Robert Crippen

Robert Crippen
Name	Robert L. Crippen
Birth date	July 11, 1937
Birth place	Beaumont, Texas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Naval aviator; test pilot; NASA astronaut; aerospace executive
Known for	Pilot of early Shuttle missions; commander of STS-7

Robert Crippen (born July 11, 1937) is an American former naval aviator, United States Navy test pilot and NASA astronaut who served as pilot and commander on the first six operational Space Shuttle missions. He was the pilot of the first orbital flight test of the Space Shuttle program and later commanded missions that deployed communications satellites and conducted scientific experiments. Crippen's career bridged Cold War naval aviation, the Skylab era, and the development and operational deployment of reusable spacecraft.

Early life and education

Crippen was born in Beaumont, Texas, and raised in Sunset, Texas. He attended public schools in Jefferson County, Texas before earning a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He later completed graduate work in aerospace engineering at the California Institute of Technology and attended professional military education at the Naval Postgraduate School. His formative years in Texas coincided with the post-World War II expansion of American aviation industries such as Lockheed Corporation, Boeing, and Northrop Corporation, which shaped regional career opportunities for aspiring pilots and engineers.

Naval aviation and test pilot career

After commissioning through the United States Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps pipeline, Crippen received flight training at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi and earned designation as a naval aviator flying carrier-based aircraft including the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. He served aboard aircraft carriers such as USS Lexington (CV-16) and USS Independence (CV-62), participating in fleet operations with Carrier Air Wing squadrons. Selected for test pilot training at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, he performed developmental flight test on aircraft and avionics produced by manufacturers like Grumman Corporation and General Dynamics. His work as a test pilot brought him into contact with programs including F-14 Tomcat flight test activities and evaluations of carrier approach systems used across Naval Aviation.

NASA astronaut selection and Skylab-Apollo missions

Crippen was selected as a NASA astronaut in the 1969 group that followed the Apollo program era and joined a cohort alongside astronauts involved in Skylab operations and Apollo–Soyuz Test Project planning. He served as capsule communicator and support crew for early Skylab missions and was assigned to flight support roles for the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project that fostered US–Soviet space cooperation during the Cold War. Crippen trained with crews operating life support systems developed by contractors such as Rockwell International and McDonnell Douglas and worked on orbital rendezvous and docking procedures that were essential to Skylab resupply and international cooperative flights like the Apollo–Soyuz mission.

Space Shuttle program and STS-1 through STS-7

Crippen was pilot on STS-1, the first orbital test flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia, with commander John Young (astronaut), performing approach and landing evaluation, thermal protection assessments, and early experiments in low Earth orbit. He subsequently served as pilot and commander on a series of early Space Shuttle missions, including STS-2 and STS-7, executing payload deployments of Satellites from manufacturers such as Hughes Aircraft Company and SBS (satellite), and conducting experiments in collaboration with institutions like NASA Ames Research Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Missions under his leadership supported programs from agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and universities engaged in microgravity research. The STS-1 through STS-7 flights validated reusable orbiter operations that would affect policies at Johnson Space Center and safety practices later reviewed by panels chaired by figures associated with National Transportation Safety Board expertise.

Post-NASA career and contributions to aerospace

After retiring from active astronaut duty, Crippen transitioned to executive roles in the aerospace and defense sectors, joining corporations like McDonnell Douglas and consulting with firms including Boeing and Lockheed Martin on human spaceflight and spacecraft systems. He served on advisory boards for organizations such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration advisory committees, the Aerospace Corporation, and university aerospace departments at institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Texas at Austin. Crippen also participated in public-private partnership initiatives influencing projects at Kennedy Space Center and supported commercial spaceflight ventures collaborating with entities such as SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corporation through advisory capacities. His experience informed policy discussions at the National Research Council and technology transfer efforts with federal laboratories including Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Awards and honors

Crippen's honors include decorations from the United States Navy and awards from civilian institutions: the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross commendations, and inductions into halls of fame such as the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame. He has received recognition from professional societies including the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics for contributions to flight test and shuttle operations. Academic institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin and the California Institute of Technology have granted him honorary distinctions for his work in aerospace engineering and public service.

Personal life and legacy

Crippen married and raised a family in the United States, maintaining ties to communities in Texas and Florida near Kennedy Space Center. His legacy is reflected in training doctrines at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, crew operations at Johnson Space Center, and the early operational doctrine of the Space Shuttle program that influenced later programs like International Space Station assembly and commercial crew development. He continues to be cited in oral histories at archives such as the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum and in biographies about astronauts who bridged the Apollo program and the Shuttle era.

Category:American astronauts Category:United States Navy officers Category:1937 births Category:Living people