Photo: NASA — Public domainSource
Charles L. Veach
- September 18, 1944
- October 3, 1995
- 51 years
- cancer
About Charles L. Veach
Charles L. Veach, 51, American astronaut (STS-39, STS-52), cancer.
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Full Biography
|Charles Lacy Veach (September 18, 1944 – October 3, 1995) was a United States Air Force (USAF) fighter pilot and NASA astronaut.
Personal data
Veach was born September 18, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois, but considered Honolulu, Hawaii, to be his hometown. He was married to Alice Meigs Scott of Waycross, Georgia, they had two children. He enjoyed surfing, bicycling, reading and activities with his family. His parents reside in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was also known as Lacy Veach.
Education
- 1962: Graduated from Punahou School, Honolulu, Hawaii
- 1966: Received a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Management from the United States Air Force Academy
Special honors
- Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
- Air Medal with 13 Oak Leaf Clusters
- Air Force Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
- Purple Heart
Experience
Veach was commissioned in the United States Air Force upon graduation from the United States Air Force Academy. He received his pilot wings at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, in 1967, and then attended fighter gunnery school at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Over the next 14 years, he served as a USAF fighter pilot, flying the F-100 Super Sabre, the F-111 Aardvark, and the F-105 Thunderchief, on assignments in the United States, Europe, and the Far East, including a 275-mission combat tour in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. In 1976 and 1977, he was a member of the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, flying the T-38 Talon. Veach left active duty in 1981 but continued to fly fighters as an F-4 Phantom and F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot with the 147th Fighter Group, later 147th Fighter Wing, of the Texas Air National Guard. His name still adorns the museum display F-16 just inside the front gate of the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston, Texas.
He had logged over 5,000 flying hours.
NASA experience
Veach came to work for NASA in January 1982 as an engineer and research pilot at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. His primary duty was as an instructor pilot in the Shuttle Training Aircraft, the highly modified Gulfstream II used to train astronaut pilots to land the Space Shuttle.
Veach was selected as an astronaut candidate in May 1984 and became an astronaut in June 1985. He held a variety of technical assignments, and had flown as a mission specialist on two Space Shuttle missions, STS-39 in 1991 and STS-52 in 1992. He had logged 436.3 hours in space. Most recently, Lacy had worked as the lead astronaut for the development and operation of robotics for the International Space Station.
On STS-39, Veach was responsible for operating a group of instruments which included an ultraviolet astronomical camera, an x-ray telescope, and a liquid helium-cooled infrared telescope which performed landmark observations of the Earth's atmosphere and the Aurora Australis (the Southern Lights). The 8-day unclassified Department of Defense mission aboard the Orbiter Discovery launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 28, 1991, and landed at Kennedy on May 6, 1991.
STS-52 was a 10-day mission aboard the Orbiter Columbia during which the crew successfully deployed the Laser Geodynamic Satellite (LAGEOS), a joint Italian-American project. They also operated the first U.S. Microgravity Payload (USMP) with French and American experiments. Veach was the primary Remote Manipulator System (RMS) operator on the mission, supporting the initial flight tests of the Canadian-built Space Vision System (SVS). STS-52 launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on October 22, 1992, and landed at Kennedy on November 1, 1992.
Lacy Veach died in Houston, Texas, on October 3, 1995, of cancer. He is interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_L._Veach
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
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- View record
- November 2, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Charles L. Veach's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was Charles L. Veach born?
- A.Waycross, Georgia
- B.Houston, Texas
- C.Honolulu, Hawaii
- D.Chicago, Illinoiscorrect
Charles L. Veach was born on September 18, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois.
Source: Personal data section
2.Charles L. Veach considered which location to be his hometown?
- A.San Antonio, Texas
- B.Honolulu, Hawaiicorrect
- C.Chicago, Illinois
- D.Moody, Georgia
Charles L. Veach considered Honolulu, Hawaii, to be his hometown.
Source: Personal data section
3.What degree did Charles L. Veach receive from the United States Air Force Academy in 1966?
- A.Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering
- B.Bachelor of Science in Engineering Managementcorrect
- C.Bachelor of Arts in Military History
- D.Bachelor of Science in Physics
Charles L. Veach earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Management in 1966.
Source: Education section
4.At which base did Charles L. Veach receive his pilot wings in 1967?
- A.Ellington Field
- B.Kennedy Space Center
- C.Moody Air Force Basecorrect
- D.Luke Air Force Base
Charles L. Veach received his pilot wings at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, in 1967.
Source: Experience section
5.Which of these aircraft did Charles L. Veach fly as a member of the Thunderbirds?
- A.F-105 Thunderchief
- B.T-38 Taloncorrect
- C.F-4 Phantom
- D.F-16 Fighting Falcon
In 1976 and 1977, Charles L. Veach was a member of the Thunderbirds, flying the T-38 Talon.
Source: Experience section
6.What total number of flying hours had Charles L. Veach logged during his career?
- A.Over 5,000 hourscorrect
- B.Over 7,000 hours
- C.Over 3,000 hours
- D.Over 10,000 hours
Charles L. Veach had logged over 5,000 flying hours in his career.
Source: Experience section
7.When did Charles L. Veach begin working for NASA?
- A.October 1991
- B.January 1982correct
- C.June 1985
- D.May 1984
Charles L. Veach came to work for NASA in January 1982 as an engineer and research pilot.
Source: NASA experience section
8.What was the primary duty of Charles L. Veach when he first joined NASA in Houston?
- A.Instructor pilot in the Shuttle Training Aircraftcorrect
- B.Robotics lead for the International Space Station
- C.Payload commander for STS-52
- D.Ground operations director at Kennedy Space Center
His primary duty at the Johnson Space Center was as an instructor pilot in the Shuttle Training Aircraft.
Source: NASA experience section
9.Charles L. Veach served as a mission specialist on which two Space Shuttle missions?
- A.STS-41 and STS-51
- B.STS-52 and STS-60
- C.STS-39 and STS-52correct
- D.STS-39 and STS-42
Charles L. Veach had flown as a mission specialist on two Space Shuttle missions, STS-39 in 1991 and STS-52 in 1992.
Source: NASA experience section
10.During STS-39, what did Charles L. Veach help observe?
- A.The effects of microgravity on plant life
- B.The Aurora Australiscorrect
- C.The impact of the LAGEOS satellite
- D.The moons of Mars
On STS-39, Charles L. Veach operated instruments that performed landmark observations of the Earth's atmosphere and the Aurora Australis.
Source: NASA experience section
11.What role did Charles L. Veach perform during the STS-52 mission?
- A.Commander of the Orbiter Columbia
- B.Pilot of the Shuttle Training Aircraft
- C.Primary Remote Manipulator System operatorcorrect
- D.Lead engineer for the liquid helium-cooled telescope
Charles L. Veach was the primary Remote Manipulator System operator on the STS-52 mission.
Source: NASA experience section
12.How many hours did Charles L. Veach log in space?
- A.512.8 hours
- B.436.3 hourscorrect
- C.346.3 hours
- D.612.3 hours
Charles L. Veach had logged 436.3 hours in space.
Source: NASA experience section
13.Where is Charles L. Veach interred?
- A.Arlington National Cemetery
- B.National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacificcorrect
- C.Johnson Space Center memorial site
- D.Houston Veterans Cemetery
Charles L. Veach is interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Source: NASA experience section
14.Which of the following medals was awarded to Charles L. Veach?
- A.Distinguished Flying Crosscorrect
- B.NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- C.Congressional Medal of Honor
- D.Silver Star
Charles L. Veach received the Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters.
Source: Special honors section
15.What type of aircraft did Charles L. Veach fly while serving with the Texas Air National Guard?
- A.F-100 Super Sabre
- B.F-4 Phantom and F-16 Fighting Falconcorrect
- C.F-111 Aardvark
- D.T-38 Talon
Charles L. Veach served as an F-4 Phantom and F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot with the Texas Air National Guard.
Source: Experience section
16.What was the cause of death for Charles L. Veach?
- A.Cancercorrect
- B.A heart attack
- C.An aviation accident
- D.A stroke
Lacy Veach died in Houston, Texas, on October 3, 1995, of cancer.
Source: NASA experience section
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