GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — In his storied career, NASA Associate Administrator Colonel Bob Cabana, has piloted the world's most sophisticated airplanes and rockets, but his love of flight began in south Minneapolis on the most humble mode of transportation, a secondhand bike he bought from his friend.
The fixed gear bike had one speed and no brakes and Cabana says he would ride it all over the city. At least once a week he would ride it to the Naval Air Station near Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport to watch the planes take off and land.
"They had P-2, Neptunes and A-4 Skyhawks,” he said, “and I'd watch them fly in and up, and it just created a love of aviation for me.”
His goal since childhood was to become a pilot and after graduating from Washburn High School, he was appointed to the United States Naval Academy. From there, he entered the Naval Pilot Test Program, which he says is what qualified him to be an astronaut.
Nineteen years after graduating from the Naval Academy, Cabana watched his first shuttle launch, from the cockpit.
“The first time I actually had witnessed a rocket launch,” he said, “it was in the rearview mirror in the pilot's seat of the space shuttle Discovery on SDS 41."
Cabana would go to space four times, serving as commander twice. On his last mission — on the Endeavor — he helped build the International Space Station.
"We did three spacewalks to connect all the power and data connectors,” he said. “And then on December 10th, 1998, 25 years ago, we were actually the first crew to enter the International Space Station."
Cabana could have claimed that honor for himself, but he chose to share it with his Russian crewmate, Sergei Krikalev.
"So there was no first person to enter the International Space Station," Cabana said. "I felt if we're going to have an international space station, we need to enter as an international crew, so side-by-side."
The spirit of collaboration is a defining theme of Cabana's career. He has promoted NASA’s collaboration, not just with other countries, but with private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin as well. Partnerships that have accelerated space exploration.
"So right now, things are booming on the on the space coast,” Cabana said. “In fact, they're going to have on the whole Cape between KSC (Kennedy Space Center) and the Space Force ranges, the 45th Space Wing, we might get up to 100 launches this calendar year, which is pretty amazing."
Cabana's continued love for the job and for space is obvious, but recently he made the tough decision to step down and pursue other passions, like spending time with his grandchildren.
“I intend to have a lot of time to have fun with my grandkids while I'm still healthy enough to beat them on a bicycle," Cabana said.
As for that bike he rode all those decades ago, the one that helped fuel his love of flight? It will remain behind, enshrined at the Kennedy Space Center Museum, a lasting reminder of Cabana's enduring impact and influence on America's space program.
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