Jim Wetherbee

Jim Wetherbee leaves me genuinely awed. A Notre Dame graduate, U.S. Navy officer and test pilot turned NASA astronaut, he flew six Space Shuttle missions and is the only American ever to command five spaceflights. Flying to space once is extraordinary; being trusted to lead the crew five separate times speaks to a rare blend of skill, judgment and calm under unimaginable pressure. The Distinguished Flying Cross and Hall of Fame induction feel almost understated for that record. People like Wetherbee carry the responsibility of human lives into the unknown, and I think the rest of us only get to look up because they went first.

Name (English)

Jim Wetherbee

Name (Japanese)

ジェームズ・ウェザービー

Reading

じぇーむず・うぇざーびー

Born

November 27, 1952 (age 73)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Sagittarius / Dragon

Origin

Flushing, New York, United States

Occupation

military officer / astronaut / military flight engineer / businessperson / aircraft pilot

University

University of Notre Dame

Awards & achievements

• Distinguished Flying Cross
• United States Astronaut Hall of Fame
• 2003 NASA Distinguished Service Medal

Motto

Private

• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%82%BA%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A7%E3%82%B6%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%83%BC

Tags

• New York
• military officer
• astronaut
• military flight engineer

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.