1) Robert C. "Bob" Springer received a bachelor of science degree in naval science from the United States Naval Academy in 1964 and a master of science in operations research and systems analysis from the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1971.
2) Springer was commissioned into the U.S. Marines, earning the rank of Colonel. He is a veteran of Vietnam, where he completed 300 combat missions flying F-4 phantoms and 250 missions flying helicopters.
3) Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in May of 1980, Springer became an astronaut in August 1981. He has logged more than 237 hours in space.
4) Springer has logged more than 6,500 flying hours in his career. He has been a Mission Specialist on two spaceflights: STS-29 aboard Discovery and STS-38 aboard Atlantis.
5) In his free time, Col. Springer stays active by participating in long-distance running, golf and kayaking.