Ronald Anthony Parise | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1951-05-24)May 24, 1951 |
| Died | May 9, 2008(2008-05-09) (aged 56) |
| Occupation | Scientist |
| Space career | |
| CSC Payload Specialist | |
Time in space | 25d 14h 13m |
| Missions | STS-35,STS-67 |
Mission insignia |   |
Ronald Anthony Parise (May 24, 1951 – May 9, 2008) was anItalian American scientist who flew aboard two NASASpace Shuttle missions as apayload specialist.
Parise was born inWarren, Ohio, to Henry and Catherine Parise (nee Pasha). His father was born inCarovilli.[1] By age 11, he became a licensedamateur radio operator. In his teens, he developed an interest in astronomy and aviation and became a pilot.[2] He attendedWestern Reserve High School, graduating in 1969 before attendingYoungstown State University. In 1973, he obtained a bachelor of science degree inphysics, with minors inmathematics,astronomy, andgeology. He went on to receive a master's degree in 1977 and a doctorate in 1979 from theUniversity of Florida, both in astronomy. He and his wife Cecelia Sokol Parise had two children.
Parise died from abrain tumor on May 9, 2008, at the age of 56.[3][4]
Upon graduation in 1979, Parise accepted a position at Operations Research Inc. (ORI) where he was involved in developingavionics requirements definitions and performing failure mode analyses for several NASA missions. In 1980 he began work atComputer Sciences Corporation in theInternational Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) operations center as a data management scientist and in 1981 became the section manager of the IUE hardcopy facility.
In 1981 he began work on the development of a newSpacelab experiment called theUltraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT). His responsibilities involved flight hardware and software development, electronic system design, and mission planning activities for the UIT project. In 1984 he was selected by NASA as a payload specialist in support of the newly formedAstro mission series. During his twelve years as a payload specialist he was involved in mission planning, simulator development, integration and test activities, flight procedure development, and scientific data analysis, in addition to his flight crew responsibilities for the Astro program. At the completion of the Astro program, Parise assumed an advanced planning and communications engineering support role for a variety of human space flight projects includingMir,International Space Station (ISS), and theX-38.
Parise engaged in a number of astronomical research projects utilizing data from ground-based observatories, theCopernicus satellite (OAO-3), IUE, and the Astro observatory. His research topics, includingcircumstellar matter inbinary star systems and the evolutionary status of stars inglobular clusters, resulted in several professional publications. A veteran of two space flights, Parise logged more than 614 hours and 10.6 million miles in space. He served as a payload specialist aboard STS-35 in 1990 and STS-67 in 1995. At the end of his career, Parise supported theGoddard Space Flight Center, Networks and Mission Services Project, in the area of advanced communications planning for human spaceflight missions. He was also involved with projects in the Advanced Architectures and Automation Branch that developed the use of standard Internet Protocols (IP) in space data transmission applications.
STS-35/Astro-1Columbia (December 2–December 10, 1990). The Astro observatory is a unique complement of three telescopes designed to simultaneously recordspectral data,polarimetric data and imagery of faint astronomical objects in the farultraviolet. The mission duration was 215 hours and 5 minutes. The Shuttle landed atEdwards Air Force Base inCalifornia.[5]
STS-67/Astro-2Endeavour (March 2–18, 1995). This was the second flight of the Astro observatory. During this record-setting 16-day mission, the crew conducted observations around the clock to study the far ultraviolet spectra of faint astronomical objects and the polarization of ultraviolet light coming from hot stars and distantgalaxies. The mission duration was 399 hours and 9 minutes. The landing was atEdwards Air Force Base inCalifornia.[5]
Coincidentally, Parise's fellow payload specialist on both his missions wasSam Durrance.
Parise was instrumental in bringing amateur radio equipment to the Shuttle and operated on the air during his own missions. His amateur radio call sign was WA4SIR.