Scott Altman
A naval aviator turned astronaut who piloted two historic missions to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American astronaut·Birthday: August 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Scott 'Scooter' Altman’s path to space was carved in the sky. A top-tier naval aviator and test pilot, he flew F-14 Tomcats and later instructed at the Navy’s elite Fighter Weapons School, Topgun. Selected by NASA in 1995, his calm precision made him a natural for complex missions. He piloted two space shuttle flights dedicated to the Hubble Space Telescope: first on STS-109 in 2002, and then as commander of STS-125 in 2009, the final and most ambitious servicing mission that extended Hubble’s life and capabilities for years. Between these bookends, he commanded a mission to the International Space Station. After leaving NASA, he brought his operational expertise to the aerospace industry. Altman’s legacy is tied to Hubble, having directly helped gift humanity with some of its deepest views of the cosmos.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Scott was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Scott Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Scott's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Commanded STS-125, the final and highly complex servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009.
- Piloted the space shuttle Columbia on the STS-109 mission, another Hubble servicing flight in 2002.
- Logged over 51 days in space across four Space Shuttle missions.
- Was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2018.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Scooter' was given to him by his father as a child.
He flew combat missions in the F-14 Tomcat during Operation Desert Storm.
He served as an instructor at the Navy's Topgun school.
He portrayed a shuttle pilot in the 1996 film 'Independence Day', drawing on his real-life training.
“Flying the shuttle is about managing energy, from launch to landing.”
