Editing James Buchli

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Short description|American astronaut (born 1945)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox astronaut
|name          = James Buchli
|image         = James Buchli.jpg
|caption       = Buchli in 1987
|birth_name    = James Frederick Buchli
|birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1945|6|20}}
|birth_place   = [[New Rockford, North Dakota]], U.S.
|death_date    = 
|death_place   = 
|education     = [[United States Naval Academy]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br>[[University of West Florida]] ([[Master of Science|MS]])
|type          = [[NASA astronaut]]
|rank          = [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]], [[United States Marine Corps|USMC]]
|time          = 20d 10h 25m
|selection     = [[NASA Astronaut Group 8|NASA Group 8 (1978)]]
|mission       = [[STS-51-C]]<br>[[STS-61-A]]<br>[[STS-29]]<br>[[STS-48]]
|insignia      = [[File:Sts-51-c-patch.png|58px]] [[File:STS-61-a-patch.png|58px]] [[File:Sts-29-patch.png|55px]] [[File:Sts-48-patch.png|55px]]
}}

'''James Frederick Buchli''' (born June 20, 1945) is a retired [[United States Marine Corps|United States Marine]] [[United States Naval Aviator|aviator]] and former [[NASA]] [[astronaut]] who flew on four [[Space Shuttle]] missions.

==Early life and education==
Buchli graduated from Fargo Central High School, [[Fargo, North Dakota]], in 1963 and received a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in [[Aeronautical Engineering]] from the [[United States Naval Academy]] in 1967. He also earned a [[Master of Science]] degree in [[Aerospace engineering|Aeronautical Engineering Systems]] from the [[University of West Florida]] in 1975.

Buchli is an associate member of Naval Academy Alumni, [[American Legion]], [[Association of Space Explorers]], and [[American Geophysical Union]].

==Military career==
Buchli received his commission in the [[United States Marine Corps]] following graduation from the [[United States Naval Academy]] at [[Annapolis, Maryland]] in 1967. He graduated from [[The Basic School|Basic Infantry Officer's Course]] and was subsequently sent to the [[South Vietnam|Republic of Vietnam]] for a 1-year tour of duty, where he served as a Platoon Commander with the [[9th Marine Regiment (United States)|9th Marine Regiment]], and then as Executive Officer and Company Commander for B Company, [[3rd Reconnaissance Battalion]]. He returned to the United States in 1969 for [[Naval Flight Officer|naval flight officer]] training at [[Naval Air Station Pensacola]], [[Florida]]. After earning his [[Naval Flight Officer insignia|wings]], he spent the next 2 years assigned to [[VMFA-122]] at [[Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay]], [[Hawaii]], and [[Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni]], Japan. In 1973, he proceeded to duty with [[VMFA-115]] at [[Royal Thai Air Base Nam Phong]] in [[Thailand]], and again MCAS Iwakuni. Upon completing this tour of duty, he again returned to the United States and participated in the Marine Advanced Degree Program at the [[University of West Florida]]. He was assigned subsequently to [[VMFA-312]] at [[Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort]], [[South Carolina]], and in 1977, to the [[U.S. Naval Test Pilot School]] at [[Naval Air Station Patuxent River]], [[Maryland]].

He has logged over 4,200 hours flying time: 4,000 hours in [[jet aircraft]], including combat in the [[F-4 Phantom II]].

==NASA career==
Buchli became a NASA astronaut in August 1979, selected as part of [[NASA Astronaut Group 8|Group 8]]. He was a member of the support crew for [[STS-1]] and [[STS-2]], and On-Orbit [[Flight controller#Spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM)|CAPCOM]] for STS-2. A veteran of four space flights, Buchli has orbited the Earth 319 times, traveling 7.74 million miles in 20 days, 10 hours, 25 minutes, 32 seconds. He served as a [[mission specialist]] on [[STS-51-C]], [[STS-61-A]], [[STS-29]], and [[STS-48]]. From March 1989 till May 1992 he also served as Deputy [[Chief of the Astronaut Office]].

On September 1, 1992, Buchli retired from the Marine Corps and the NASA Astronaut Office to accept a position as manager of space station systems operations and requirements with [[Boeing]] Defense and Space Group, at [[Huntsville, Alabama]]. In April 1993, he was reassigned as Boeing deputy for payload operations, [[Space Station Freedom]] Program. Buchli currently serves as operations and utilization manager for space station, Boeing Defense and Space Group, at [[Houston, Texas]].

===Space flights===
*[[STS-51-C]] flew the [[Space Shuttle Discovery|Space Shuttle ''Discovery'']], and was the first dedicated [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] mission. Launched January 24, 1985, from [[Kennedy Space Center]], STS-51-C performed its mission to deploy a modified [[Inertial Upper Stage]] (IUS) vehicle from the Space Shuttle. Landing occurred on January 27, 1985, after slightly more than three days on orbit, ending a mission lasting 73 hours, 33 minutes, and 27 seconds.
*[[STS-61-A]], launched October 30, 1985, and landing November 6, saw the Space Shuttle [[Space Shuttle Challenger|''Challenger'']] perform a [[West Germany|West German]] D-1 [[Spacelab]] mission. It was the first to carry eight crew members, then the largest crew to fly in space, and the first in which payload activities were controlled from outside the United States. More than 75 scientific experiments were completed in the areas of physiological sciences, materials processing, biology, and navigation, and the mission duration was 168 hours, 44 minutes, and 51 seconds.
*[[STS-29]], flew the ''Discovery'' from March 13, 1989, to March 18, a five-day mission during which the crew deployed a [[Tracking and Data Relay Satellite]], and performed numerous secondary experiments, including a space station "heat pipe" [[radiator]] experiment, two student experiments, a [[protein crystal]] growth experiment, and a [[chromosome]] and [[plant cell]] [[cell division|division]] experiment. In addition, the crew took over 3,000 photographs of the Earth using several types of cameras, including the [[IMAX]] 70&nbsp;mm movie camera, during the 119 hours, 39 minutes, 40 second mission.
*[[STS-48]], from September 12, to September 18, 1991, was a five-day mission during which the crew of the ''Discovery'' deployed the [[Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite]] (UARS) designed to provide scientists with their first complete data set on the upper atmosphere's chemistry, winds, and energy inputs. The crew also conducted numerous secondary experiments ranging from growing protein crystals, to studying how fluids and structures react in weightlessness. Mission duration was 128 hours, 27 minutes; 34 seconds.

==Awards and decorations==
Buchli is a recipient of the [[Defense Superior Service Medal]], [[Legion of Merit]], [[Purple Heart]], [[Defense Meritorious Service Medal]], [[Commendation Medal|Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal]] and [[Vietnam Gallantry Cross]] with silver star. He is a 2019 inductee into the [[United States Astronaut Hall of Fame]]. Buchli was the 49th recipient of the [[Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award]] on July 30, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award {{!}} North Dakota Office of the Governor |url=https://www.governor.nd.gov/theodore-roosevelt-rough-rider-award |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=www.governor.nd.gov |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Commons category}}
{{Portal|Biography|Spaceflight}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/buchli_james_0.pdf| title=Biographical Data: JAMES F. BUCHLI (COLONEL, USMC, RET.) NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER) |access-date=January 10, 2021 | date=December 1993| publisher=NASA }}
*[http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/buchli_james.htm Spacefacts biography of James Buchli]

{{NASA Astronaut Group 8|state=expanded}}
{{U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buchli, James}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War]]
[[Category:American people of Swiss descent]]
[[Category:Aviators from North Dakota]]
[[Category:Engineers from North Dakota]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Military personnel from North Dakota]]
[[Category:People from Eddy County, North Dakota]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Air Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal]]
[[Category:American recipients of the Gallantry Cross (Vietnam)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:Recipients of the NASA Distinguished Service Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the NASA Exceptional Service Medal]]
[[Category:United States Astronaut Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps astronauts]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps colonels]]
[[Category:United States Naval Academy alumni]]
[[Category:United States Naval Flight Officers]]
[[Category:University of West Florida alumni]]
[[Category:Space Shuttle program astronauts]]