Anniversary of the Moon Walk: 10 African American Space Pioneers

(Image: NASA.gov)

Robert L. Curbeam, Jr.

Selected by NASA in December 1994, Curbeam reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995.

After completing a year of training and evaluation, he was assigned to the Computer Support Branch in the Astronaut Office. He is a veteran of two space flights, STS-85 in 1997 and STS-98 in 2001, and has logged over 593 hours in space, including over 19 EVA hours during three spacewalks. A veteran of three space flights, Curbeam has logged over 901 hours in space, including 7 EVAs (space walks) totaling 45 hours and 34 minutes. In November 2007, Curbeam retired from the Navy and NASA in order to pursue a career in the private sector.