An American engineer and astronaut who flew on three Space Shuttle missions, including the first tethered satellite deployment, and spent over 750 hours in space.
Richard Hieb is a renowned American astronaut, engineer, and educator, best known for his extraordinary contributions to NASA's Space Shuttle program. As a veteran of three spaceflights, Hieb has spent over 750 hours in space, accumulating an impressive 17 hours of extravehicular activity (EVA) experience.
Born on September 21, 1955, in Jamestown, North Dakota, Hieb's family roots trace back to Europe, with one line dating back to the 1600s. His mother was an elementary school teacher, while his father worked as a transport driver and later ran a small business selling antiques.
Hieb earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in math and physics from Northwest Nazarene College in 1977. He then pursued a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, graduating in 1979.
Upon graduating from CU Boulder, Hieb joined NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in 1979, where he worked in crew procedures development and crew activity planning. He was part of the Mission Control Center's ascent team for STS-1 and worked on rendezvous phases for subsequent flights.
In 1985, NASA selected Hieb as an astronaut candidate, and he qualified as a mission specialist in 1986. He flew on three space missions: STS-39 in 1991, STS-49 in 1992, and STS-65 in 1994.
Hieb's first spaceflight, STS-39, was a nine-day mission in 1991, focusing on Department of Defense (DoD) payloads. On STS-49, he participated in the first-ever capture and redeployment of a satellite using the Space Shuttle's robotic arm.
During STS-65, Hieb served as the payload commander, overseeing the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1) experiments. He spent over 13 million miles in space, orbiting the Earth 225 times.
After leaving NASA in 1995, Hieb worked at AlliedSignal and Orbital before spending 14 years as an executive at Lockheed Martin. Currently, he is a faculty member in the University of Colorado Boulder's Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences Department.
Hieb's remarkable achievements in space exploration, engineering, and education have left an indelible mark on the aerospace industry. As a pioneer in space travel, his contributions continue to inspire future generations of scientists and engineers.
98 Years Old
American baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1965 to 1975, known for being a four-time All-Star and winning the American League ERA title in 1968.
95 Years Old
First person to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission, marking a historic milestone in space exploration.
96 Years Old
Second man to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission, a pioneering astronaut and advocate for space exploration.
96 Years Old
Led the third manned mission to land on the Moon, Apollo 12, and became the third person to walk on its surface. Known for his bold and fearless approach to space exploration.
