Space Shuttle Columbia carried Frederick W. Leslie into orbit on 20 October 1995 as a payload specialist. This sixteen-day mission, designated STS-73, focused on scientific research within the Spacelab module, including investigations into fluid physics, combustion science, and biotechnology. Leslie remained in space until the shuttle landed at the Kennedy Space Center on 5 November 1995.
Early Education and Academic Background
Born in Ancón, Panama, on 19 December 1951, Leslie moved to the United States and attended Irving High School in Texas, graduating in 1970. He earned a Bachelor of Science in engineering science from The University of Texas in 1974. His graduate work took place at the University of Oklahoma, where he completed a master's degree in 1977 and a Ph.D. in 1979, both in meteorology with minors in fluid mechanics.
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Following his doctoral studies, Leslie worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Purdue University, investigating fluid vortex dynamics. In 1980, he joined the Universities Space Research Association as a visiting scientist at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Later that year, he began his tenure at NASA as a research scientist. His body of work includes 27 journal papers, 45 conference papers, and nine NASA reports covering fluid dynamics and atmospheric phenomena.
NASA Operational Roles
Leslie's involvement with NASA extended beyond flight research. In 1983, he became a co-investigator for the Geophysical Fluid Flow Cell experiment, which studies spherical rotating convection. By 1987, he was appointed chief of the Fluid Dynamics Branch, managing a team of over twelve scientists. He also served as the mission scientist for STS-47, also known as Spacelab J, coordinating over 40 experiments during the eight-day mission.
Technical Proficiency and Memberships
Beyond his academic credentials, Leslie is an instrument-rated commercial pilot with over 900 flight hours. He has participated in testing as a safety diver and a suited subject within the Marshall Space Flight Center Neutral Buoyancy Simulator to assist with extra-vehicular activity procedures. His professional affiliations include the American Meteorological Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Fluid Dynamics Technical Committee. He is also a member of the United States Parachute Association and holds a world record for a 200-person freefall formation set in October 1992.
Fast facts
- Born: 19 December 1951, Ancón, Panama
- Education: University of Oklahoma (Ph.D., 1979)
- Space Mission: STS-73 (1995)
- Role: Payload Specialist
- Flight Time: 16 days
- Instrument-rated commercial pilot: 900+ hours
- Chief of Fluid Dynamics Branch (1987): NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Questions readers ask
What was the scientific focus of Leslie's 1995 space mission?
The mission aboard Space Shuttle Columbia focused on materials science, biotechnology, combustion science, and fluid physics.
Did Leslie have a role in space missions other than as a payload specialist?
Yes, he served as the mission scientist for the Spacelab J mission, STS-47, coordinating 40 separate experiments.
Achievements
- Recorded as astronaut
