During the 1984 STS-41-B mission, Robert L. Stewart participated in the first untethered operations conducted from a spacecraft in flight. As an active-duty Army officer, he became the inaugural member of his service branch to venture into orbit, operating the Manned Maneuvering Unit while maneuvering freely in the vacuum of space alongside Bruce McCandless.
Early Education and Military Foundations
Born in Washington, D.C. in 1942, Stewart graduated from Hattiesburg High School in 1960. He pursued mathematics at the University of Southern Mississippi, graduating in 1964, before earning a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1972. Entering active duty in 1964, he served initially at the 32nd NORAD Region Headquarters. After completing rotary wing training, he was designated an Army Aviator in 1966 and served in the Vietnam War, logging 1,035 hours of combat time with the 336th Assault Helicopter Company.
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Following his combat service, Stewart trained as an instructor pilot and attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1974. His career as an experimental test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base involved engineering flight tests for various aircraft, including the UH-1, AH-1, and the Hughes YAH-64 advanced attack helicopter. He also collaborated on electronic flight control systems for the UH-60A Black Hawk. By the time he transitioned to NASA, he had accumulated approximately 6,000 hours of flight time across 38 different types of aircraft.
NASA Service and Extravehicular Activity
Selected as an astronaut candidate in 1978, Stewart officially joined the astronaut corps in August 1979. He contributed to the evaluation of flight control systems for the inaugural Space Shuttle mission and served as support crew for later flights. In 1984, he served as a mission specialist on STS-41-B, where he performed two extravehicular activities totaling over 12 hours. He later participated in the STS-51-J mission in 1985, the maiden flight of the space shuttle Atlantis, bringing his total time in space to 289 hours.
Strategic Defense and Post-NASA Career
While preparing for a third spaceflight, Stewart received a promotion to brigadier general, prompting his departure from NASA in 1986. He transitioned to the U.S. Army Strategic Defense Command in Huntsville, Alabama, where he oversaw research into ballistic missile defense technology. Later, he served as Director of Plans for the United States Space Command in Colorado. Following his retirement from the military in 1992, he worked at the Nichols Research Corporation before retiring fully to Huntsville.
Fast facts
- Born: 1942, Washington, D.C.
- Military Rank: Brigadier General
- Total Spaceflight Time: 289 hours
- Education: University of Southern Mississippi, University of Texas at Arlington, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School
- Selected as Astronaut Candidate: January 1978
- Notable Mission: STS-41-B
- Retirement: 1992
Questions readers ask
Was Robert L. Stewart the first astronaut from the U.S. Army?
He was the first active-duty Army officer to conduct a spaceflight, though other astronauts with prior Army Air Forces experience had flown previously.
What specific task did he perform during the STS-41-B mission?
He participated in the first untethered spacewalks using the Manned Maneuvering Unit alongside astronaut Bruce McCandless.
Achievements
- Affiliated with National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Educated at University of Southern Mississippi, United States Naval Test Pilot School and University of Texas at Arlington
- Worked as astronaut
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