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Robert Curbeam (b. March 5, 1962) is an United
States|American astronaut and Commander in the
United States Navy.

He was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He is married
and has two children. He enjoys weightlifting,
bicycling, and family activities.

Curbeam graduated from Woodlawn High School,
Baltimore County, Maryland in 1980. He earned a
bachelor of science degree in aerospace
engineering from the United States Naval Academy
in 1984 and a master of science degree in
aeronautical engineering from the Naval
Postgraduate School in 1990. 

He is a member of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni
Association and the Association of Old Crows.

He was named Fighter Wing One Radar Intercept
Officer of the Year in 1989 and received the U.S.
Naval Test Pilot School Best Developmental Thesis
(DT-II) Award.

Upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy,
Curbeam commenced Naval Flight Officer training in
1984. In 1986 he reported to Fighter Squadron 11
(VF-11) and made overseas deployments to the
Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, and the Arctic
ocean|Arctic and Indian Oceans on board the USS
Forrestal (CV-59). During his tour in VF-11, he
also attended Navy Fighter Weapons School
(Topgun). Upon completion of Test Pilot School in
December 1991, he reported to the Strike Aircraft
Test Directorate where he was the project officer
for the F-14A/B Air-to-Ground Weapons Separation
Program. In August 1994, he returned to the U.S.
Naval Academy as an instructor in the Weapons and
Systems Engineering Department.

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. Between the two flights, Curbeam
served as a spacecraft communicator (Capsule
communicator|CAPCOM) responsible for relaying all
voice communication between Mission Control and
crews aboard the space shuttle and International
Space Station. After his second flight, he also
served as the CAPCOM Branch Chief. During the
spring of 2002, he served as Deputy Associate
Administrator for Safety and Mission Assurance, at
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. 

==Space Flight Experience==
STS-85 (August 7-19, 1997) was a 12-day mission
during which the crew deployed and retrieved the
CRISTA-SPAS payload, operated the Japanese
Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD) robotic
arm, studied changes in the Earth's atmosphere and
tested technology destined for use on the future
International Space Station. The mission was
accomplished in 189 Earth orbits, traveling 4.7
million miles in 284 hours and 27 minutes.

STS-98 (February 7-20, 2001) continued the task of
building and enhancing the International Space
Station by delivering the U.S. laboratory module
Destiny. The Shuttle spent seven days docked to
the station while Destiny was attached. In helping
to complete its assembly Curbeam logged over 19
hours EVA hours in 3 space walks. The crew also
relocated a docking port, and delivered supplies
and equipment to the resident Expedition-1 crew.
Mission duration was 12 days, 21 hours, 20
minutes.