USA

Robert Kimbrough

(Robert Shane Kimbrough)

(Jun 04, 1967)

Astronaut 486

Astronaut of the USA 309

EVA astronaut 181

EVA astronaut of the USA 114

Spaceflights 3

EVAs 9

Spaceflights

EVAs

NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough is retiring after 22 years of service, 18 of which were spent in the astronaut corps. His final day at the agency is Sunday, July 31, 2022.

The retired U.S. Army colonel spent 388 days in space, ranking fifth on NASA’s list of record-holders for cumulative time spent in orbit (at the time of his retirement). He became the fourth person to fly on three different types of spacecraft—the Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and SpaceX Crew Dragon—and also performed nine spacewalks across his three missions.

Kimbrough recently commanded NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station; this was the second long-duration flight for the Crew Dragon spacecraft and the longest spaceflight by an American crewed vehicle. During the mission, Kimbrough and the Expedition 65 crew conducted more than 250 scientific studies aimed at benefiting humanity and advancing future space exploration.

Kimbrough performed spacewalks to install and deploy new flexible solar arrays (iROSA) for the International Space Station.

NASA selected Kimbrough as an astronaut candidate in May 2004. He flew his first space mission in 2008 aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-126), traveling to the space station. A key highlight of this mission, which lasted nearly 16 days, was expanding the station's living quarters to accommodate a six-person crew; the mission delivered a new toilet, a kitchen, two sleeping quarters, exercise equipment, and a water recovery system. Kimbrough’s second flight began on October 19, 2016, aboard the Soyuz spacecraft; he served as a crew member for Expeditions 49 and 50 aboard the station. One week after his arrival, he assumed command of the station, a role he held until his return to Earth nearly six months later. In addition to his spaceflight experience, Kimbrough supported his colleagues by serving at various times as the Integration Test Team Lead and the Robotics Team Lead within the Astronaut Office. Kimbrough was born in Killeen, Texas, and graduated from The Lovett School in Atlanta in 1985. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1989, and a Master of Science degree in Operations Research from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta in 1998.