Space ShuttleLiving
Astronaut Profile
Robert Gibson
Commander
Robert 'Hoot' Gibson commanded STS-71, the first Space Shuttle docking with the Russian space station Mir, personally flying the historic docking approach.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Commander • Living
Biography
The person behind the mission
Robert L. 'Hoot' Gibson was a U.S. Navy fighter pilot who flew five Space Shuttle missions. He commanded STS-71 in 1995, personally flying Atlantis to history's first docking between an American Space Shuttle and the Russian station Mir, a mission that laid essential groundwork for the International Space Station.
Astronaut Details
Born
January 30, 1946
Birthplace
Cooperstown, New York, USA
Role
Commander
Program
Space Shuttle
Time in Space
36 days, 6 hours, 15 minutes
Missions
STS-41-B, STS-61-C, STS-27, STS-47, STS-71
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- Navy Distinguished Flying Cross
- NASA Space Flight Medal