Astronaut Buchli is North Dakota's newest Rough Rider Award recipient

BISMARCK — Gov. Doug Burgum has announced NASA astronaut James Buchli as the 49th recipient of the North Dakota Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award.

Buchli was the first North Dakotan to fly in space and is a veteran of four space flights, orbiting the Earth 319 times, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

“As the first person born in North Dakota to visit space, he’s an example of just how far a North Dakotan can go,” Burgum said in the release.

Born in New Rockford and a graduate of Fargo Central High School, Buchli has represented North Dakota in the fields of space exploration and aviation.

He was a distinguished Marine Corps aviator before becoming a NASA astronaut, and he frequently returns to the state to engage with the University of North Dakota’s space studies program.

Considered the state’s highest commendation for its citizens, the Rough Rider Award recognizes current and former North Dakotans who have been influenced by the state in achieving national recognition in their fields of endeavor.

The award will be presented later this year with Buchli in person at a date and location to be announced, the release said.

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