Former NASA astronaut returns to West Michigan

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A retired astronaut and veteran of three space shuttle flights will return to his West Michigan roots for two events in April.

Captain David C. Leestma (USN, ret.) a former NASA astronaut who was born in Muskegon and lived in Grand Rapids as a child, will present "Flying in Space: What It's Like and What's Ahead," in the Meijer Theater at the Public Museum of Grand Rapids, 272 Pearl Street N.W., on Wednesday, April 16, at 8 p.m.

Co-sponsored by Grand Valley State University, the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium of the Public Museum, the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association and Roger B. Chaffee Scholarship, this event is free and open to the public, though seating is limited. Leestma will also speak Thursday, April 17th at the annual awards banquet for the Roger B. Chaffee Scholarship, which is by reservation only.

Captain Leestma's experiences while at NASA include serving on three flights as a capsule communicator and completing a three-and-a-half-hour space walk. Following retirement from the astronaut corps, Leestma became an administrator at the Johnson Space Center. Among his many assignments were both Deputy Chief and Acting Chief of the Astronaut Office, Director of the Flight Crew Operations Directorate, and Assistant Program Manager for the Orbital Space Plane.

As Manager of the Advanced Planning Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Leestma now heads a team involved in strategy for development and implementation of this country's most ambitious of all human space programs: return to the moon and an expedition to Mars.

Leestma obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1971, graduating first in his class. He completed a Master of Science Degree from the U. S. Navy Postgraduate School before embarking on a distinguished career in aviation in which he logged over 3,500 hours of flight time. He was named to the astronaut corps in 1980.

To make a reservation to attend the Chaffee Scholarship banquet, 6 p.m. Thursday, April 17th at Boulder Creek Golf Course, call the office of David W. Pequet at 800-237-0930. The $45 cost includes dinner and a contribution to the Roger B. Chaffee Scholarship fund.

For more information about either event, media should contact P. Douglas Kindschi, at 822-4165 or [email protected], or David L. DeBruyn, at 456-3525 or [email protected].