John-David Francis Bartoe

Dr. John-David Bartoe was NASA’s Chief Scientist and Research Manager for the International Space Station and an astronaut aboard Space Shuttle Challenger.

Before working at NASA Dr. Bartoe was a Supervisory Astrophysicist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. and published over 160 papers in the field of solar physics observations and instrumentation. He flew on Space Shuttle Mission 51-F (Challenger), launched on July 29, 1985, as a civilian Navy Payload Specialist. A physicist by training, Dr. Bartoe was co-investigator on two solar physics investigations aboard this mission, designated Spacelab 2, that were designed to study features of the sun’s outer layers. During the mission he was in charge of operating a suite of eight telescopes studying the Sun, stars, and galaxies.

Since his retirement, Dr. Bartoe has continued extensive human space outreach through lectures at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Space Center Houston, and other numerous educational venues.

Presently, Dr. Bartoe is an Officer of the Association of Space Explorers, the professional organization of over 400 astronauts from 37 countries. His awards include the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the Flight Achievement Award of the American Astronautical Society, the John Carroll Award of Georgetown University, the NASA Space Flight Medal, and eight Alan Berman Publication Awards.

Dr. Bartoe grew up in Hulmeville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, a town of 700 people. He earned a BS in Engineering Physics at Lehigh University, graduating summa cum laude with Honors, then went on to earn a PhD in Physics at Georgetown University.