Roy D. Bridges Jr.

Did You Know?

• Bridges achieved the rank of Life Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.
• He graduated from Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Georgia, in 1961.
• He earned a Master of Science degree in astronautics from Purdue University in 1966.

NASA career

Bridges piloted the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-F, which flew from July 29 to August 6, 1985. He later served as Director of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center for over six years, managing the processing and launch of the Space Shuttle, payload processing for both the Shuttle and expendable launch vehicles, and overseeing expendable vehicle launches with NASA payloads. He led a team of about 2,000 NASA civil servants and about 14,000 contractors. In 2003, Bridges became Director of NASA's Langley Research Center, where he was responsible for the center's aeronautical and space research programs, facilities, personnel, and administration, managing approximately 2,100 NASA civil service and 1,800 contractor personnel. He retired from Langley and from NASA at the end of 2005.

Military career

Bridges is a retired U.S. Air Force major general and a decorated veteran of 262 combat missions during the Vietnam War. From June 1993 until his retirement on July 1, 1996, he served as the director of requirements at Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where he was the Command focal point for product management policy, processes, and resources. Prior to that, he was commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

He also held key leadership positions including deputy chief of staff for test and resources at Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland; commander of the Eastern Space and Missile Center at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida; and commander of the 6510th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base. His earlier assignments included F-100 pilot with the 524th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, and with the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron and Commando Sabre Operation (Misty) at Phu Cat Air Base, Republic of Vietnam; T-37 instructor pilot with the 3575th Pilot Training Squadron at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma; test pilot at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB; and F-15 and A-10 program element monitor at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. He was a distinguished graduate of the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and attended the United States Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards AFB.