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| Bob Crippen | |
|---|---|
| Name | Robert L. Crippen |
| Birth date | March 11, 1937 |
| Birth place | Beaumont, Texas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | United States Naval Academy, University of Texas at Austin |
| Occupation | Naval aviator, Test pilot, NASA astronaut, Aerospace executive |
| Rank | Captain, United States Navy |
Bob Crippen was a United States Navy officer, naval aviator, test pilot, and NASA astronaut notable for serving as pilot on the first orbital flight of the Space Shuttle program and as a senior manager in the American spaceflight community. He flew on four shuttle missions and later led institutions that shaped human spaceflight and aeronautics policy. Crippen's career connected naval aviation, flight testing, aerospace engineering, and executive leadership across military and civil organizations.
Born in Beaumont, Texas, Crippen attended local schools before entering the United States Naval Academy where he studied engineering and received a commission in the United States Navy. He later pursued graduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin and trained at Naval Air Station Pensacola and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi as part of his flight training pipeline. Influences during his formative years included regional aviation figures, Texas oil industry leaders, and educators from institutions such as Beaumont High School and local civic organizations.
Crippen served as a naval aviator aboard carrier air wings operating from Aircraft Carrier USS Essex (CV-9) style platforms and later on supercarriers such as USS Forrestal (CV-59). As a pilot he flew tactical jets associated with units like Carrier Air Wing Seven and trained with squadrons comparable to VF-1, gaining carrier qualifications and operational experience during deployments that connected him to Cold War-era commands such as United States Pacific Fleet and Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic. Selected for test pilot training, he attended the United States Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, where he flew developmental aircraft alongside colleagues who later joined programs at Lockheed Corporation, Northrop Corporation, and Grumman Aerospace. His naval career intersected with programs including carrier suitability trials and weapons integration testing conducted with contractors like Pratt & Whitney and General Electric (company).
Crippen was selected as part of a NASA astronaut group that drew from groups including Naval Test Pilot School graduates, Air Force Test Pilot School alumni, and civilians from institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and California Institute of Technology. His training at NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center involved simulators maintained by contractors like Rockwell International and coordination with mission planners from Marshall Space Flight Center, Ames Research Center, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He trained in spacecraft systems alongside astronauts associated with programs like Gemini program, Apollo program, and colleagues who had flown on Skylab. Training included rendezvous practice with guidance from experts at MIT Instrumentation Laboratory and extravehicular activity preparations in facilities akin to the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.
Crippen served as pilot on the first orbital flight of the Space Shuttle program, flying with a crew linked to mission control centers such as Mission Control Center (Houston), involving coordination with launch teams at Kennedy Space Center and range safety from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. He flew on subsequent shuttle missions that integrated payloads developed by organizations like National Reconnaissance Office, Department of Defense (United States), European Space Agency, and scientific instruments from Smithsonian Institution collaborators. His flights involved interaction with vehicle contractors including Rockwell International, Rockwell Collins, and Boeing (company), and engaged research sponsored by entities such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and university laboratories at University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University. Crewmates and mission specialists included astronauts from groups associated with Mercury Seven alumni, Skylab veterans, and international partners from Canadian Space Agency and European Space Agency missions.
After active flight duties, Crippen transitioned to leadership roles in aerospace and government advisory bodies, interacting with organizations such as The Aerospace Corporation, National Research Council, and policy units at Smithsonian Institution museums. He held executive positions with contractors and corporations like Boeing (company), Lockheed Martin, and consulting groups linked to RAND Corporation and Center for Strategic and International Studies. He served on boards and panels advising institutions such as NASA, Department of Defense (United States), National Academy of Sciences, California Institute of Technology, and university research centers including Georgia Institute of Technology. His leadership influenced programs at Kennedy Space Center, workforce initiatives with American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and strategic partnerships with entities like United Launch Alliance.
Crippen received honors and decorations from military and civilian institutions, including awards associated with Congressional Space Medal of Honor style recognition, commendations from the United States Navy, and distinctions from professional societies such as the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He was inducted into halls of fame maintained by organizations like National Aviation Hall of Fame and received honorary degrees from universities such as University of Notre Dame and Texas A&M University. His recognitions connected him to awards administered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Defense (United States), and international honors from partners including the European Space Agency.
Crippen's personal life included family ties in Texas and ongoing engagement with educational outreach through institutions like Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and university aerospace programs at University of Texas at Austin and Auburn University. His legacy is reflected in scholarships and endowments established in his name at organizations such as United States Naval Academy alumni associations and in archival collections housed by entities like NASA History Office and the National Archives and Records Administration. Crippen is remembered in historical narratives alongside figures from Mercury Seven, Gemini program, and Apollo program eras, and his contributions continue to be cited in studies by the National Research Council and policy reviews at Congressional Research Service.
Category:1937 births Category:American astronauts Category:United States Naval Academy alumni