Former astronaut swaps spacesuit for chalk

As a child, Terry Hart, ‘68, had a curious mind that often led him to dismantle toys, piece by piece, just to figure out how to put them back together again. 

This fascination with how things are built and how they could be improved only grew with time. It led Hart to pursue a career as an engineer and astronaut, building space shuttle engines and capsule communications. 

After an extensive career, Hart returned to his alma mater in 2004 to take up another interest — teaching. 

The Pittsburgh native grew up with humble beginnings in South Hills. Hart said his father, a ham radio operator, introduced him to mechanical and electrical work at a young age. 

After graduating from Mt. Lebanon High School, Hart decided to pursue his interests at Lehigh, inspired by a few of his friends who had attended. 

It was at Lehigh where he built the foundation of his engineering knowledge. During his time as an undergraduate, he was nominated to Tau Beta Pi, the oldest engineering honor society, and Sigma Xi, one of the oldest international scientific research societies. 

Hart was also a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. He said his experience in the organization taught him valuable lessons that later translated into his career. 

“One of our fraternities’ mottos comes from one of our songs — that we’re ‘reared in adversity,’” Hart said. “That always kind of stuck with me.”

Hart said after graduating from Lehigh with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, he was hired by the research and development company Bell Telephone Laboratories to acquire his master’s at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1969.

Not long after, however, Hart joined the United States Air Force, where he went on fighter missions with crew mates until 1973.

During his time at Bell Telephone Laboratories and in the U.S. Air Force, Hart said he faced several challenges. He had to learn how to fly F-106 interceptors and lead squadrons of other flyers, which he said was harder than any task he took up later at NASA.

It was in his experience as a flyer where he would learn the importance of teamwork, something he’d emphasize and prioritize throughout the rest of his career. 

“When you’re in that kind of environment where you have an intense mission, it’s almost like a sports team,” Hart said. “You’re really trying to make sure you do your part so your team wins.”

Hart was also a member of the New Jersey Air National Guard and continued flying with them until, he said, he acquired the position of a lifetime.

In 1978, Hart was offered to become an astronaut with NASA. He said he took this role while simultaneously completing his second master’s in electrical engineering at Rutgers University.  

While the position came with changes in environment and tasks, Hart said he adapted fairly quickly, as the principles and sense of teamwork he gained from previous job positions translated well to NASA. 

At NASA, Hart said he worked on building space shuttle engines and capsule communications. He was eventually sent to space as a mission specialist on the fifth Space Shuttle Challenger mission.  

Hart, along with the rest of the crew, logged 168 hours in space as they fixed the Solar Maximum Mission satellite 

According to NASA, this satellite carried scientific instruments that helped gather information on solar flares.  

Throughout missions, Hart said, he would reflect on the ambiance of being in space and the conditions he and his crew would operate under. 

“You literally bounce off the walls, because you can’t figure out how to control your body when you’re floating,” Hart said. “You could just sit there with your nose against the window for hours, watching the world go by. The scale is so impressive.”

After nearly six years at NASA, Hart said he turned down a mission in 1984, heading back to Bell Telephone Laboratories to continue his career. He became the head engineer of the satellite division that was later sold to AT&T.

Throughout his time at Bell Telephone Laboratories, Hart became the holder of two patents in safety devices for electronic power converters and noise suppression circuitry. It was at this point when he would take up the presidential position of the business and retire as lieutenant colonel in 1990. 

In 2004, Hart took up his interest of teaching engineering and aerospace  joining Lehigh’s faculty. He has been teaching aerospace and mechanical engineering for 20 years. 

Emily Walsh, ‘26, is a student in Lehigh’s IDEAS program. She said Hart has played a key role in her academic journey, as she has had him as a professor for Introduction to Aerospace Engineering, Spacecraft Design and Aircraft Design.

“I think anyone who’s in his class, when you’re in class with Professor Hart, he likes to give little excerpts from his life and from his work, both as running a company, as being an astronaut, as being in the military,” Walsh said. “For me, at least, I always think it’s really helpful to hear what our professor’s professional experience has been.”

Hart uses his extraordinary career and experiences to teach his students

“I try to make it more interesting by telling stories, because it’s really the best way to learn,” Hart said. “It’s all a part of making learning fun.”

In learning about his space missions and telecommunications work, students are given a first-hand view of the intricacies of the space industry. 

Nathaniel Dudko, ‘26, is a mechanical engineering major, a member of the Lehigh University Space Initiative and the lead system engineer for the organization’s first CubeSat project, OSPREY. Dudko said Hart is his advisor for the OSPREY project, and he has also taken a few aerospace classes with him.  

“He’s been the primary advisor, and it’s been a slippery last semester I’ve had,” Dudko said. “I was kind of talking to him every single day, getting his insight, getting his help on design fundraising and outreaching for students, really just about that entire project. He had a hand in and was super helpful along the way.    

Throughout his time teaching and advising at Lehigh, Hart has emphasized the very same principles he learned when he was an aspiring engineer and astronaut. 

“I try to invoke a sense of teamwork in students,” Hart said. “It’s more of the way you act in the classroom and the way you treat students with kindness.