Karol Bobko, aerospace engineer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut, was the first person to fly three different space shuttle missions, as well as the first pilot of both the Atlantis and the ill-fated Challenger.
- Died: August 17, 2023 (Who else died on August 17?)
- Details of death: Died in Half Moon Bay, California, of complications of an unspecified degenerative disease of the nervous system at the age of 85.
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Karol Bobko’s legacy
Born in Queens, New York, “Bo” Bobko went to Brooklyn Technical High School before earning degrees from the U.S. Air Force Academy and the University of Southern California. He was in the academy’s first graduating class, and afterward began a career as a test pilot. Bobko flew a wide range of aircraft before moving on to Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, to train as an astronaut.
Bobko officially joined NASA in 1969, first as part of a ground simulation for the Skylab space station, then as support crew for the first international manned space flight, the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (ASTP).
He was the first U.S. Air Force Academy to go into space and part of the first space voyages of both the Challenger and the Atlantis. Bobko was also the first astronaut to pilot three different space shuttle missions, serving as commander for two of those missions. He is the only astronaut in history to be on the maiden space voyage for two different space shuttles. Overall, Bobko logged close to 400 hours in space. He is a member of the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, the Cradle of Aviation Museum Long Island Air & Space Hall of Fame, and has an array of medals and commendations, including a Defense Superior Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, multiple Meritorious Service Medals, and more.
Tributes to Karol Bobko
Full obituary: The New York Times
