Bonnie J. Dunbar was born on March 3, 1949, in Sunnyside, Washington. After receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in ceramic engineering from the University of Washington, she earned a doctorate in Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering from the University of Houston in 1983.
Following positions with Boeing and Rockwell International Space Division building the Space Shuttle, Dunbar joined NASA as a payload officer and flight controller. She was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1980 and flew five Space Shuttle missions: STS-61A in 1985, STS-32 in 1990, STS-50 in 1992, STS-71 in 1995 and STS-89 in 1998. She logged more than 50 days in space conducting microgravity research, recovering a research satellite from earth orbit with a robotic arm, and training in Russia for Shuttle-Mir operations that advanced international spaceflight cooperation. Dunbar later served as President and CEO of The Museum of Flight in Seattle, expanding aerospace education programs. She is currently a professor of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University.
Dunbar has many honors for her contributions to human space flight and leadership in STEM education, including induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, Living Legends of Aviation, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame.
Dr. Dunbar has also served on the Lone Star Flight Museum’s Board of Directors since 2013.
