Donald Williams

A veteran of two space shuttle missions, Donald Williams logged a total of 287 hours, 35 minutes in space. 

Donald Williams NASA Bio

Learn More

In 1985, Williams served as pilot of STS-51D aboard space shuttle Discovery. During the mission, the crew (which included payload specialist Charles Walker, another Boilermaker astronaut) deployed communications satellites for the U.S. Navy and Telesat of Canada. A malfunction in the Navy satellite prompted crewmates S. David Griggs and Jeffrey Hoffman to conduct the first unscheduled spacewalk in an attempt to repair the satellite. 

In 1989, Williams served as commander of space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-34 mission, where the crew (including Boilermaker astronaut Michael McCulley) successfully deployed the Galileo spacecraft, setting it on its journey to explore Jupiter and its moons. When it arrived at Jupiter six years later, Galileo became the first spacecraft to orbit an outer planet. 

NASA selected Williams for astronaut training in 1978 as part of the first class of astronauts to fly the space shuttle. He previously served as an aviator and test pilot in the U.S. Navy, logging a total of 330 combat missions, 745 carrier landings and more than 6,000 hours of flying time. 

Williams received his commission through the Navy ROTC program at Purdue. He deployed twice to Vietnam aboard the USS Enterprise with Attack Squadron 113 as an A-4 pilot. He later served as a flight instructor in Attack Squadron 125 and transitioned to the A-7 Corsair II, which he flew during two additional Vietnam deployments with Carrier Air Wing 14 and Attack Squadron 97. He retired from the Navy in 1990 with the rank of captain and as the recipient of numerous awards, including the Legion of Merit and Distinguished Flying Cross