Background
Gardner was born in Altavista, Virginia, and grew up in Alexandria, Virginia.
Gardner was born in Altavista, Virginia, and grew up in Alexandria, Virginia.
He graduated from George Washington High School in Alexandria, Virginia in 1965. Received a bachelor of science degree with majors in astronautics, mathematics, and engineering sciences from the United States Air Force Academy in 1969 and a master of science degree in astronautics from Purdue University in 1970. Gardner completed United States. Air Force pilot training at Craig Air Force Base, Alabama, and F-4 Phantom II upgrade training at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida in 1971.
He attended the United States Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, in 1975, and served as a test pilot at Edwards in 1976.
He holds the rank of Colonel. He flew as pilot on two Space Shuttle missions, STS-27 and STS-35. Gardner was also the 12th president of the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades.
In 1972, he flew 177 combat missions in Southeast Asia while stationed in Uborn, Thailand.
In 1973-1974, he was an F-4 instructor and operational pilot at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. In 1977-1978, he was an instructor test pilot at the United States Air Force Test Pilot School.
In 1979-1980, he was operations officer of the 1st Test Squadron at Clark Air Base, Philippines. Gardner was selected as a pilot astronaut by National Aeronautics and Space Administration in May 1980.
During his 11 years as an astronaut, he worked in many areas of Space Shuttle and Space Station development and support.
In 1984, he was assigned as pilot on STS-62-A, the first Space Shuttle mission to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. That mission was later canceled. Gardner first flew in space as pilot on the crew of STS-27, aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, on December 2–6, 1988.
The mission carried a Department of Defense payload.
Gardner next flew as pilot on the crew of STS-35, aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, on December 2–10, 1990. The mission carried the ASTRO-1 astronomy laboratory consisting of three ultraviolet telescopes and one x-ray telescope.
Gardner left National Aeronautics and Space Administration in June 1991 to command the United States Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. In August 1992, Gardner retired from the Air Force and returned to National Aeronautics and Space Administration to direct the joint and Russian Shuttle-Mir Program.
In 1995, Gardner joined the Federal Aviation Administration as Director of the William J. Hughes Technical Center, at the Atlantic City International"l Airport, in New Jersey.