During the STS-51-A mission in 1984, Dale Gardner executed a historic salvage operation by using a Manned Maneuvering Unit to retrieve two malfunctioning communication satellites. This untethered spacewalk represented a unique moment in orbital mechanics, as Gardner operated in the vacuum of space without physical connection to the Discovery shuttle to recover objects stranded in improper orbits.
Naval Aviation and Technical Training
Born in Fairmont, Minnesota, in 1948, Gardner graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1970 with a degree in Engineering Physics. He entered the United States Navy, attending the Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola. His early military career was defined by academic precision; he graduated from the VT-10 squadron with the highest academic record in its history. As a project officer at the Naval Air Test Center in Maryland, he contributed to the developmental testing of the F-14 Tomcat. He later served on the USS Enterprise, flying the Tomcat during deployments in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean.
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Selected as an astronaut candidate in 1978, Gardner served as the project manager for flight software on Space Shuttle computers. He participated in two space missions: STS-8 in 1983 and STS-51-A in 1984. During STS-8, he participated in the first night launch and landing of the shuttle program. His total flight time reached 337 hours in space. Following his NASA tenure, he returned to the Navy in 1986, working within the U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs, where he oversaw surveillance of Earth-orbiting objects until his retirement in 1990.
Post-Military Career and Legacy
After retiring from military service as a captain, Gardner transitioned to the private sector, holding program management roles at TRW Inc. and later at Northrop Grumman in Colorado Springs. He concluded his career as the Associate Director for Renewable Fuels Science and Technology at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, retiring in 2013. He received numerous military and civilian honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and multiple iterations of the Defense Superior Service Medal. Gardner died in Colorado Springs in 2014 and is buried at Evergreen Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1948, Fairmont
- Died: 2014, Colorado Springs
- Education: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Military rank: Captain
- Total space flight time: 337 hours
- Primary award: Distinguished Flying Cross
- Employer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Final position: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the STS-51-A mission?
It featured the first and only untethered spacewalk performed to retrieve and return malfunctioning satellites from orbit.
What did Dale Gardner do after retiring from NASA?
He served in the U.S. Space Command, worked in aerospace program management at TRW and Northrop Grumman, and eventually directed renewable fuels research.
Achievements
- Affiliated with National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Educated at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and United States Naval Test Pilot School
- Worked as military officer, astronaut and aircraft pilot
