About
Notable for his participation in the Space Shuttle Enterprise's Approach and Landing Tests; the Space Shuttle Columbia's third mission; and the Space Shuttle Challenger's eighth flight, this NASA astronaut and test pilot also earned the rank of Colonel in the United States Air Force.
Before Fame
After completing undergraduate and graduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology, he worked for the Southern California-based Hughes Aircraft Company.
Trivia
His numerous honors include the Distinguished Flying Cross, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots' Ray E. Tenhoff Award.
Family Life
Born Charles Gordon Fullerton, he spent his youth in Rochester, New York and Portland, Oregon. He was married to Marie Jeanette Buettner, and he raised children named Andrew and Molly.
Associated With
He and Jack Lousma were both on the crew of NASA's 1982 STS-3 mission.
