Karol Joseph Bobko

A trailblazer in the United States' space exploration endeavors, Colonel Karol J. "Bo" Bobko, is a distinguished member of the first graduating class of the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1959. His remarkable career was highlighted by his unique distinction as the only NASA astronaut to have piloted the maiden flights of two space shuttle orbiters, Challenger and Atlantis, and the first astronaut to fly on three different shuttles.

Born in New York, New York, to a family of Polish and Lithuanian heritage, Bobko graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School. He then became part of the inaugural class at the U.S. Air Force Academy, earning his Bachelor of Science degree and his commission in 1959. He later obtained a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California.

Bobko's military career began with pilot training at Bartow Air Base, Florida, and Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where he received his wings in 1960. From 1961 to 1965, he flew F-100 and F-105 aircraft with the 523d Tactical Fighter Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, and the 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. His path to space was solidified at the Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, which he attended while it was under the command of the legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager. This institution was at the forefront of training military test pilots for future roles as astronauts, and in 1966, Bobko was assigned to the U.S. Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program.

When the MOL program was canceled in 1969, Bobko and six other young military astronauts were transferred to NASA. The transition was not seamless. "Perhaps the first year or so was rather, at times, rather frustrating," Bobko recalled in a 2002 NASA oral history. "During the first year, we were told twice that we were fired... But that was rescinded, and we stayed and got involved in the programs that were going on here."

Before his first spaceflight, Bobko played crucial roles in several key NASA programs. He was a crewmember on the Skylab Medical Experiment Altitude Test (SMEAT), a 56-day ground simulation of a Skylab mission. He also served on the astronaut support crew for the historic Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975 and as a chase pilot for the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests. His leadership was further recognized when he was appointed lead astronaut for the test and checkout group at Kennedy Space Center for the first space shuttle mission, STS-1.

Over his three spaceflights, Bobko accumulated a total of 386 hours (16 days, 2 hours, and 3 minutes) in space:

STS-6 (April 4-9, 1983): As the pilot on the maiden voyage of the Space Shuttle Challenger, Bobko and the crew deployed the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-1). The mission also featured the first spacewalk from a space shuttle.

STS-51D (April 12-19, 1985): As commander of the Space Shuttle Discovery, Bobko led his crew on a mission to deploy two communications satellites. A satellite malfunction necessitated the first-ever unplanned spacewalk in U.S. history to attempt a repair. The crew included Senator Jake Garn of Utah, the first sitting member of Congress in space.

STS-51J (October 3-7, 1985): Bobko commanded the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, a classified mission for the Department of Defense. This flight marked his third shuttle, making him the first astronaut to fly on three different orbiters.

In 1988, Colonel Bobko retired from both the Air Force and NASA. He transitioned to the private sector, joining Booz Allen & Hamilton as a principal, where he managed efforts related to human spaceflight. He later became the Vice President for Strategic Programs at SPACEHAB, Inc., and later, he served as a program manager for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) at NASA's Ames Research Center, retiring in 2014 but continuing as a consultant.

Bobko's extensive career was recognized with numerous accolades, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Meritorious Service Medals, three NASA Space Flight Medals, and two NASA Exceptional Service Medals. He received the Air Force Academy's Jabara Award for Airmanship in 1983 and was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2011