Don L. Lind
- STS 51 -B ( 1985)
Don Leslie Lind ( born May 18, 1930 in Midvale, Utah, United States) is a former American astronaut.
Lind studied after the completion of high school physics and obtained in 1953 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City the bachelor's degree. The following year he joined the U.S. Navy and completed three years of military service. From 1957 to 1964 he worked as a researcher in Berkeley ( California). In 1964 he received from the University of California doctoral degrees in nuclear physics. Until 1966 he worked in Greenbelt (Maryland) at the Goddard Space Flight Center of NASA as a space physicist.
Astronauts activity
After Lind astronaut was in Houston, where he first worked in the Astronaut Office at the Johnson Space Center. 1975/76 he worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. In 1985 he took part in his first and only space flight part (STS -51 -B). After his astronaut career, he was from 1986 to 1995 professor of physics at Utah State University in Logan.
Reserve crew for Skylab
His first division to a space flight Lind received in January 1972 when he was nominated along with Commander Vance Brand and science astronaut William Lenoir for the backup crew of Skylab 3 and Skylab 4.
During the second Skylab mission Skylab 3 occurred in two of four control engine systems ( quads ) of the Apollo spacecraft problems. Although the spacecraft was fully controllable even with two quads, but there was a risk that the two were related defects and the remaining two quads failed, what would make a return to Earth impossible. Under normal circumstances, the mission would have been aborted. But because there was the possibility of a rescue flight, the problem could be analyzed in peace. At the same time the preparation of the rescue flights was in full swing. The work on the launch pad, rocket and spaceship ran from August 3, 1973 around the clock. For a start on 9 September would have been possible. As a crew for this rescue flight were commander and pilot Lind fire ready because these were the backup crew for Skylab 3 together with the science astronauts Lenoir. It was found that the two problems of the control engines were independent of each other, and the other two quad systems were not affected. As of August 13, 1973, then worked at the normal tempo, so that a start yet on September 25 would be possible. As of September 10, 1973, the spacecraft was kept in a state which would have made a start within the next nine days. With the splashdown of Skylab 3 on September 25, the launch date was put back to 10 November 1973. The problem was solved, the rescue crew was not used.
STS -51- B
On April 29, 1985 started the mission from the Kennedy Space Center. Lind was a mission specialist and assisted with the other six team members Spacelab. It biological, geo -and liquid physical and materials science experiments were performed. In addition, the scientific satellite NUSAT was suspended. The planned suspension of military satellites GLOMR could not be performed. On May 6, the landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California took place.
At the time of the launch Lind was 54 years old and after his missionary companions William Thornton until then second oldest spaceman. In addition, he was the oldest known Space newbie, but this record was surpassed in the same year by Karl Henize.
Private
Lind is married and has seven children.