John
Elmer Blaha (born August 26,
1942, in San Antonio, Texas) is a
retired United States Air Force colonel and a former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of five space missions aboard
the Space Shuttle and Mir.
Blaha is married to the former Brenda I. Walters of St. Louis, Missouri. They
have three grown children and five grandchildren. Blaha graduated from Granby High School in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1960; received a bachelor of science in engineering science from
the United States Air Force
Academy in 1965; and received a master of science in astronautical engineering from Purdue University in 1966. Blaha received his pilot wings at Williams Air Force Base,
Arizona, in 1967. He was subsequently assigned as an operational pilot
flying F-4, F-102, F-106, and A-37 aircraft (completing 361 combat missions in Vietnam). He attended the USAF
Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base,
California, in 1971, and piloted the NF-104 research aircraft to 104,400 feet. Following
graduation, he served as an F-104 instructor pilot at the test pilot school, teaching
low lift-to-drag approach, zoom, performance, stability/control, and spin
flight test techniques. In 1973, he was assigned as a test pilot working with the Royal Air Force at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down, United Kingdom. During a three-year tour, he
flew stability/control, performance, spin, and weapons delivery flight tests in
the SEPECAT Jaguar, Blackburn Buccaneer, BAE Hawk, and BAC Jet Provost aircraft. In 1976, he attended the U.S.
Air Force Air Command and Staff
College. After graduation, he was assigned to work for the Assistant
Chief of Staff, Studies and Analyses, at Headquarters USAF in the Pentagon. During this tour, he presented F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon study
results to Department
of Defense, State Department,
and Congressional staffs. Selected as an astronaut in May 1980, Blaha has
logged 161 days in space on five space missions. He served as pilot on STS-33 and STS-29, was spacecraft Commander on STS-58 and STS-43, served on Mir 22
as Board Engineer 2, and was a Mission Specialist on STS-79 and STS-81. In addition to flying five space missions, Blaha has
served as the Chairman, NASA Space Flight Safety Panel; Weather Manager,
Mission Management Team; lead spacecraft communicator; member, NASA Space
Shuttle Improvement Panel. Blaha also led the design, development, and
integration of the Orbiter Head Up Display system. Additionally, he led the
development of contingency abort procedures which significantly improve crew
survivability in the event of multiple main engine failures during ascent. He
has logged more than 7,000 hours of flying time in 34 different aircraft, and
has written numerous technical articles on spacecraft performance and control. John
Blaha retired from NASA in September 1997 to return to his hometown of San
Antonio, Texas, where he joined the executive management team of the United
Services Automobile Association.