ROBERT L. CRIPPEN (CAPTAIN, USN, RET.) 

NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)

PERSONAL DATA: Born in Beaumont, Texas, on September 11, 1937. Married to the 

former Pandora Lee Puckett of Miami, Florida. Three grown daughters.

EDUCATION: Graduated from New Caney High School in Caney, Texas; received a 

bachelor of science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas in 1960.

ORGANIZATIONS: Fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; 

American Astronautical Society; and Society of Experimental Test Pilots.

SPECIAL HONORS: NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal (1988); Distinguished 

Service Medals (1985, 1988, 1993); U.S. Navy Distinguished Flying Cross (1984); Defense 

Meritorious Service Medal (1984); Federal Aviation Administration's Award for 

Distinguished Service (1982), Goddard Memorial Trophy (1982), Harmon Trophy (1982); 

NASA Space Flight Medals (1981, 1983, and 2 in 1984); NASA Distinguished Service Medal (1981), Department of Defense 

Distinguished Service Award (1981); American Astronautical Society Flight Achievement Award (1981); National Geographic 

Society's Gardiner Greene Hubbard Medal (1981); Aviation Hall of Fame 1981 Al J. Engel Ward; American Legion's 

Distinguished Service Medal (1981), Society of Experimental Test Pilots Ivan C. Kincheloe Award (1981); NASA Exceptional 

Service Medal (1972). 

EXPERIENCE: Crippen received his commission through the Navy's Aviation Officer Program at Pensacola, Florida, which 

he entered after graduation from the University of Texas. He continued his flight training at Whiting Field, Florida, and went 

from there to Chase Field in Beeville, Texas, where he received his wings. From June 1962 to November 1964, he was 

assigned to Fleet Squadron VA-72--completing 2 1/2 years of duty as an attack pilot aboard the aircraft carrier USS 

INDEPENDENCE. He later attended the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and 

upon graduation, remained there as an instructor until his selection in October 1966 to the USAF Manned Orbiting Laboratory 

Program. Crippen was among the second group of aerospace research pilots to be assigned to the MOL program.

He has logged more than 6,500 hour flying time, which includes more than 5,500 hours in jet aircraft.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Crippen became a NASA astronaut in September 1969. He was a member of the astronaut support 

crew for the Skylab 2, 3, and 4 missions, and served in this same capacity for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission, 

which was completed successfully in July 1975. He served as pilot on STS-1 (April 12-14, 1981), and was the spacecraft 

commander on STS-7 (June 18-24, 1983), STS-41C (April 6-13, 1984) and STS-41G (October 5-13, 1984). A four flight 

veteran, Crippen has logged over 565 hours in space, orbited the earth 374 times and traveled over 9.4 million miles. Positions 

held include: 1986-1989 deputy director, Shuttle Operations, for NASA Headquarters at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, 

responsible for final Shuttle preparation, mission execution, and return of the orbiter to KSC after landing at Edwards Air 

Force Base, California; 1990-1992 served as director, Space Shuttle, at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he 

presided over the overall Shuttle program requirements and performance, and total program control including budget, 

schedule, and program content. 1992-1995 he managed Kennedy Space Center processing, launch, and recovery of Space 

Shuttle missions, ending a 21 year NASA career in January 1995 as the Director of the Kennedy Space Center. He next served 

as vice president of Training Simulation Systems at Lockheed Martin Information Systems. In December 1996 he became 

President of the Thiokol Propulsion Group, Brigham City, Utah. This newly established Group was composed of three 

divisions, Space Operations, Defense and Launch Vehicles, and Science and Engineering. Crippen retired in April 2001 as 

President of Thiokol Propulsion.

- more -

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Biographical Data

 Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

 Houston, Texas 77058
SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-1 (April 12-14, 1981) was the first orbital test flight of the Shuttle Columbia, the 

first true manned spaceship. It was also the first manned vehicle to be flown into orbit without benefit of previous unmanned 

"orbital" testing; the first to launch with wings using solid rocket boosters. It was also the first winged reentry vehicle to return 

to a conventional runway landing, weighing more than 99-tons as it was braked to a stop on the dry lakebed at Edwards Air 

Force Base, California. Mission duration was 54 hours, 20 minutes, 53 1 seconds 

STS-7 (June 18-24, 1983) was the second flight for the Orbiter Challenger. This was also the first mission with a 5-person 

crew. During the 6-day flight the crew deployed satellites for Canada (ANIK C-2) and Indonesia (PALAPA B-1); operated the 

Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System (RMS) to perform the first deployment and retrieval exercise with the Shuttle 

Pallet Satellite (SPAS-01); conducted the first formation flying of the orbiter with a free-flying satellite (SPAS-02); carried and 

operated the first U.S./German cooperative materials science payload (OSTA-2); and operated the Continuous Flow 

Electrophoresis System (CFES) and the Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR) experiments, in addition to activating seven 

Getaway Specials. Mission duration was 146 hours, 23 minutes, 59 seconds. 

STS-41C (April 6-13, 1984) was a 7-day mission during which the crew successfully deployed the Long Duration Exposure 

Facility (LDEF); retrieved the ailing Solar Maximum Satellite, repaired it on-board the orbiting Challenger, and replaced it in 

orbit using the robot arm called the Remote Manipulator System (RMS); flight tested the Manned Manneuvering Units 

(MMU's) in two extravehicular activities (EVA's); as well as operating the Cinema 360 and IMAX Camera Systems, and a Bee 

Hive Honeycomb Structures student experiment. Mission duration was 167 hours, 40 minutes, 07 seconds. 

STS-41G (October 5-13, 1984) was the first mission with a 7-person crew. During the 8-day flight the crew deployed the 

Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, conducted scientific observations of the earth with the OSTA-3 pallet and Large Format 

Camera, as well as demonstrating potential satellite refueling with an EVA and associated hydrazine transfer. Mission duration 

was 197 hours, 23 minutes, 37 seconds and concluded with a landing at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

JULY 2001

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