Overview
Donald Herod Peterson (October 22, 1933 – May 27, 2018) was an American astronaut and Air Force officer. He is best known for his participation in the Space Shuttle program, including a mission that carried out one of the program's early extravehicular activities to validate new spacesuit and flight procedures.
Early life and background
Peterson was born in Winona, Mississippi. He pursued technical and military training that prepared him for a career in aerospace. Before joining NASA, he served in the United States Air Force where he developed skills in aviation, engineering, and operations that would later support his work in human spaceflight.
NASA career and spaceflight
Peterson was selected to join the astronaut corps and became associated with the Space Shuttle era. His primary flight assignment was on Space Transportation System mission STS-6 in 1983. During that flight he performed a spacewalk as part of efforts to test and certify the Shuttle's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) and associated tools and procedures used for on-orbit maintenance and assembly.
Contributions and later life
Beyond his single shuttle flight, Peterson contributed to the development of crew procedures and suited operations that informed subsequent Shuttle EVAs. After leaving active flight status he remained involved with aerospace and veteran communities. He died in 2018, and is remembered for his role in transitioning human extravehicular work from earlier programs into the Space Shuttle era.
Notable facts
- Born: October 22, 1933; Died: May 27, 2018.
- Served in the United States Air Force prior to and during his NASA affiliation.
- Flew on Space Shuttle mission STS-6 (1983) and participated in an early Shuttle-era EVA to test the EMU.
Peterson's career illustrates the blend of military aviation experience and engineering practice that characterized many early Shuttle astronauts, and his on-orbit work helped establish practices used in later assembly and maintenance missions.