Don L. Lind
Encyclopedia
Don Leslie Lind is an American
scientist
and a former NASA
astronaut.
. He received a Bachelor of Science degree with high honors in physics
from the University of Utah
in 1953. At the United States Navy
Officer Candidate School
Lind jokingly requested flight training and was unable to change his assignment, but found that he enjoyed flying. As a Naval Aviator
, Lind volunteered to take high-altitude photo emulsions of cosmic rays during flights for the University of California, Berkeley
. This helped him enroll at Berkeley, where Lind researched pion
-nucleon
scattering in the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory and earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Physics in 1964. He performed his post-doctoral study at the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, from 1975 to 1976.
. During that time Lind logged more than 4,500 hours of flight time, 4,000 of which were in a jet aircraft.
as a space physicist. He was involved in experiments to determine the nature and properties of low-energy particles within the Earth's magnetosphere and interplanetary space.
Lind applied for NASA's third group of astronauts but did not have enough flight hours, and was too old for the fourth group. After the age restriction changed, he was among the fifth group, the "Original Nineteen
", selected in April 1966.
Although pilots comprised the Original Nineteen (unlike the fourth and sixth groups, which included only scientists), Deke Slayton
assigned Lind to science-related tasks due to his doctorate. For the Apollo program he helped to develop the tools used on the lunar surface, and was a possible crewman of one of the canceled missions. Lind served as backup pilot for Skylab 3
and Skylab 4
(the second and third manned Skylab missions), was on standby for a rescue mission
planned when malfunctions developed on Skylab 3, and was a possible crewman of Skylab B
. He was also a member of the Astronaut Office's Operations Missions development group, responsible for developing payloads for the early Space Shuttle Orbital Flight Test (OFT) missions, and the Canadarm.
Lind finally flew as a Mission Specialist
on STS-51-B
(April 29 to May 6, 1985), logging over 168 hours in space. He waited longer than any other American for his first spaceflight, 19 years. 16 members of the Original Nineteen, as well as 14 in later astronaut groups, flew in space before Lind.
Lind left NASA in 1986 and for nine years served as a professor of physics and astronomy at Utah State University
.
, the Spacelab
-3 science mission, launched from Kennedy Space Center
, Florida, on April 29, 1985. This was the first operational Spacelab mission. The seven men crew investigated crystal growth, drop dynamics leading to containerless material processing, atmospheric trace gas spectroscopy, solar and planetary atmospheric simulation, cosmic rays, laboratory animals and human medical monitoring.
Lind developed and conducted an experiment to make unique three-dimensional video recordings of the Earth's aurora. After completing 110 orbits of the earth, the Orbiter Challenger landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on May 6, 1985.
, and an Eagle Scout
. He was also awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal
in 1974.
with whom he had seven children. His interests include amateur theatricals, play writing, and painting, and he is also an avid swimmer and skier.
Lind has served as a member of the lay ecclesiastical hierarchy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as a missionary
in the Northeastern United States
before graduating from college, and after STS-51-B spoke in General Conference
about his experience. While in Cache Valley
as a professor at USU, he also served as a bishop
. He has also served in subsequent assignments, including a term as a counselor to the president
of the Portland Oregon Temple
while his wife served as an assistant to the matron, and living in England
for a year in 1998.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and a former NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut.
Education
Lind attended Midvale Elementary School and graduated from Jordan High SchoolJordan High School (Sandy, Utah)
Jordan High School in Sandy, Utah was established in 1907.-1907 - 1914:Jordan High School took root when a student body of just seven students began meeting in the basement of a church in Midvale. The enrollment numbers quickly grew, and soon it was necessary to move the students and faculty into...
. He received a Bachelor of Science degree with high honors in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
from the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
in 1953. At the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Officer Candidate School
Officer Candidate School (U.S. Navy)
The United States Navy's Officer Candidate School, currently located at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, provides training to become a commissioned officer. Attendance is one possible way for civilian college graduates with no military experience to earn a commission as a U.S. Navy officer...
Lind jokingly requested flight training and was unable to change his assignment, but found that he enjoyed flying. As a Naval Aviator
United States Naval Aviator
A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
, Lind volunteered to take high-altitude photo emulsions of cosmic rays during flights for the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. This helped him enroll at Berkeley, where Lind researched pion
Pion
In particle physics, a pion is any of three subatomic particles: , , and . Pions are the lightest mesons and they play an important role in explaining the low-energy properties of the strong nuclear force....
-nucleon
Nucleon
In physics, a nucleon is a collective name for two particles: the neutron and the proton. These are the two constituents of the atomic nucleus. Until the 1960s, the nucleons were thought to be elementary particles...
scattering in the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory and earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Physics in 1964. He performed his post-doctoral study at the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, from 1975 to 1976.
Navy
Lind held the rank of Commander in the Naval Reserve. He received his Wings of Gold in 1957 and served four years on active duty with the Navy at San Diego and later aboard the carrier USS HancockUSS Hancock (CV-19)
USS Hancock was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress and first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
. During that time Lind logged more than 4,500 hours of flight time, 4,000 of which were in a jet aircraft.
NASA career
From 1964, Lind worked at the NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGoddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center is a major NASA space research laboratory established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center. GSFC employs approximately 10,000 civil servants and contractors, and is located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C. in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. GSFC,...
as a space physicist. He was involved in experiments to determine the nature and properties of low-energy particles within the Earth's magnetosphere and interplanetary space.
Lind applied for NASA's third group of astronauts but did not have enough flight hours, and was too old for the fourth group. After the age restriction changed, he was among the fifth group, the "Original Nineteen
Astronaut Group 5
NASA's Astronaut Group 5 selected by NASA in April 1966. Of the six Lunar Module Pilots that walked on the Moon, three came from Group 5. The group as a whole is roughly split between the half who flew to the Moon and the other half who flew Skylab and Shuttle, providing the core of Shuttle...
", selected in April 1966.
Although pilots comprised the Original Nineteen (unlike the fourth and sixth groups, which included only scientists), Deke Slayton
Deke Slayton
Donald Kent Slayton , better known as Deke Slayton, was an American World War II pilot and later, one of the original NASA Mercury Seven astronauts....
assigned Lind to science-related tasks due to his doctorate. For the Apollo program he helped to develop the tools used on the lunar surface, and was a possible crewman of one of the canceled missions. Lind served as backup pilot for Skylab 3
Skylab 3
Skylab 3 was the second manned mission to Skylab. The Skylab 3 mission started July 28, 1973, with the launch of three astronauts on the Saturn IB rocket, and lasted 59 days, 11 hours and 9 minutes...
and Skylab 4
Skylab 4
Skylab 4 was the fourth Skylab mission and placed the third and final crew on board the space station. The mission started November 16, 1973 with the launch of three astronauts on a Saturn IB rocket, and lasted 84 days, 1 hour and 16 minutes...
(the second and third manned Skylab missions), was on standby for a rescue mission
Skylab Rescue
Brand flew in 1975 during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project as command module pilot, later commanding three Space Shuttle missions . Lind would wait another decade before he flew as a mission specialist on STS-51-B in 1985.-External links:* * * * * * *...
planned when malfunctions developed on Skylab 3, and was a possible crewman of Skylab B
Skylab B
Skylab B was a proposed second US space station similar to Skylab that was planned to be launched by NASA for different purposes, mostly involving the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, but was canceled due to lack of funding. Two Skylab modules were built in 1970 by McDonnell Douglas for the Skylab...
. He was also a member of the Astronaut Office's Operations Missions development group, responsible for developing payloads for the early Space Shuttle Orbital Flight Test (OFT) missions, and the Canadarm.
Lind finally flew as a Mission Specialist
Mission Specialist
A Mission Specialist is a position held by certain NASA astronauts during Space Shuttle missions. A Mission Specialist is assigned to a limited field of the mission, such as for medical experiments or technical quests....
on STS-51-B
STS-51-B
STS 51-B was the seventeenth flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the seventh flight of Space Shuttle Challenger. The launch of Challenger on 29 April 1985 was delayed by 2 minutes and 18 seconds, due to a launch processing failure. Challenger was initially rolled out to the pad to launch on...
(April 29 to May 6, 1985), logging over 168 hours in space. He waited longer than any other American for his first spaceflight, 19 years. 16 members of the Original Nineteen, as well as 14 in later astronaut groups, flew in space before Lind.
Lind left NASA in 1986 and for nine years served as a professor of physics and astronomy at Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
.
Spaceflight experience
STS-51-BSTS-51-B
STS 51-B was the seventeenth flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the seventh flight of Space Shuttle Challenger. The launch of Challenger on 29 April 1985 was delayed by 2 minutes and 18 seconds, due to a launch processing failure. Challenger was initially rolled out to the pad to launch on...
, the Spacelab
Spacelab
Spacelab was a reusable laboratory used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory consisted of multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier and other related hardware housed in the Shuttle's cargo bay...
-3 science mission, launched from Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
, Florida, on April 29, 1985. This was the first operational Spacelab mission. The seven men crew investigated crystal growth, drop dynamics leading to containerless material processing, atmospheric trace gas spectroscopy, solar and planetary atmospheric simulation, cosmic rays, laboratory animals and human medical monitoring.
Lind developed and conducted an experiment to make unique three-dimensional video recordings of the Earth's aurora. After completing 110 orbits of the earth, the Orbiter Challenger landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on May 6, 1985.
Awards and honors
Lind is member of the American Geophysical Union, the American Association for Advancement of Science, Phi Kappa PhiPhi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
, and an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
. He was also awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal
NASA Exceptional Service Medal
The NASA Exceptional Service Medal is an award granted to U.S. government employees for significant sustained performance characterized by unusual initiative or creative ability that clearly demonstrates substantial improvement in engineering, aeronautics, space flight, administration, support, or...
in 1974.
Personal life
Lind married Kathleen Maughan of Logan, UtahLogan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
with whom he had seven children. His interests include amateur theatricals, play writing, and painting, and he is also an avid swimmer and skier.
Lind has served as a member of the lay ecclesiastical hierarchy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as a missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in the Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
before graduating from college, and after STS-51-B spoke in General Conference
General Conference (LDS Church)
General Conference is a semiannual world conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held in April and October, where members gather in a series of two-hour sessions to listen to instruction from Church leaders...
about his experience. While in Cache Valley
Cache Valley
The Cache Valley is an agricultural valley of northern Utah and southeast Idaho that includes the Logan metropolitan area. The valley was used by 19th century mountain men and was the site of the 1863 Bear River Massacre.-History:...
as a professor at USU, he also served as a bishop
Bishop (Mormonism)
Bishop is the highest priesthood office of the Aaronic priesthood in the Latter Day Saint movement. A bishop is usually the leader of a local congregation of church members. The Latter Day Saint concept of the office differs significantly from the role of bishops in other Christian denominations,...
. He has also served in subsequent assignments, including a term as a counselor to the president
Temple President
Temple president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A temple president's primary responsibility is to supervise the affairs of an LDS temple in both an administrative and spiritual capacity....
of the Portland Oregon Temple
Portland Oregon Temple
The Portland Oregon Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located on near the intersection of Highway 217 and I-5 in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The temple's architecture features six white spires and a white marble exterior accented with green marble trim and topped...
while his wife served as an assistant to the matron, and living in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for a year in 1998.
External links
Sources:- http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/lind-dl.html
- http://www.physics.usu.edu/fachtmnj/dll.htm
- http://www.astronautix.com/astros/lind.htm
- Don Lind's speech to Utah School Children
- Spacefacts biography of Don L. Lind