Purdue Astronaut to Visit Edgelea
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Major General Roy Bridges to visit Edgelea
Purdue University Astronaut Major General Roy Bridges will visit Edgelea on Thursday October 10. We are super excited to hear his school-wide presentation. Each family will receive a commemorative poster celebrating his visit.
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Learn about 25 Purdue Astronauts
Roy D. Bridges Jr.
Bridges NASA bioBS ’65, Engineering Science, U.S. Air Force Academy
MS ’66, Astronautics, Purdue
Roy Bridges was selected for astronaut training in 1980 and piloted the Spacelab-2 mission (STS-51F) in 1985, which was the first pallet-only spacelab mission and the first mission to operate the spacelab instrument pointing system (IPS). The shuttle carried 13 major experiments. Bridges received an honorary doctorate from Purdue in 2001.
Roy D. Bridges Jr.
Former Center Director
Roy D. Bridges Jr. was the director of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) from March 2, 1997, to Aug. 9, 2003. He left KSC to become the director of the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va.
Bridges is a retired U.S. Air Force Major General who held many key space-related roles during his career. Prior to his last USAF assignment at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, he was the commander, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. He also was commander, Eastern Space and Missile Center, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.; and commander, 412th Test Wing, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
As a NASA Astronaut, he piloted the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51F in July 1985.
He is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, earning a Bachelor's degree in engineering science. He received a Master of Science degree in astronautics from Purdue University, Ind.; in May 2001, he received an honorary Doctorate of engineering degree from Purdue; and in May 2003, he received an honorary Doctorate of Science degree from Florida Institute of Technology.
He has received numerous awards and honors. Most recently, he was awarded NASA's Outstanding Leadership Medal and the Presidential Meritorious Executive Award.
Bridges was born in Atlanta, Ga., but grew up in Gainesville, Ga. He is married to the former Benita Louise Allbaugh of Tucson, Ariz. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.
Major General Roy D. Bridges
Above in 1985 photo.
Below in current photo.