Terry Jonathan Hart (born October 27, 1946) is an American mechanical and electrical engineer, a retired United States Air Force lieutenant colonel and pilot, and former NASA astronaut. Hart served as a mission specialist on the STS-41-C mission, where tasks included operation of the shuttle Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm to deploy the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) and Solar Max satellite.

Early life and education

Hart was born on October 27, 1946, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, in 1964. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University in 1968, a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1969, and a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from Rutgers University in 1978.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate of engineering from Lehigh University in 1988.

Career

Military service

Hart entered on active duty with the United States Air Force Reserve in June 1969. He completed Undergraduate Pilot Training at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, in December 1970, and from then until 1973, flew F-106 interceptors for the Air Defense Command at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, at Loring Air Force Base, Maine, and at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. In 1973, he joined the New Jersey Air National Guard and continued flying with the Guard until 1985, retiring as lieutenant colonel in 1990.

Private sector

From 1968 to 1978, Hart was employed as a member of the technical staff of Bell Labs. His principal duties included electrical and mechanical design responsibilities for a variety of electronic power equipment used in the Bell System. He has received two patents. He left Bell Labs in 1978 upon selection as a NASA Astronaut candidate.

After leaving NASA, he was the director of engineering and operations for AT&T's satellite network.

Lehigh University

Hart is currently a member of the engineering faculty at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Organizations

He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi, and Delta Upsilon.

References

  • Spacefacts Biography at Spacefacts