for this mission, marking his fourth journey to space.[5]:2.69 The mission's emphasis was on biomedical studies under the Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-2) program. This program involved a comprehensive set of experiments to study the physiological effects of prolonged spaceflight.[11] With a duration of 14 days, 0 hours, 12 minutes, and 32 seconds, STS-58 became the longest mission of the Space Shuttle program.[5] The Columbia completed its mission by landing on November 1, 1993, at 15:05:42 UTC at the Edwards Air Force Base, touching down on Runway 22.[10][5]
Mir
Blaha with his wife, Brenda, after his return to Earth from Mir
Blaha was not permitted to vote in the November 1996 election, because his mission on Mir began before ballots were finalized and lasted beyond Election Day.[14] In 1997, Texas amended its election statutes to permit voting from space, as a result of his predicament.[14]
