James Donald Halsell Jr.
James Donald Halsell Jr. is an American retired Air Force officer, test pilot, and former NASA astronaut. Selected with NASA Astronaut Group 13 in 1990, he flew five shuttle missions across Spacelab, Shuttle-Mir, microgravity research, and ISS assembly support.
- Born
- September 29, 1956
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- West Monroe, Louisiana,United States
Flights
5
Spacewalks
0
EVA time
N/A
In space
52 days, 10 hours, 34 minutes
Bio
Halsell graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and built an Air Force career around fighter and test-pilot work. His shuttle career began in the pilot seat before moving into command assignments.
He piloted STS-65 and STS-74, the latter a Shuttle-Mir docking mission that delivered the docking module to Mir. He commanded STS-83, its reflight STS-94 after an early landing, and STS-101, an International logistics and maintenance mission.
His later public record includes a 2016 automobile crash that led to criminal convictions, which is part of his biography but separate from the operational record of his NASA missions.
Halsell's flight record is useful for showing shuttle program continuity: Spacelab science, Shuttle-Mir docking work, a cut-short mission and reflight, and early ISS assembly operations.