KAROL J. BOBKO (COLONEL, USAF, RET.) 

NASA ASTRONAUT (DECEASED)

PERSONAL DATA: Born in New York, New York, on December 23, 1937. Died 

on August 17, 2023. He is survived by his wife, the former Dianne Welsh of Denver, 

Colorado, and his daughter, Michelle and a son, Paul. 

EDUCATION: Graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School, Bachelor of 

Science from the Air Force Academy in 1959 and a Master of Science in Aerospace 

Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1970.

SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded three NASA Space Flight Medals, two NASA 

Exceptional Service Medals and six JSC Group Achievement Awards; presented the 

Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, 

the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross and two Meritorious Service Medals (1970 

and 1979). He also received the Air Force Academy Jabara Award for Airmanship in 

1983. He was inducted into the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Hall of Fame in 1999, the 

Cradle of Aviation Museum in 2009, and the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2011. He received a Heritage Recognition from the 

National Reconnaissance Office in 2019. He is a Distinguished Member of the Association of Space Explorers and an Associate 

Fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. A former President of the U.S. Chapter of the Association of Space Explorers, 

Bobko serves on the ASE Board of Directors. 

EXPERIENCE: Bobko, an Air Force Colonel, was a member of the first graduating class of the Air Force Academy. 

Subsequent to receiving his commission and navigator rating, he attended pilot training at Bartow Air Base, Florida, and Vance 

Air Force Base, Oklahoma. He completed his flight training and received his wings in 1960.

From 1961 to 1965, he flew F-100 and F-105 aircraft while assigned as a pilot with the 523d Tactical Fighter Squadron at 

Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, and the 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Seymore Johnson Air Force Base, North 

Carolina. He attended the Aerospace Research Pilots School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and was assigned as an 

astronaut to the USAF Manned Orbiting Laboratory Program in 1966. After the cancellation of the MOL Program, he was 

assigned as an astronaut to NASA in 1969.

He has logged over 6,600 hours flight time in the F-100, F-104, T-105, T-33, T-38, and other aircraft.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Colonel Bobko became a NASA astronaut in September 1969. He was a crewmember on the highly 

successful Skylab Medical Experiments Altitude Test (SMEAT) -- a 56-day ground simulation of the Skylab mission, enabling 

crewmen to collect medical experiments baseline data and evaluate equipment, operations and procedures.

Bobko was a member of the astronaut support crew for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). This historic first international, 

manned space flight was completed in July 1975. Subsequently, he was a member of the support crew for the Space Shuttle 

Approach and Landing Tests conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, California. He served alternately as CAPCOM and prime 

chase pilot during these Approach and Landing Test (ALT) flights.

In preparation for the first flight of Columbia (STS-1) Colonel Bobko served as the lead astronaut in the test and checkout 

group at Kennedy Space Center.

A veteran of three space flights, Bobko has logged a total of 386 hours in Space. He was the pilot on STS-6 (April 4-9, 1983); 

and was the mission commander on STS-51D (April 12-19, 1985) and STS-51J (October 3-7, 1985). He is the only Astronaut 

to have flown on the maiden flights of the two Space Shuttles.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: Colonel Bobko was pilot for STS-6, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, 

Florida, on April 4, 1983. During this maiden voyage of the spacecraft Challenger, the crew deployed a large 

communications satellite (TDRS) and the rocket stage (IUS) required to boost it to geosynchronous orbit. The STS-6 crew 

also conducted the first shuttle spacewalk (EVA) and additionally conducted numerous other experiments in materials 

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

September 2023

Biographical Data

 Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

 Houston, Texas 77058
 processing and the recording of lightning activities from space. There were also three Getaway Specials activated on the 

 flight. After 120 hours of orbital operations STS-6 landed on the concrete runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on

 April 9, 1983.

On his second mission Colonel Bobko was the commander of STS-51D which launched from Kennedy Space Center, 

Florida, on April 12, 1985. The mission was to deploy two communications satellites, perform electrophoresis and 

echocardiograph operations in space, in addition to accomplishing other experiments. When one of the communications 

satellites malfunctioned, a daring attempt was made to activate the satellite which required an additional EVA, rendezvous, 

and operations with the remote manipulator arm. After 168 hours of orbital operations Discovery landed on Runway 33 at 

Kennedy Space Center on April 19, 1985.

Colonel Bobko was next commander of STS-51J, the second Space Shuttle Department of Defense mission, which launched 

from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 3, 1985. This was the maiden voyage of the Atlantis. After 98 hours of 

orbital operations, Atlantis landed on Edwards Air Force Base Lakebed Runway 23 on October 7, 1985. The main task of 

the now declassified mission was to deploy two communication satellites and as well as other experiments.

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE: In 1988, Bobko retired from NASA and the Air Force to join the firm of Booz Allen & 

Hamilton Inc., in Houston, Texas. At Booz Allen he was a principal and managed efforts dealing with human space flight. 

His areas of emphasis were: high performance training simulation, hardware and software systems engineering, spacecraft 

checkout and testing, space station development and program integration.

In 2000, Bobko joined SPACEHAB, Inc in Houston, Texas and was Vice President for Strategic Programs. He led an 

organization which developed concepts, processes and hardware for future spaceflight applications.

In 2005, Bobko joined SAIC (Science Applications International Corp) and became Program Manager of the NASA Ames 

Research Center Simulation Labs contract (SimLabs). The facilities and capabilities under this contract allow the latest 

technology in the real world to be integrated with the latest technology in the virtual world resulting in extraordinary 

simulations. NASA considers this a crucial asset and includes the Virtual Motion System facility in the Strategic 

Capabilities Assets Program. In 2014 Bobko retired as Program Manager. Since 2014 to the present he has continued as a 

consultant on the SimLabs contract.