June 5, 2008; 6:30pm-9:00pm
Michaels at Shoreline, Mountain View
Karol J. "Bo" Bobko (Colonel, USAF Ret.)
SAIC / NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA
What is it like to ride a Space Shuttle into orbit?
This presentation gives a crew member's perspective of the launch into orbit, starting with a description of the ride to the launch pad and continuing into MECO (Main Engine Cut-Off). The entire sequence only takes about eight-and-a-half minutes, but a lot of exciting things are packed into that time. During this presentation, you will learn in thrilling detail why astronauts refer to a Shuttle launch as an "E ticket ride!"
Karol J. "Bo" Bobko (Colonel, USAF Ret.) is a former USAF and NASA astronaut. He was the pilot on STS-6 (1983); and was the mission commander on STS-51-D (1985) and STS-51-J (1985). He has logged a total of 386 hours in space.
In 2005, he joined Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) as Program Manager for the NASA Ames Research Center Simulation Laboratories (SimLabs) contract.
Col. Bobko received a B.S. from the Air Force Academy in 1959, and M.S. Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1970.
Special honors: Awarded three NASA Space Flight Medals, two NASA Exceptional Service Medals and six JSC Group Achievement Awards; presented the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross and two Meritorious Service Medals (1970 and 1979). He also received the Air Force Academy Jabara Award for 1983.
Air Force experience: Col. Bobko, was a member of the first graduating class of the 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 wings in 1960.
From 1961 to 1965, he flew F-100 and F-105 aircraft while assigned as a pilot with the 523d Tactical Fighter Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, and the 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Seymore Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. He attended the Aerospace Research Pilots School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and was assigned as an astronaut to the USAF Manned Orbiting Laboratory Program in 1966.
He has logged over 6,600 hours flight time in the F-100, F-104, T-105, T-33, T-38, and other aircraft.
NASA experience: Colonel Bobko became a NASA astronaut in September 1969. He was a crewmember on the highly successful Skylab Medical Experiments Altitude Test (SMEAT) -- a 56-day ground simulation of the Skylab mission, enabling crewmen to collect medical experiments baseline data and evaluate equipment, operations and procedures.
Bobko was a member of the astronaut support crew for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). This historic first international, manned space flight was completed in July 1975. Subsequently, he was a member of the support crew for the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, California. He served alternately as CAPCOM and prime chase pilot during these Approach and Landing Test (ALT) flights.
In preparation for the first flight of Columbia (STS-1) Colonel Bobko served as the lead astronaut in the test and checkout group at Kennedy Space Center. He went on to fly three Shuttle missions: STS-6, STS-51-D, and STS-51-J.
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Registration and no-host cocktails at 6:30 pm;
buffet dinner at 7;00 pm;
program starts at 7:30 pm;
program ends at 9:300 pm.
This meeting is open to the general public.
For more information about this meeting, contact
Eric Mueller
Michael's at Shoreline
2960 N Shoreline Blvd
Mountain View, CA,94043
650-962-1014
Map: Google