Edward Gibson

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Edward Gibson bigraphy, stories - Astronauts

Edward Gibson : biography

November 8, 1936 –

Edward George Gibson, Ph.D., (born November 8, 1936) is a former astronaut for NASA, an pilot, an engineer, and a physicist.

Before becoming a NASA astronaut, Gibson graduated from the University of Rochester and the California Institute of Technology. He became a research assistant in jet propulsion while completing his studies and eventually became a research scientist for Philco Corporation until joining NASA.

Gibson was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1965 as part of Astronaut Group 4, the first group of scientist-astronauts. He served on the support crew of Apollo 12 before moving on to work on the development of the Skylab space station. In 1973-74, Gibson made his first and only flight into space as science pilot aboard Skylab 4, the third and final manned flight to Skylab. He, along with Commander Gerald Carr and Pilot William Pogue, spent just over 84 days in space. Gibson resigned from NASA in December 1974, but returned in 1977 to preside over the selection of scientist-astronaut candidates. Gibson retired from NASA for the last time in October 1982.

Special honors

Gibson was awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship and the R.C. Baker Fellowship at the California Institute of Technology, and he is listed in several Who’s Who publications. He received the Johnson Space Center Certificate of Commendation (1970), the NASA Distinguished Service Medal (presented by President Richard M. Nixon in 1974) and the NASA Space Flight Medal, the City of New York Gold Medal (1974), the Robert J. Collier Trophy for 1973 (1974), the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy for 1975 (1975), the Federation Aeronautique Internationale’s De La Vaulx Medal and V. M. Komarov Diploma for 1974 (1975), the American Astronautical Society’s 1975 Flight Achievement Award (1976), the AIAA Haley Astronautics Award for 1975 (1976), a Senior U.S. Scientist Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (1976), and a JSC Special Achievement Award (1978). He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1997, retrieved 2007-08-23

Media appearances

In the TV miniseries From the Earth to the Moon (1998), Gibson was played by actor Geoffrey Nauffts.

Personal

Gibson is married to the former Julie Anne Volk of Tonawanda, New York. He has four children. His recreational interests include distance running, swimming, photography, flying, and motorcycling.

Biography

Early life and education

Gibson was born in Buffalo, New York, on November 8, 1936. He graduated from the Kenmore Senior High School in Kenmore, New York, and the he earned his bachelor of science degree in engineering from the University of Rochester in New York State in June 1959. He earned his master of science degree in engineering (Jet Propulsion Option) from the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) in June 1960 and then his doctorate in engineering with a minor in physics from Cal Tech in June 1964. Gibson has also been presented with honorary doctorates of science from the University of Rochester in 1974 and Wagner College in New York City in 1974.

Gibson was elected a fellow of the American Astronautical Society. He is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and a member of Tau Beta Pi, an engineering honorary organization. Gibson much later became a member of the Seniors Track Club.

Early career

While studying at Caltech, Gibson was a research assistant in the field of jet propulsion and classical physics. His technical publications are in the fields of plasma physics and solar physics. He was senior research scientist with the Applied Research Laboratories of the Philco Corporation at Newport Beach, California, from June 1964 until moving to NASA. While at Philco, he did research in lasers and the optical breakdown of gases.

Gibson has logged more than 4,300 hours flying time — 2,270 hours in jet aircraft.

NASA career

Gibson was selected as a scientist-astronaut by NASA in June 1965. He completed a 53-week course in flight training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, and earned his Air Force wings. Since then, he has flown helicopters and the T-38.