Donald Edward Williams (1942–2016) was an American naval officer, aviator, test pilot, mechanical engineer, and NASA astronaut. He flew two Space Shuttle missions, contributing significantly to spaceflight operations.
Born in Lafayette, Indiana, Williams earned a mechanical engineering degree from Purdue University in 1964. He joined the U.S. Navy, earning his aviator wings in 1966. During the Vietnam War, he flew 330 combat missions, logging over 6,000 flight hours. Later, he became a test pilot and instructor, refining carrier-based aircraft operations.
Selected as a NASA astronaut in 1978, Williams piloted STS-51-D aboard Discovery in 1985, deploying satellites and conducting experiments. In 1989, he commanded STS-34 aboard Atlantis, overseeing the Galileo spacecraft’s deployment to Jupiter. Across both missions, he spent nearly 12 days in space.
After retiring from NASA in 1990, he worked in aerospace and defense, contributing to national space programs. His expertise in flight operations and spacecraft deployment had a lasting impact on space exploration.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Donald E. Williams
For those who have seen the earth from space, and for the hundreds and perhaps thousands more who will, the experience most certainly changes your perspective. The things that we share in our world are far more valuable than those which divide us.
—Donald E. Williams
Topics: Vision, Illusion
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