Robert Curbeam

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Robert Curbeam
NASA astronaut
RankCaptain, USN
Time in space
37d 14h 33m
SelectionNASA Group 15 (1994)
Total EVAs
7
Total EVA time
45h 34m
MissionsSTS-85
STS-98
STS-116
Mission insignia

Robert Lee Curbeam Jr. (born March 5, 1962) is a former

spacewalks during a single spaceflight, accomplished during the STS-116 mission, when Curbeam completed four spacewalks.[1]

Education

Curbeam graduated from

Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1990, and a master's degree in Astronautical Engineering
from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1991.

Curbeam was named Fighter Wing One Radar Intercept Officer of the Year in 1989 and received the

U.S. Naval Test Pilot School
Best Developmental Thesis (DT-II) Award.

Naval career

Upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy, Curbeam commenced

Navy Fighter Weapons School
.

Upon graduation of

F-14
A/B Air-to-Ground Weapons Separation Program. In August 1994, he returned to the U.S. Naval Academy as an instructor in the Weapons and Systems Engineering Department.

NASA career

Selected by NASA in December 1994, Curbeam reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995. After completing a year of training and evaluation, he was assigned to the Computer Support Branch in the Astronaut Office. He is a veteran of three space flights: STS-85 in 1997, STS-98 in 2001, STS-116 in 2006, and has logged over 901 hours in space, including over 45 hours during three spacewalks.[1]

Between the first two flights, Curbeam was a spacecraft communicator (

CAPCOM) responsible for relaying all voice communication between Mission Control and crews aboard the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. After his second flight, he also was the CAPCOM Branch Chief. During the spring of 2002, he was Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety and Mission Assurance, at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

Spaceflight experience

Earth's atmosphere, and tested technology destined for use on the future International Space Station.[1]

EVA hours in 3 space walks.[1]

Mission STS-116: Curbeam fixing the solar array wing on the International Space Station's P6 truss during his fourth EVA

STS-116 (December 9–22, 2006), launched December 9, 2006, at 8:47 p.m. EST, was a mission to the International Space Station. The mission involved the installation of a new truss segment and the rewiring of the station's electrical system. During the mission, Curbeam was the EVA crewmember for the record-breaking four spacewalks, three of which were conducted along with astronaut Christer Fuglesang (Sweden) and one along with astronaut Sunita Williams.[1]

Post-NASA career

On December 7, 2007, NASA announced that Curbeam had chosen to leave NASA after 13 years, to pursue a job in the private sector.[2] He presently works for Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems as the Senior Director of Business Development in Virginia.[3]

Having played lacrosse as a student athlete at the Naval Academy, Curbeam became an assistant coach for the boys lacrosse team at

Clear Lake High School in Houston, Texas. In 2011, Curbeam led Clear Lake to the semifinal match of the Texas High School Lacrosse League South District Championship game.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Biographical data: Robert L. Curbeam Jr., (Captain, USN, Ret.) NASA Astronaut (former)" (PDF). NASA. December 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  2. ^ NASA (2007). "Veteran Astronaut and Spacewalker Robert Curbeam Leaves NASA". NASA. Retrieved December 7, 2007.
  3. ^ "Bio- Robert Curbeam" (PDF). Northrop Grumman. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  4. ^ "Bay Area".

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robert Curbeam.
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