Dale Gardner - NASA Experience

NASA Experience

Gardner was selected as an Astronaut Candidate by NASA in January 1978, reporting to the Johnson Space Center in July 1978. In August 1979 he completed a one year training and evaluation period, making him eligible for assignment as a Mission Specialist Astronaut. He subsequently served as the Astronaut Project Manager for the flight software in the Space Shuttle onboard computers leading up to the first flight in April 1981. He then served as a Support Crew Astronaut for the fourth flight (STS-4). He flew as a mission specialist on STS-8 (August 30 to September 5, 1983) and STS-51-A (November 8–16, 1984). Gardner logged a total of 337 hours in space and 225 orbits of the Earth on these two flights. He has logged more than 2,300 hours flying time in over 20 different types of aircraft and spacecraft. Prior to the Challenger accident, Gardner was chosen to be a member of the first Shuttle mission to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. That flight and the Vandenberg launch capability itself were canceled after the accident.

In October 1986, following 8½ years with NASA, Gardner returned to his Navy duties and was assigned to the U.S. Space Command, Colorado Springs, Colorado. He served over two years as the Deputy Chief, Space Control Operations Division in Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Base and, after promotion to the rank of Captain in June 1989, became the Command's Deputy Director for Space Control at Peterson Air Force Base. His space control responsibilities included the surveillance and tracking of all man-made objects in Earth orbit and the protection of U.S. and allied space systems. Gardner retired from the U.S. Navy in October 1990 and accepted a position with TRW Inc. in Colorado Springs. He is a program manager in the Colorado Springs Engineering Operations of TRW's Space and Defense Sector. In that capacity, he is involved in the development of both civilian and military space and defense high technology programs.