Ed Campion
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                  February 26, 1990
(Phone:  202/453-1134)                          3 p.m. EST

Jeffrey E. Carr  
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone:  713/483-5111)


RELEASE:  90-31

VETERAN SHUTTLE ASTRONAUT WILLIAMS TO RETIRE FROM NASA, NAVY


     Navy Capt. Donald E. Williams, veteran of two Shuttle 
flights, will retire from NASA and the Navy, effective March 1, 
to pursue a career in private industry.


     "I reached my goal as a pilot, which was to command a 
mission," said Williams.  "Now it's time to go on to other 
challenges.  JSC and NASA have been a wonderful place to work and 
I'm proud to have been a part of the team."


     Williams was selected by NASA as an astronaut in 1978, and 
made his first space flight in April 1985 as pilot of Discovery 
on mission STS-51D, which included the first unscheduled 
rendezvous and spacewalk.  He flew again as crew commander of 
Atlantis in October 1989 on mission STS-34, highlighted by the 
deployment of the Jupiter probe, Galileo.


     Prior to STS-34, Williams served as chief of the Astronaut 
Office Mission Support Branch. He also served as Deputy Manager 
of Operations Integration in the NSTS Program Office and as 
Deputy Chief, Aircraft Operations Division during his years with 
NASA.


     Williams will be joining Science Applications International 
Corporation in Houston as Senior Systems Engineer.

                           - end  -

     Beginning March 15, 1990, NASA news releases and other NASA 
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TO:  MDS/PRA Group
     1615 L Street, N.W. - Suite 100
     Washington, D.C. 20036

DATE & TIME:  FEBRUARY 26, 1990

ORDERED BY:  Edward Campion
NASA Headquarters/LMD
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20546             PHONE:  202/453-8400

PROJECT TITLE:  Release No:  90-31

PRINT ORDER:  2217

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MAIL DATE:  FEBRUARY 27, 1990

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