Donald Edward Williams was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, mechanical engineer and NASA astronaut. He logged a total of 287 hours and 35 minutes in space.
Donald E. Williams
STS-51-D was the 16th flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the fourth flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. The launch of STS-51-D from Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, on April 12, 1985, was delayed by 55 minutes, after a boat strayed into the restricted Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) recovery zone. STS-51-D was the third shuttle mission to be extended.
The crew attempt to activate Syncom IV-3 via a "flyswatter" device attached to Discovery's Canadarm
Back row: S. David Griggs, Charles D. Walker, Jake Garn Front row: Karol J. Bobko, Donald E. Williams, Rhea Seddon, Jeffrey A. HoffmanSpace Shuttle program← STS-51-C (15)STS-51-B (17) →
Telesat-I during deployment
Syncom IV-3 during deployment