John Howard Casper (born July 9, 1943) is a former American astronaut and retired United States Air Force pilot. Early life and education Although born on July 9, 1943, in Greenville, South Carolina, Casper considers Gainesville, Georgia to be his hometown. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America and achieved its second-highest rank, Life Scout. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Science from the United States Air Force Academy in 1966, and a Master of Science degree in Astronautics from Purdue University in 1967. Military career Before he was an astronaut, Casper was a United States Air Force (USAF) fighter pilot, earning his pilot wings at Reese Air Force Base, Texas. After F-100 Super Sabre training at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, he flew 229 combat missions with the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing in the Vietnam War. Following his tour in Vietnam, Casper flew F-100 and F-4 Phantom aircraft while assigned to the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom. Casper was selected to attend the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and graduated with class 74A. After graduating he became Chief of the F-4 Test Team; he flew initial performance and weapons separation tests for the F-4G Wild Weasel aircraft and avionics tests for F-4E and A-7 Corsair II aircraft. Casper then became operations officer and later commander of the 6513th Test Squadron, where he conducted flight test programs to evaluate and develop tactical aircraft weapons systems. He was then assigned to Headquarters, USAF at the Pentagon and was Deputy Chief of the Special Projects Office, where he developed USAF positions on requirements, operational concepts, policy and force structure for tactical and strategic programs. Colonel Casper has logged over 10,000 flying hours in 52 different aircraft. NASA astronaut Selected by NASA in May 1984, Casper became an astronaut in June 1985. A veteran of four space flights, he has logged over 825 hours in space. He was the pilot on mission STS-36, and spacecraft commander on missions STS-54, STS-62 and STS-77. His technical assignments while assigned to the Astronaut Office included Chief of the Operations Development Branch; lead for improvements to the nosewheel steering, brakes, tires, and development of a landing drag chute; astronaut team leader for the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL); and ascent/entry spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) in the Mission Control Center. Space