TERRY J. HART

NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)

PERSONAL DATA: Born October 27, 1946, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Married 

to Mary Jane McKeever of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They have a one-year old son, 

and Terry has two adult daughters. Recreational interests include golf and 

woodworking.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 

in 1964; received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh 

University in 1968, a master of science in mechanical engineering from the 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1969, a master of science in electrical 

engineering from Rutgers University in 1978, and an honorary doctorate of 

engineering from Lehigh University in 1988.

ORGANIZATIONS: Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and 

Astronautics, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Tau Beta Pi, Sigma 

Xi, and Delta Upsilon.

SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded the National Defense Medal, NASA Space Flight Medal and named Outstanding Officer of 

Undergraduate Pilot Training Class in 1970, Rutgers Distinguished Alumnus Award, Pride of Pennsylvania Award, and the 

New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal.

EXPERIENCE: Hart entered on active duty with the Air Force reserve in June 1969. He completed undergraduate pilot 

training at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, in December 1970, and from then until 1973, flew F-106 interceptors for the Air 

Defense Command at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, at Loring Air Force Base, Maine, and at Dover Air Force Base, 

Delaware. In 1973, he joined the New Jersey Air National Guard and continued flying with the Guard until 1985, retiring in 

1990. He has logged 3,000 hours flying time -- 2,400 hours in jets. From 1968 to 1978, Hart was employed as a member of 

the Technical Staff of Bell Telephone Laboratories, where he received 2 patents. Subsequently, Hart held a number of 

engineering management positions at AT&T and retired in 2004 as president of Loral Skynet, the Telstar satellite network. 

Professor Hart is currently teaching aerospace engineering at his alma mater, Lehigh University.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Mr. Hart was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978. In August 1979, he 

completed a 1-year training and evaluation period, making him eligible for flight assignment on future Space Shuttle crews. 

Mr. Hart was a member of the support crews for STS-1, STS-2, STS-3, and STS-7. He was Ascent and Orbit CAPCOM with 

the Mission Control Team for those flights. Mr. Hart flew as a mission specialist on STS-41C (April 6-13, 1984) and has 

logged a total of 168 hours in space. 

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS 41-C Challenger launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on April 6, 1984. 

The crew included Captain Robert L. Crippen (spacecraft commander), Mr. F. R. (Dick) Scobee (pilot), and fellow mission 

specialist, Dr. G. D. (Pinky) Nelson and Dr. Jr. D. A. (Ox) van Hoften. During this mission the crew successfully deployed the 

Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF); retrieved the ailing Solar Maximum Satellite, repaired it on board Challenger, and 

replaced it in orbit using the robot arm called the Remote Manipulator System (RMS). The mission also included flight testing 

of Manned Maneuvering Units (MMU's) in two extravehicular activities (EVA's); operation of the Cinema 360 and IMAX 

Camera Systems, as well as a Bee Hive Honeycomb Structures student experiment. Mission duration was 7-days before 

landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on April 13, 1984.

JANUARY 2006

This is the only version available from NASA. Updates must be sought direct from the above named individual.

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Biographical Data

 Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

 Houston, Texas 77058