Gardner Guy Credit - www.spacefacts.de

Personal: Male, Married, Three children. Born in Alta Vista, Virginia, USA. US Air Force US Air Force

Astronaut Career

Astronaut Group: NASA Group 9 - 1980. Inactive Entered space service: 19 May 1980. Left space service: June 1991. Number of Flights: 2.00. Total Time: 13.34 days.

NAME: Guy S. Gardner (Colonel, USAF, retired)

BIRTHPLACE AND DATE: Born January 6, 1948, in Alta Vista, Virginia, and grew up in Alexandria, Virginia.

FAMILY: Married to the former Linda A. McCabe of Guilderland, New York. They have three wonderful children: Jennifer, Sarah, and Jason.

EDUCATION: Was graduated from George Washington High School in Alexandria, Virginia in 1965; received a bachelor of science degree with majors in astronautics, mathematics, and engineering sciences from the United States Air Force Academy in 1969; received a master of science degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Purdue University in 1970.

SPECIAL HONORS: Air Force Legion of Merit, 2 Defense Superior Service Medals, Defense Distinguished Service Medal, 3 Air Force Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 Air Medals, National Intelligence Medal of Achievement, Distinguished Graduate of the USAF Academy, Top Graduate in Pilot Training, Top Graduate from the USAF Test Pilot School, Test Pilot School Outstanding Academic Instructor, Test Pilot School Outstanding Flying Instructor, and Distinguished Astronaut Engineering Alumnus of Purdue University.

EXPERIENCE: Gardner completed U.S. Air Force pilot training at Craig Air Force Base, Alabama, and F-4 upgrade training at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida in 1971. In 1972, he flew 177 combat missions in Southeast Asia while stationed in Udorn, Thailand. In 1973-74, he was an F-4 instructor and operational pilot at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. He attended the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, in 1975, and then served as a test pilot with the 6512th Test Squadron located at Edwards in 1976. In 1977-78, he was an instructor test pilot at the USAF Test Pilot School. In 1979-80, he was operations officer of the 1st Test Squadron at Clark Air Base, Philippines.

Gardner was selected as a pilot astronaut by NASA in May 1980. During his 11 years as an astronaut, he worked in many areas of Space Shuttle and Space Station development and support. Gardner first flew in space as pilot on the crew of STS-27, aboard the Orbiter Atlantis, on December 2-6, 1988. The mission carried a Department of Defense payload. Gardner next flew as pilot on the crew of STS-35, aboard the Orbiter Columbia, on December 2-10 1990. The mission carried the ASTRO-1 astronomy laboratory consisting of three ultraviolet telescopes and one x-ray telescope.

Gardner left NASA in June 1991, returning to the Air Force as Commandant of the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

In August 1992, Gardner retired from the Air Force to go to NASA Headquarters as Program Director of the joint U.S. and Russian Shuttle-Mir Program. He attended the Defense Systems' Management College in 1994, and then became the Director of the Quality Assurance Division, Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA Headquarters.

In September 1995, Gardner joined the Federal Aviation Administration as Director of the FAA Technical Center in New Jersey.

September 1995

• 2 December 1988 Flight: STS-27. Flight Up: STS-27. Flight Back: STS-27. Flight Time: 4.38 days.

• 2 December 1990 Flight: STS-35. Flight Up: STS-35. Flight Back: STS-35. Flight Time: 8.96 days.

19 May 1980 - NASA Astronaut Training Group 9 selected.. The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.

Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm..

• NASA Astronaut Biographies, Johnson Space Center, NASA, 1995-present. Accessed at: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/.