Editing Jim Wetherbee (section)

==NASA career==
Wetherbee was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1984, and became an astronaut in June 1985. He piloted his first mission<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 2025 |title=Beyond Gravity |url=https://www.battingthebreeze.com/jim-wetherbee-beyond-gravity/ |website=Batting the Breeze}}</ref> [[STS-32]] in 1990 and commanded missions [[STS-52]] (1992), [[STS-63]] (1995),<ref name="mir-transcript">{{cite web |last1=Wright |first1=Rebecca |title=Transcript - James D. Wetherbee |url=https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/oral_histories/Shuttle-Mir/WetherbeeJD/WetherbeeJD_8-6-98.htm |website=JSC History Portal |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427111825/https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/oral_histories/Shuttle-Mir/WetherbeeJD/WetherbeeJD_8-6-98.htm |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |date=August 6, 1998 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[STS-86]] (1997),<ref name="mir-transcript" /> [[STS-102]] (2001), and [[STS-113]] (2002). The final three missions were dockings with [[Mir]] and the [[International Space Station]]; STS-113 was the last [[Space Shuttle]] mission before the [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|''Columbia'' disaster]].<ref name="nsfendeavour">{{cite web |last1=Gebhardt |first1=Chris |title=Remembering Endeavour: A final journey to the California Science Center |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/10/remembering-endeavour-final-journey-california-center/ |website=[[NASASpaceFlight.com]] |access-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427121301/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/10/remembering-endeavour-final-journey-california-center/ |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |date=October 12, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Wetherbee served as deputy director of the [[Johnson Space Center]] (August 1995 to April 2000), Director of the Flight Crew Operations Directorate (April 2000 – 2002), and Technical Assistant to the Director of JSC's Safety & Mission Assurance Directorate (April 2003 to June 2004).<ref name="JSCBio" />

===Spaceflight experience===
[[STS-32]]: [[Space Shuttle Columbia|''Columbia'']] (January 9–20, 1990) included the successful deployment of the [[Syncom#Syncom IV (Leasat)|Syncom]] IV-F5 satellite, and retrieval of the 21,400-pound [[Long Duration Exposure Facility]] (LDEF) using the [[Remote Manipulator System]] (RMS). The crew also operated a variety of middeck experiments and conducted numerous medical test objectives, including in-flight aerobic exercise and muscle performance to evaluate human adaptation to extended duration missions. Mission duration was 173 [[Geocentric orbit|orbits]] in 261 hours and 01 minute.<ref name="sts32safety">{{cite web |author1=Office of Safety and Mission Quality, Safety Division |title=Mission Safety Evaluation Report for STS-32, Postflight Edition |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19920014000/downloads/19920014000.pdf |website=NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427113218/https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19920014000/downloads/19920014000.pdf |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |location=Washington, DC |date=July 20, 1990 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[STS-52]]: ''Columbia'' (October 22 to November 1, 1992) successfully deployed the [[Laser Geodynamic Satellite]] (LAGEOS), a joint Italian-American project. The crew also operated the first U.S. Microgravity Payload (USMP) with French and American experiments, and successfully completed the initial flight tests of the Canadian-built Space Vision System (SVS). Mission duration was 236 hours and 56 minutes.<ref name="missionrep-sts52">{{cite web |author1=Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center |author1-link=Johnson Space Center |title=STS-52 Space Shuttle mission report |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19930016804/downloads/19930016804.pdf |website=NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427113602/https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19930016804/downloads/19930016804.pdf |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |location=Houston, Texas |date=December 1992 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[STS-63]]: [[Space Shuttle Discovery|''Discovery'']] (February 2–11, 1995) was the first joint flight of the new Russian-American Space Program. Mission highlights included the [[Orbital rendezvous|rendezvous]] with the Russian Space Station, [[Mir]], operation of [[Spacehab]], and the deployment and retrieval of Spartan 204. The mission was accomplished in 129 orbits in 198 hours and 29 minutes.<ref name="missionrep-sts63">{{cite web |author1=Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center |author1-link=Johnson Space Center |title=STS-63 Space Shuttle mission report |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19960001496/downloads/19960001496.pdf |website=NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427113942/https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19960001496/downloads/19960001496.pdf |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |location=Houston, Texas |date=June 1995 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[STS-86]]: [[Space Shuttle Atlantis|''Atlantis'']] (September 25 to October 6, 1997) was the seventh mission to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station Mir. Highlights included the delivery of a Mir attitude control computer, the exchange of U.S. crew members [[Mike Foale]] and [[David Wolf (astronaut)|David Wolf]], a [[Extravehicular activity|spacewalk]] by [[Scott Parazynski]] and [[Vladimir Georgiyevich Titov|Vladimir Titov]] to retrieve four experiments first deployed on Mir during the [[STS-76]] docking mission, the transfer to Mir of 10,400 pounds of science and logistics, and the return of experiment hardware and results to Earth. Mission duration was 169 orbits in 259 hours and 21 minutes.<ref name="sts-summary">{{cite web |last1=Legler |first1=Robert D. |last2=Bennett |first2=Floyd V. |title=Space Shuttle Missions Summary |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20110001406/downloads/20110001406.pdf |website=NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427114154/https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20110001406/downloads/20110001406.pdf |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |location=Houston, Texas |pages=123–124 |date=September 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|123–124}}

[[STS-102]]: ''Discovery'' (March 8–21, 2001) was the eighth Space Shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station. The mission accomplishments included the delivery of the [[Expedition 2]] crew and the contents of the ''Leonardo'' [[Multi-Purpose Logistics Module]], the completion of two successful spacewalks, the return to [[Earth (planet)|Earth]] of the [[Expedition 1]] crew, as well as the return of Leonardo, the reusable cargo carrier built by the [[Italian Space Agency]]. Mission duration was 307 hours and 49 minutes.<ref name="sts-summary" />{{rp|152–153}}

[[STS-113]]: [[Space Shuttle Endeavour|''Endeavour'']] (November 23 to December 7, 2002) was the sixteenth Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station. The launch occurred on November 23, 2002, to deliver the [[Integrated Truss Structure|P1 Truss]] segment, which provides structural support for the Space Station radiators. ''Endeavour'' also delivered a new [[Expedition 6]] crew to the Station, returning to Earth on December 7, 2002, with the [[Expedition 5]] crew ending their 6-month stay in [[outer space|space]]. The total mission duration was 13 days, 18 hours and 47 minutes.<ref name="sts-summary" />{{rp|172–174}}