Charlie Camarda | |
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| Born | Charles Joseph Camarda (1952-05-08)May 8, 1952 (age 73) New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Education | Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (BS) George Washington University (MS) Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (PhD) |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
Time in space | 13d 21h 32m |
| Selection | NASA Group 16 (1996) |
| Missions | STS-114 |
Mission insignia |  |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Aerospace engineering |
| Thesis | Development of Advanced Modal Methods for Calculating Transient Thermal and Structural Response (1990) |
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Camarda (born May 8, 1952, inQueens, New York) is an Americanengineer and aNASAastronaut who flew his first mission into space on board theSpace Shuttle missionSTS-114. He served as Senior Advisor for Engineering Development atNASA Langley Research Center.[1] and was a senior advisor for innovation at the office of Chief Engineer in theJohnson Space Center.[2]
Camarda is a native ofOzone Park, Queens, New York and graduated from academic and athletic powerhouseArchbishop Molloy High School in 1970. Speaking of his early interest in space flight, Camarda said, "It was a time when spaceflight was so intriguing. It was natural for me to want to be an astronaut, to dream of being an astronaut." He is married to KatherineCamarda.
He has one daughter, one grandson and one granddaughter.
Camarda graduated from Nativity B.V.M.(Now known as Divine Mercy Catholic Academy)and went to Archbishop Molloy High School. He graduated with a bachelor's degree inaerospace engineering fromPolytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1974, a master's degree in engineering science fromGeorge Washington University in 1980, and a doctorate in aerospace engineering fromVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1990.
After receiving his bachelor's degree, Camarda began work as a research scientist at theNASA's Langley Research Center inHampton, Virginia. In the Thermal Structures Branch, he was responsible for demonstrating the viability of a heat-pipe cooled leading edge for the Space Shuttle. Camarda then headed up the High-Speed Research and Reusable Launch Vehicle programs and oversaw several test facilities such as the Thermal Structure Laboratory, where he worked on numerous Shuttle component developments.
Camarda holds seven patents on various innovations, including NASA's Heat-Pipe-Cooled Sandwich Panel, named one of the top 100 technical innovations of 1983 by Industrial Research Magazine. After more than 20 years of experience in diverse Shuttle technology applications, he made a career change that put him closer to his work while achieving his dream. Camarda was named a mission specialist in 1996. He also served as a faculty atNYU Poly.[3]
Camarda served as a back-up crew member for Expedition 8 of theInternational Space Station. His first space flight wasSTS-114, NASA's "return to flight" mission following the loss ofSpace ShuttleColumbia.
Camarda continues to work for NASA and has pioneered an engineering pedagogical approach called EPIC — that explores how to develop a mission as a collaborative training project. He has toured with this including in Finland in 2018.
Following his flight, he was the Director of Engineering at NASA's Johnson Space Center and served as Senior Advisor for Innovation to the Office of Chief Engineer, NASA Headquarters. Camarda retired from NASA in 2019.[2]
NASA Astronaut Group 15 ← NASA Astronaut Group 16 →NASA Astronaut Group 17 | |||||||
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