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Born November 8, 1948 in Fairmont, Minnesota, Dale
A. Gardner is a former NASA Astronaut who flew two
missions for NASA in the early 1980s.

==NASA Experience==
Gardner was selected as an Astronaut Candidate by
NASA in January 1978, reporting to the Johnson
Space Center in July 1978. In August 1979 he
completed a 1-year training and evaluation period,
making him eligible for assignment as a Mission
Specialist Astronaut. He subsequently served as
the Astronaut Project Manager for the flight
software in the Shuttle onboard computers leading
up to the first flight in April 1981. He then
served as a Support Crew Astronaut for the fourth
flight (STS-4). He flew as a mission specialist on
STS-8 (August 30 to September 5, 1983) and STS-51A
(November 8-16, 1984). Gardner logged a total of
337 hours in space and 225 orbits of the Earth on
these two flights. He has logged more than 2300
hours flying time in over 20 different types of
aircraft and spacecraft. Prior to the Space
Shuttle Challenger|Challenger accident, Gardner
was chosen to be a member of the first Shuttle
mission to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base,
California, into a polar orbit. That flight and
the Vandenberg launch capability itself were
canceled after the accident.

In October 1986, following 8-1/2 years with NASA,
Gardner returned to his U.S. Navy|Navy duties and
was assigned to the U.S. Space Command, Colorado
Springs, Colorado. He served over two years as the
Deputy Chief, Space Control Operations Division in
Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Base and, after
promotion to the rank of Captain in June 1989,
became the command's Deputy Director for Space
Control at Peterson Air Force Base. His space
control responsibilities included the surveillance
and tracking of all man-made objects in Earth
orbit and the protection of U.S. and friendly
space systems. Gardner retired from the U.S. Navy
in October 1990 and accepted a position with
TRW|TRW Inc. in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is
a program manager in the Colorado Springs
Engineering Operations of TRW's Space and Defense
Sector. In that capacity, he is involved in the
development of both civilian space and military
space and defense high technology programs.

===Space flight experience===
STS-8 launched from the Kennedy Space Center,
Florida on August 30, 1983. The crew aboard Space
Shuttle Challenger included Richard Truly
(Spacecraft Commander), Daniel Brandenstein
(Pilot), and fellow Mission Specialists Guion
Bluford and William Thornton. This was the third
flight of the Orbiter Challenger and the first
night launch and landing mission of the Shuttle
program. During the flight, the crew of STS-8
deployed the Indian National Satellite (INSAT-1B),
operated and tested the Canadian-build Remote
Manipulator System (RMS) robot arm, and performed
numerous earth resources and space science
experiments. STS-8 completed 98 Earth orbits in
145 hours before landing at Edwards Air Force
Base, California on September 5, 1983.

STS-51A, the fourteenth flight of the Shuttle
program, launched on November 8, 1984 (his
birthday). The crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery
included Frederick Hauck (Spacecraft Commander),
David Walker (Pilot), and fellow Mission
Specialists Joseph Allen and Anna Fisher. This was
the second flight of Discovery. During this
mission the crew deployed two satellites, Canada's
ANIK D-2 (TELESAT-H) and the Hughes' LEASAT-1
(SYNCOM IV-1), now in service with the U.S. Navy.
In a dramatic salvage effort, they also
rendezvoused with and returned from space two
satellites previously launched into improper
orbits, the Indonesian Palapa B-2 and the Western
Union WESTAR VI communication satellites. Gardner
and Allen completed two space walks totaling 12
hours and flew the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU)
backpack during the salvage operation. STS-51A
completed 127 orbits of the Earth before landing
at the Kennedy Space Center on November 16, 1984.

==Military Experience==
Upon graduation from the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign |University of Illinois in 1970,
Gardner entered into active duty with the United
States Navy and was assigned to the Aviation
Officer Candidate School at Pensacola, Florida. He
was commissioned an Ensign and was selected as the
most promising naval officer from his class. In
October 1970 he began Basic Naval Flight Officer
training with the VT-10 squadron at Pensacola,
graduating with the highest academic average ever
achieved in the history of the squadron. He
proceeded to the Naval Technical Training Center
at Glynco, Georgia, for Advanced Flight Officer
training and was selected a Distinguished Naval
Graduate and awarded his Naval Flight Officer
wings on May 5, 1971. At the Naval Air Test Center
Patuxent River, Maryland, from May 1971 to July
1973, he was assigned to the Weapons Systems Test
Division and involved in initial F-14 Tomcat
developmental test and evaluation as Project
Officer for Inertial Navigation and Avionics
Systems. Gardner's next assignment was with the
first operational F-14 squadron (VF-1) at Naval
Air Station Miramar, San Diego, California, from
where he flew the TOMCAT and participated in two
Western Pacific and Indian Ocean cruises while
deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS
Enterprise. From December 1976 until July 1978, he
was assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron
4(VX-4) at NAS Pt. Mugu, California, involved in
the operational test and evaluation of Navy
fighter aircraft.

==Personal Information==
Born November 8, 1948 in Fairmont, Minnesota,
Gardner grew up in Sherburn, Minnesota and
Savanna, Illinois. He considers his hometown to be
Clinton, Iowa, where his mother, Mrs. Alice
Gardner, resides. Divorced, with two children, he
now lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. An avid
sports enthusiast, he enjoys snow skiing, golfing,
tennis, and jogging. Other interests include
woodworking and photography.

==Education==
Graduated as Valedictorian of his class from
Savanna Community High School, Savanna, Illinois,
in 1966. Received bachelor of science degree in
Engineering Physics from the University of
Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) in 1970.

==Organizations==
Member, Phi Eta Sigma, Sigma Tau, and Tau Beta Pi.
Fellow, American Astronautical Society.

==Special Honors==
Defense Superior Service Medal (1984, 1989, 1990);
Distinguished Flying Cross (1989); Meritorious
Unit Commendation (1976); Humanitarian Service
Medal (1979); Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
(1984). Other honors include the NASA Space Flight
Medal (1983 and 1984); Master Space Badge (1989);
Lloyd's of London Meritorious Service Medal
(1984).


Source
----
NASA Astronaut
Biographieshttp://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/g
ardner-da.html