NAME:  David C. Leestma (Captain, USN)
       NASA Astronaut
 
BIRTHPLACE AND DATE:  Born May 6, 1949, in Muskegon, Michigan.  His parents,
Dr. and Mrs. Harold F. Leestma, reside in San Clemente, California.
 
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:  Blond hair; blue eyes; 5 feet 8 inches; 160 pounds.
 
EDUCATION:  Graduated from Tustin High School, Tustin, California, in 1967;
received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the
United States Naval Academy in 1971 and a master of science degree in
aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1972.
 
MARITAL STATUS:  Married to the former Patti K. Opp of Dallas, Texas.  Her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Opp, reside in Irvine, California.
 
CHILDREN:  Benjamin David, May 3, 1980; Katie JoAnn, October 14, 1981; Emily
Marie, June 9, 1983; Peter Opp, September 18, 1986; Mary Elizabeth, April 24,
1988; Caleb William, December 28, 1989.
 
RECREATIONAL INTERESTS:  He enjoys golfing, tennis, flying, and fishing.
 
ORGANIZATIONS:  Associate Fellow, American Institute of Astronautics and
Aeronautics (AIAA); Life Member, Association of Naval Aviation.
 
SPECIAL HONORS:  The Distinguished Flying Cross, Defense Superior Service
Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit
Commendation (VX-4), National Defense Service Medal, Battle "E" Award (VF-32),
the Rear Admiral Thurston James Award (1973), the NASA Space Flight Medal
(1984, 1989), and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1988).
 
EXPERIENCE:  Leestma was graduated first in his class from the U.S. Naval
Academy in 1971.  As a first lieutenant afloat, he was assigned to USS Hepburn
(DE-1055) in Long Beach, California, before reporting in January 1972 to the
U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.  He completed flight training and received his
wings in October 1973.  He was assigned to VF-124 in San Diego, California, for
initial flight training in the F-14A Tomcat and then transferred to VF-32 in
June 1974 and was stationed at Virginia Beach, Virginia.  Leestma made three
overseas deployments to the Mediterranean/North Atlantic areas while flying
aboard the USS John F. Kennedy.  In 1977, he was reassigned to Air Test and
Evaluation Squadron Four (VX-4) at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California.
As an operational test director with the F-14A, he conducted the first
operational testing of new tactical software for the F-14 and completed the
follow-on test and evaluation of new F-14A avionics, including the programmable
signal processor.  He also served as fleet model manager for the F-14A tactical
manual.
 
He has logged over 3,500 hours of flight time, including nearly 1,500 hours in
the F-14A.
 
NASA EXPERIENCE:  Selected to become an astronaut in 1980, Leestma served as a
mission specialist on STS 41-G, which launched from Kennedy Space Center,
Florida, on October 5, 1984.  It was the sixth flight of the Orbiter Challenger
and the thirteenth flight of the Space Shuttle system.  The seven-person crew
also included two payload specialists:  one from Canada, and one a Navy
oceanographer.  During this mission the crew deployed the ERBS satellite using
the remote manipulator system (RMS), operated the OSTA-3 payload (including the
SIR-B radar, FILE, and MAPS experiments) and the Large Format Camera (LFC),
conducted a satellite refueling demonstration using hydrazine fuel with the
Orbital Refueling System (ORS), and conducted numerous in-cabin experiments as
well as activating eight "Getaway Special" canisters.  Dave Leestma and Kathryn
Sullivan successfully conducted a 3-1/2 hour extravehicular activity (EVA) to
demonstrate the feasibility of actual satellite refueling.  STS 41-G completed
132 orbits of the earth in 197.5 hours before landing at Kennedy Space Center,
Florida, on October 13, 1984.
 
Following his flight Leestma served as a capsule communicator (CAPCOM) for
STS-51C thru STS-61A.  He was then assigned as the Chief, Mission Development
Branch, responsible for assessing the operational integration requirements of
payloads that will fly aboard the Shuttle.  From February 1990 to September
1991, Leestma served as Deputy Director of the Flight Crew Operations
Directorate.
 
As a mission specialist on the crew of STS-28, Leestma and his crew mates
launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 8, 1989, aboard the
Orbiter Columbia.  The mission carried  Department of Defense payloads and a
number of secondary payloads.  After 80 orbits of the earth, this five-day
mission concluded with a lakebed landing on Runway 17 at Edwards Air Force
Base, California, on August 13, 1989.
 
On March 24, 1992, Leestma and his crew mates launched from the Kennedy Space
Center, Florida, aboard the Orbiter Atlantis on a nine-day mission to study
atmospheric and solar phenomena.  The mission carried the ATLAS-1 (Atmospheric
Laboratory for Applications and Science) spacelab aloft, as well as a number of
additional secondary payloads.  STS-45 landed on April 2, 1992 on Runway 33 at
the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, after completing 142 orbits of the Earth.
 
With the completion of his third space flight, Leestma has logged a total of
532.7 hours in space.
 
CURRENT ASSIGNMENT:  Leestma is Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office.
 
JUNE 1992