Robert "Beamer" Curbeam

Robert Curbeam is a former NASA astronaut and captain in the United States Navy.

In 2018, Curbeam joined Northrop Grumman Innovative Systems as the Vice President of Business Development for the Tactical Space Systems Division. Before joining Northrop Grumman, Curbeam was Mission Area Director for Civil Space and International Business at Raytheon where he led civil space and international business areas and provided oversight, as needed, for other Space Systems programs. Before working for Raytheon Space Systems, he held positions as Vice President of Mission Assurance, Quality and Six Sigma for Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems business and President of the Aerospace and Defense Division for ARES Corporation.

Prior to joining the corporate world, Curbeam was an astronaut with NASA. He held a wide range of positions with NASA as director of Safety, Reliability, and Quality Assurance for the Constellation program, deputy director of Flight Crew Operations; and Spacecraft Communicator (CAPCOM) Branch Chief. Curbeam was second-in-command for safety across NASA, as the deputy associate administrator of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA headquarters. During his tenure with NASA, he served on three space shuttle missions and seven spacewalks.

Curbeam retired from the U.S. Navy after 23 years of service. He is a graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) and Navy Test Pilot School; was lead project manager officer for the F-14 Air-to-Ground Weapons Separation Flight Test Program; and logged more than 3,000 flight hours in 25 different aircraft and spacecraft.

Curbeam holds the degree of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineer and a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, Calif. He received his bachelor’s degree with merit in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

He is a member of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and the Association of Old Crows. Curbeam was named Fighter Wing One Radar Intercept Officer of the Year in 1989 and received the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School Best Developmental Thesis (DT-II) Award.

He currently holds the record for the most spacewalks during a single spaceflight. During the STS-116 mission, Curbeam completed four spacewalks.