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James F. Buchli (Colonel, USMC, Ret.) is a former 
NASA astronaut who flew on four Space shuttle
missions. 

==Personal Data==
Born June 20, 1945, in New Rockford, North Dakota,
but also considers Fargo, North Dakota, as his
hometown. Married to the former Jean Oliver of
Pensacola, Florida. Two grown children.
Recreational interests include skiing, scuba
diving, hunting, fishing, and racquetball. His
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Buchli, reside in
Fargo, North Dakota. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
James O. Oliver, reside in Pensacola, Florida.

==Education==
Graduated from Fargo Central High School, Fargo,
North Dakota, in 1963; received a bachelor of
science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from
the United States Naval Academy in 1967 and a
master of science degree in Aeronautical
Engineering Systems from the University of West
Florida in 1975.

==Organizations==
Associate member of Naval Academy Alumni, American
Legion, Association of Space Explorers, and
American Geophysical Union.

==Special Honors==
Recipient of the Defense Service Medal, Legion of
Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, four
NASA Space Flight Medals, NASA Exceptional Service
Medal, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Air
Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Purple Heart,
Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation,
Navy Unit Citation, a Meritorious Unit Citation,
and a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with the
Silver Star.

==Experience==
Buchli received his commission in the United
States Marine Corps following graduation from the
United States Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1967.
He graduated from U.S. Marine Corps Basic Infantry
Course and was subsequently sent to the Republic
of Vietnam for a 1-year tour of duty, where he
served as Platoon Commander, 9th Marine Regiment,
and then as Company Commander and Executive
Officer, "B" Company, 3rd Company, 3rd
Reconnaissance Battalion. He returned to the
United States in 1969 for naval flight officer
training at Pensacola, Florida, and spent the next
2 years assigned to Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron
122, at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, and Iwakuni, Japan;
and in 1973, he proceeded to duty with Marine
Fighter/Attack Squadron 115 at Namphong, Thailand,
and Iwakuni, Japan. 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 Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron 312
at the Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, South
Carolina, and in 1977, to the U.S. Test Pilot
School, Patuxent River, Maryland.

He has logged over 4,200 hours flying time --
4,000 hours in jet aircraft.

==NASA Experience==
Buchli became a NASA astronaut in August 1979. He
was a member of the support crew for STS-1 and
STS-2, and On-Orbit 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-51C (24 January-27,
1995), STS-61A (30 October to 6 November, 1985),
STS-29 (13 March-18 March, 1989), and STS-48 (12
September-18 September, 1991). From March 1989
till May 1992 he also served as Deputy Chief of
the Astronaut Office.

On 1 September 1992 Buchli retired from the U.S.
Marine Corps and the NASA Astronaut Office to
accept a position as Manager, Space Station
Systems Operations and Requirements with Boeing
Defense and Space Group, Huntsville, Alabama. In
April 1993, he was reassigned as Boeing Deputy for
Payload Operations, Space Station Freedom Program.
Buchli currently serves as Operations &
Utilization Manager for Space Station, Boeing
Defense and Space Group, Houston, Texas.

==Space Flight Experience==
STS-51-C Discovery (Space Shuttle)|Discovery, was
the first dedicated Department of Defense mission.
Launched 24 January, 1985, from Kennedy Space
Center, Florida, STS-51C performed its DOD mission
which included deployment of a modified Inertial
Upper Stage (IUS) vehicle from the Space Shuttle.
Landing occurred on 27 January 1985, after
slightly more than three days on orbit. Mission
duration was 73 hours, 33 minutes, 27 seconds.

STS-61-A Challenger (Space Shuttle)|Challenger (30
October to 6 November, 1985) was a West German D-1
Spacelab mission, the first to carry eight crew
members, 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. Mission duration was 168
hours, 44 minutes, 51 seconds.

STS-29 Discovery (Space Shuttle)|Discovery (13
March to 18 March, 1989) was a highly successful
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
division experiment. In addition, the crew took
over 3,000 photographs of the earth using several
types of cameras, including the IMAX 70mm movie
camera. Mission duration was 119 hours, 39
minutes, 40 seconds.

STS-48 Discovery (Space Shuttle)|Discovery (12
September to 18 September, 1991) was a five day
mission during which the crew 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.

Sourcehttp://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/buchli
-jf.html