Air Force Col. John Casper, a classical music buff and co-pilot of the shuttle Atlantis, is an ace test pilot with 229 combat missions to his credit and more than 5,300 hours flying time in 48 different types of aircraft.
Making his first voyage into the ultimate high frontier, Casper and four crewmates were scheduled for launch Thursday morning to deploy what is widely believed to be a new photographic spy satellite.
But because of the military nature of the 34th shuttle mission, few details have been released and interviews with the astronauts were not allowed.
Casper, 46, lists his hobbies as general aviation, jogging and listening to classical music. He is married to the former Christine Cann of Alexadria, Va., and the couple has two children, Robert Cann, 6, and Stephanie Elizabeth, 5.
Born July 9, 1943, in Greenville, S.C., Casper considers Gainesville, Ga., to be his hometown. He graduated from Chamblee High School in Chamblee, Ga., in 1961, and earned a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1966.
He later received a master's degree in astronautics from Purdue University in 1967 and he is a 1986 graduate of the Air Force Air War College.
Casper earned his wings at Reese Air Force Base, Texas, in 1968 and he was assigned to the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing at Phan Rang Air Base in Vietnam. Flying F-100 jets, Casper completed 229 combat missions.
From 1970 to 1974, the future shuttle pilot was assigned to the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing with the Royal Air Force in Lakenheath, United Kingdom, serving as a flight commander and a wing weapons officer in the F-100 and F-4 aircraft.
In 1974, Casper graduated from test pilot school and was assigned to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where he spent two years helping test weapons delivery systems and avionics for F-4 and A-7 jets.
He then spent four years as operations officer and later commander of the 6513th Test Squadron, working on evaluation and development of tactical aircraft weapons systems.
In 1980, Casper was assigned to Air Force headquarters at the Pentagon, and two years later he was named deputy chief of the special projects office, concentrating on policy involving tactical and strategic programs.
Casper was selected as a NASA astronaut in May 1984. Prior to his assignment to the crew of Atlantis, he helped test shuttle flight control computer software and he is the astronaut office's expert on the shuttle's landing systems.
He has logged more than 5,300 hours flying more than 48 different aircraft.
