Robert Gibson
Robert Lee "Hoot" Gibson is an American naval aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, and former Chief of the Astronaut Office. Selected with NASA Astronaut Group 8 in 1978, he flew five shuttle missions and became one of the program's senior .
- Born
- October 30, 1946
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Cooperstown, New York,United States
Flights
5
Spacewalks
0
EVA time
N/A
In space
36 days, 4 hours, 15 minutes
Bio
Gibson entered NASA with Navy fighter and test-pilot experience. His first flight was STS-41-B in 1984, where he piloted Challenger during a mission that tested untethered operations with the Manned Maneuvering Unit.
He later commanded STS-61-C, STS-27, STS-47, and STS-71. Those missions ranged from commercial satellite deployment and classified Department of Defense work to Spacelab-J and the first shuttle docking with Mir.
From 1992 to 1997 Gibson served as Chief of the Astronaut Office, helping lead the corps through the post-Challenger shuttle era and into Shuttle-Mir operations. His command of STS-71 placed him at the beginning of NASA's operational docking partnership with Russia.
After NASA, Gibson remained active in aviation and aerospace, including flight testing and air racing. His career combines naval aviation, shuttle command, astronaut-office leadership, and international station-preparation work.