Four separate space shuttle missions defined the professional trajectory of Gregory J. Harbaugh, a career engineer who transitioned from ground-based flight operations to performing complex extravehicular activities in orbit. Logging over 800 hours in space, he played a critical role in the maintenance of orbital assets and the development of long-term space station infrastructure during his tenure at NASA.
Early Education and Ground Operations
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1956, Harbaugh graduated from Willoughby South High School in 1974. He continued his studies at Purdue University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering in 1978. Following graduation, he joined the Johnson Space Center. For nearly a decade, he worked in flight operations, serving as a Data Processing Systems officer for several shuttle missions, including STS-9 and STS-41-D, before transitioning to the astronaut corps in 1988.
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Harbaugh’s flight career commenced with STS-39 in 1991, an eight-day Department of Defense mission aboard Discovery. He subsequently participated in STS-54 in 1993, during which he performed his first spacewalk. In 1995, he served as a flight engineer on STS-71, the inaugural mission involving a docking maneuver with the Russian Mir space station. His final space flight, STS-82 in 1997, focused on the second servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope, involving two spacewalks lasting over 14 hours to install new scientific instruments.
Technical Leadership and Management
Between 1997 and 2001, Harbaugh managed the Extravehicular Activity Project Office at NASA. This role gave him oversight of the agency’s entire spacewalk apparatus, including the design of tools, training protocols, and spacesuit operations for the shuttle and the International Space Station. After departing NASA in March 2001, he held leadership roles at Sun 'n Fun Fly-in, Inc. and the Sigma Chi Foundation before founding InnerSpace Consultants.
Fast facts
- Born: 1956, Cleveland, Ohio
- Education: Purdue University, University of Houston–Clear Lake
- NASA selection: June 1987
- Total time in space: 818 hours
- Total EVA time: 18 hours, 29 minutes
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal: 1998
- Left NASA: March 2001
Questions readers ask
What were Harbaugh's primary responsibilities on the Hubble servicing mission?
He participated in two spacewalks totaling over 14 hours to install new spectrometers and replacement instruments, and applied insulation patches to electronics compartments.
What did Harbaugh do after leaving NASA?
He served as the Museum Director and COO of Sun 'n Fun Fly-in, Inc., CEO of the Sigma Chi Foundation, and eventually founded InnerSpace Consultants.
Achievements
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- Recorded as astronaut
