(Bismarck, ND) — Governor Burgum has selected a North Dakota native and NASA astronaut to be the 49th recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award. James Buchli [[ Buck-lee ]] of New Rockford is the first North Dakotan to travel to outer space, and he’s been on four space flights. He’s also orbited Earth 139 times, traveled 7-point-seventy-four-million miles, and spent more than 20 days in space throughout his career. Buchli is a Marine Corps veteran and is also a U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame inductee. He will receive the award later this year.
