Meet the Expert: Bob Cabana, outgoing NASA Associate Administrator and astronaut
Robert D. Cabana is a former NASA astronaut, currently serving as the agency’s associate administrator, its third highest-ranking executive and highest-ranking civil servant. He is the senior advisor to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. In his role, Cabana leads the agency’s 10 center directors as well as the mission directorate associate administrators at headquarters. He acts as the agency’s chief operating officer for more than 18,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $25 billion.
Before taking that position, Cabana was director of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In that role, Cabana managed all NASA facilities and activities at the spaceport, including the team of civil service and contractor employees who operate and support numerous space programs and projects.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Cabana graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and completed Naval Flight Officer training in Pensacola, Florida, in 1972. Cabana then served as an A-6 bombardier/navigator with Marine Air Wings in Cherry Point, North Carolina, and Iwakuni, Japan.
Cabana was selected as an astronaut candidate in June 1985 and completed his initial astronaut training in July 1986. A veteran of four spaceflights, Cabana has logged 38 days in space, serving as the pilot on STS-41 and STS-53 and mission commander on STS-65 and STS-88. His fourth flight was the first assembly mission of the International Space Station in December 1998. Following his retirement as a colonel from the Marine Corps in September 2000, Cabana was appointed a member of the Federal Senior Executive Service. He served in numerous challenging senior management positions at Johnson Space Center in Houston, ultimately becoming deputy director.
In October 2007, Cabana was appointed director of NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. A year later he was reassigned as the tenth director of the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
Cabana’s many achievements have been recognized with induction into the Astronaut Hall of Fame and being named an Associate Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He has received numerous personal awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award, and the National Space Club Florida Committee’s Dr. Kurt H. Debus Award. He also is a recipient of the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement’s National Space Trophy.
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Challenge: Spend some time learning about astronauts. See if you can find one of them that you identify with. It could be where they are from, what they love to do, or what they are interested in. See if you can imagine yourself becoming an astronaut like them one day.
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Highlighted Book for this episode!
Spacecare: A Kid’s Guide to Surviving Space by Jennifer Swanson
Filled with answers from actual astronauts, Spacecare is the perfect book for kids who dream of going to space!
Have you ever wondered how astronauts stay healthy in space? What if an astronaut gets sick on the space station? Does snot run in space? This fascinating photo-illustrated look at space and medicine explores how scientists and physicians study astronauts in space, how they help keep them safe, and what we’ve learned about the human body through space exploration. Questions from real kids and answers from astronauts, along with photos from NASA, combine for an out-of-this-world exploration of health.
Book list:
How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure by John Rocco
Gutsy Girls Go For Science: Astronauts: With Stem Projects for Kids by Alicia Klepeis (Author), Hui Li (Illustrator)
The Fascinating Space Book for Kids: 500 Far-Out Facts! by Lisa Reichley
Astronomy Activity Book for Kids: 100+ Fun Ways to Learn About Space and Stargazing by Aurora Lipper (Author), Victoria Stebleva (Illustrator)
Space Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity by Bruce Betts Ph.D.