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{{Short description|American astronaut (born 1949)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
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{{update|date=October 2021}}
{{BLP sources|date=October 2021}}
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{{Infobox astronaut
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|birth_name
▲| image =DavidCornellLeestma.jpg
|death_date =
|death_place =
▲| birth_date ={{Birth date and age|1949|5|6}}
|education
▲| birth_place =[[Muskegon, Michigan]], U.S.
|type
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|selection = [[NASA Astronaut Group 9|NASA Group 9 (1980)]]
▲| alma_mater =[[United States Naval Academy|USNA]], B.S. 1971<br>[[Naval Postgraduate School|NPS]], M.S. 1972
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|mission = [[STS-41-G]]<br>[[STS-28]]<br>[[STS-45]]
▲| time =22 days 04 hours 32 minutes
|insignia
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'''David Cornell Leestma''' (born May 6, 1949) is a former American [[astronaut]] and retired [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] in the [[United States Navy]].
==Personal data==
Born May 6, 1949, in [[Muskegon, Michigan]].
==Education==
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==Special honors==
The [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]], [[Legion of Merit]], [[Defense Superior Service Medal]], [[Defense Meritorious Service Medal]], [[Navy Commendation Medal]], [[Navy Achievement Medal]], [[Meritorious Unit Commendation]] (VX-4), [[National Defense Service Medal]], [[Battle "E" Award]] (VF-32), the Rear Admiral Thurston James Award (1973), the [[NASA Space Flight Medal]] (1984, 1989, 1992), the [[NASA Exceptional Service Medal]] (1985, 1988, 1991, 1992), and the [[NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal]] (1993, 1994). He was awarded the [[Presidential Rank Awards|Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive Award]] in 1998 and again in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Finch |title=Three veteran astronauts to be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on Saturday |url=https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/06/09/class-2022-inducted-into-u-s-astronaut-hall-fame-saturday-ksc/7558887001/ |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=Florida Today |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Experience==
Leestma joined the [[United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps|U.S Naval Sea Cadet Corps]] in 8th grade.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Testimonials |url=https://www.seacadetsdc.org/testimonials |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=SeaCadetsDC |language=en}}</ref> Leestma said that "[Sea Cadets] was my first experience with the military service and it appealed to me... [Sea Cadets] was the beginning of this journey with the Navy that has been a lifetime experience."<ref name=":0" /> Leestma graduated first in his class from the [[United States Naval Academy|U.S. Naval Academy]] in 1971. As a [[first lieutenant]] afloat, he was assigned to {{USS|Hepburn|FF-1055|6}} in [[Long Beach, California]], before reporting in January 1972 to the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. He completed [[Naval flight officer|United States Naval Flight Officer training]] and received his [[United States Naval Flight Officer Wings|NFO wings]] in October 1973. He was assigned to [[VF-124]] in [[San Diego, California]], for initial flight training in the [[F-14 Tomcat|F-14A Tomcat]] and then transferred to [[VFA-32|VF-32]] in June 1974 and was stationed at [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]]. Leestma made three overseas deployments to the Mediterranean/North Atlantic areas while flying aboard the [[aircraft carrier]] {{USS|John F. Kennedy|CV-67|6}}. In 1977, he was reassigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Four ([[VX-4]]) at [[Naval Air Station Point Mugu]], [[California]]. As an operational test director with the F-14A, he conducted the first operational testing of new tactical software for the F-14 and completed the follow-on test and evaluation of new F-14A avionics, including the programmable signal processor. He also served as fleet model manager for the F-14A tactical manual.
He has logged over 3,500 hours of flight time, including nearly 1,500 hours in the F-14A. Leestma retired from the Navy as a
===NASA experience===
He was selected by [[NASA]] to become an astronaut in 1980 and was the first member of [[NASA Astronaut Group 9]] to go into space. Following his first flight, Leestma served as a capsule communicator ([[CAPCOM]]) for [[STS-51-C]] through [[STS-61-A]]. He was then assigned as the Chief, Mission Development Branch, responsible for assessing the operational integration requirements of payloads that will fly aboard the [[Space Shuttle]]. From February 1990 to September 1991, when he started training for his third space mission, Leestma served as
A veteran of three space flights, Leestma has logged a total of 532.7 hours in space. He was a mission specialist on STS-41-G (October 5–13, 1984), STS-28 (August 8–13, 1989), and STS-45 (March 24 to April 2, 1992).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Three Former NASA Astronauts Inducted Into U.S. Astronaut Hall Of Fame |url=https://www.rttnews.com/3291424/three-former-nasa-astronauts-inducted-into-u-s-astronaut-hall-of-fame.aspx |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=RTTNews |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Three Space Explorers Inducted into Astronaut Hall of Fame at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex - Space Coast Daily |url=https://spacecoastdaily.com/2022/06/three-space-explorers-inducted-into-astronaut-hall-of-fame-at-nasas-kennedy-space-center-visitor-complex/ |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=spacecoastdaily.com}}</ref>
===Space flight experience===
[[STS-41-G]] [[Space Shuttle Challenger|''Challenger'']], launched from [[Kennedy Space Center]], [[Florida]], on October 5, 1984. It was the sixth flight of the orbiter ''Challenger'' and the thirteenth flight of the Space Shuttle system. The seven-person crew also included two payload specialists: one from Canada, and one Navy [[oceanographer]]. During the mission, the crew deployed the ERBS satellite using the [[Remote Manipulator System]] (RMS), operated the OSTA-3 payload (including the [[Spaceborne Imaging Radar|SIR-B]] radar, FILE, and MAPS experiments) and the Large Format Camera (LFC), conducted a satellite refueling demonstration using [[hydrazine]] fuel with the Orbital Refueling System (ORS), and conducted numerous in-cabin experiments as well as activating eight "Getaway Special" canisters. Dave Leestma and [[Kathryn D. Sullivan|Kathryn Sullivan]] successfully conducted a 3½ hour extravehicular activity (EVA) to demonstrate the feasibility of actual satellite refueling.<ref>{{Cite web |title=America's First Spacewalking Woman: Kathryn D. Sullivan |url=https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/americas-first-spacewalking-woman-kathryn-d-sullivan |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=airandspace.si.edu |date=October 11, 2014 |language=en}}</ref>
[[STS-28]] [[Space Shuttle Columbia|''Columbia'']], launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 8, 1989. The mission carried [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] payloads and a number of secondary payloads. After 80 orbits of the Earth, this five-day mission concluded with a lakebed landing on Runway 17 at [[Edwards Air Force Base]], California, on August 13, 1989.
[[STS-45]] [[Space Shuttle Atlantis|''Atlantis'']], launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on March 24, 1992. During the nine-day mission, the crew operated the twelve experiments that constituted the ATLAS-1 (Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science) cargo. ATLAS-1 obtained a vast array of detailed measurements of atmospheric, chemical and physical properties, which will contribute significantly to improving our understanding of our climate and atmosphere. STS-45 landed on April 2, 1992, on Runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, after completing 142 orbits of the Earth.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Three Space Explorers Inducted into Astronaut Hall of Fame at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex - Space Coast Daily |url=https://spacecoastdaily.com/2022/06/three-space-explorers-inducted-into-astronaut-hall-of-fame-at-nasas-kennedy-space-center-visitor-complex/ |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=spacecoastdaily.com}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{include-NASA}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/leestma_david.pdf |title=DAVID C. LEESTMA (CAPTAIN, U.S. NAVY, RET.) NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER) |publisher=NASA |access-date=April 4, 2021|date=May 2014}}
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{{NASA Astronaut Group 9}}
{{U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2014}}
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[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:United States Navy astronauts]]
[[Category:People from Muskegon, Michigan]]
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[[Category:Space Shuttle program astronauts]]
[[Category:Spacewalkers]]
[[Category:Military personnel from California]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Michigan]]
[[Category:Tustin High School alumni]]
[[Category:United States Astronaut Hall of Fame inductees]]
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