Have you ever looked up at the stars and wondered what it might feel like to be among them? To claim not just the view, but the risk, the training, the sheer audacity of it all?
Colonel Robert “Bob” Springer didn’t just wonder. He acted. Over and over again.
Astronaut – Two-time Shuttle crew member. Marine Corps aviator. TOPGUN graduate. Combat pilot. Longtime Boeing leader. Husband. Father. Grandfather. Contributor to Two Types of People book.
And now—for the very first time—he stepped into a podcast studio, sitting down with me on the show.
This is his story.
A Life of Action
Before the conversation even begins, you have to know who we’re talking about:
- NASA Astronautwho spent over 237 hours in space on two Space Shuttle missions: STS-29 (Discovery, 1989) and STS-38 (Atlantis, 1990).
- Flew 300+ F-4 combat missions in Vietnam(with some accounts noting another 200 in helicopters).
- TOPGUN Graduate — among the most elite aviators in the world.
- Logged 4,500+ total flight hours, including 3,500 in jets.
- Decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, 21 Air Medals, the Presidential Unit Citation, NASA Space Flight Medal, and multiple Navy Commendation / Achievement Medals.
- Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, where he flew first flights of new helicopters (AH-1T).
- Senior planning and command roles in the Marine Corps before being selected as a NASA astronaut.
If you’ve ever watched Top Gun and thought “man, what a life that would be!” well, Bob Springer lived it—and then took it into orbit.
Static and Moving
Bob’s answer to the question that drives this project—What are the two types of people in this world?—was:
Static and Moving
And here’s the nuance: static or drifting isn’t always bad. Sometimes it’s alignment. Sometimes it’s rest. Sometimes it’s what you need in that season.
But if you have big dreams… if you’re not where you want to be… then facing your drift might be the wake-up call. Because when opportunity shows up, hesitation is drift in disguise.
Opportunity Rarely Looks Safe
For Bob, opportunity wasn’t a neon sign. It was a doorway—half open, guarded, and always risky.
- A surprise luncheon speech that altered his career.
- An astronaut selection dinner where he chose boldness over silence.
- Launching into space just two missions after Challenger, when the world was still holding its breath.
Most people would have paused. He pushed forward.
The Lesson
Static or Moving isn’t about judgment—it’s about awareness. Which one is serving you right now? Which one isn’t?
Bob Springer’s life is proof that action creates legacy. Not perfect action. Not guaranteed outcomes. Just the willingness to decide instead of drift.
Episode is Live Now
Colonel Robert “Bob” Springer’s first-ever podcast appearance can be watched/listened to on all major platforms.
🎙 Watch the episodeon YouTube
🎧 on Apple