Karol J. Bobko

Karol Joseph "Bo" Bobko (December 23, 1937 – August 17, 2023) was an American aerospace engineer, U.S. Air Force officer, test pilot, and a USAF and NASA astronaut. Bobko was the first graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy to travel in space and the first person to fly on three different space shuttles across three different missions: STS-6, STS-51-D, STS-51-J.

Early life and education Bobko was born on December 23, 1937, in Manhattan, New York, to a family with Polish and Lithuanian roots. He grew up in Cambria Heights, Queens and Seaford, New York.

He graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1955 before receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy in 1959. In 1970, he earned a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.

Military service Bobko was a member of the first graduating class of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Subsequent to receiving his commission and navigator rating, he attended pilot training at Bartow Air Base, Florida, and Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. He completed his flight training and received his pilot wings in 1960.

Bobko logged over 6,600 hours flight time in the F-100, F-104, F-105, T-33, T-38, and other aircraft. He was the pilot on STS-6 (April 4–9, 1983); and was the mission commander on STS-51-D (April 12–19, 1985) and STS-51-J (October 3–7, 1985).

Bobko with U.S. Senator Jake Garn (left) during the STS-51-D mission On his second mission, Bobko was the commander of STS-51-D which launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 12, 1985.

Bobko's final flight was as commander of STS-51-J, the second Space Shuttle Department of Defense mission, which launched from Kennedy Space Center on October 3, 1985. He was the only astronaut to have flown on the maiden flights of two Space Shuttles.

Bobko died of complications of an unspecified degenerative disease of the nervous system in Half Moon Bay on August 17, 2023, at age 85.

Awards and honors Defense Superior Service Medal Distinguished Flying Cross Johnson Space Center Group Achievement Awards (6) U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame (May 7, 2011). Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (2020)