'Pride' of Baltimore welcomed back on earth

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Not many can claim they’ve seen lightning strike — from above the bolt. “It’s something you train for, but no one really prepares you for how beautiful our planet looks,” astronaut Robert Curbeam said. “It’s amazing.”

Curbeam said he watched a 200-mile thunderstorm brewing during one of his seven space walks on three trips beyond the atmosphere. Coming home to his native Baltimore County Wednesday over a 13-day December mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery to rewire the International Space Station, Curbeam received a hero’s welcome at Martin State Airport in Middle River.

County Executive Jim Smith called the 44-year-old Curbeam, who graduated from Woodlawn High School, the pride of the public school system, and a County Council resolution proclaimed the day his.

“This is homegrown,” Smith said. “Look at what someone who grew up just down the street can do. You can go to the moon.”

Wearing a bright blue NASA space suit, Curbeam recalled a childhood fascination with the designs of space and aircraft. A star lacrosse player at Woodlawn and, later, the U.S. Naval Academy, Curbeam said sports taught him that hard work is rewarding and preparation is important.

“We hope to inspire the younger kids to be successful,” Curbeam said. “And success isn’t measured by being an astronaut for NASA. It’s doing the kinds of things you like to do.”

A Naval captain, Curbeam’s resume is impressive even without his 900 hours in space. After graduating from the Naval Academy with several degrees, he attended Naval Flight Officer training and graduated Top Gun at the Navy Fighter Weapons School.

But with an easy smile and sense of humor, Curbeam also has regular-guy appeal — noted in recent headlines when he held a “Go Colts” sign before the shuttle launched in December.

“He’s a real person,” said Councilman Joe Bartenfelder, D-District 6. “Kids can look at him and know the bar isn’t set too far for them to reach.”

CURBEAM ON LISA NOWAK ALLEGATIONS

Astronaut Robert Curbeam briefly commented on the attempted murder charges pending against his colleague, Lisa Nowak. “It’s an unfortunate situation,” Curbeam said, emphasizing that details are unclear at this point. “All that stuff is alleged at this point. I’ve always known her to be a caring person.”

jmalarkey@baltimoreexaminer.com

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