Ronald J. Garan Jr.

Ronald J. Garan, Jr.
Born	(1961-10-30) October 30, 1961 Yonkers, New York
Nationality	American
Occupation	Fighter pilot
Space career
NASA Astronaut
Rank	Colonel, USAF
Time in space	13d 18h 13m 7s
Selection	2000 NASA Group
Total EVAs	3
Total EVA time	20h 32m
Missions	STS-124
Mission insignia

Ronald John Garan, Jr. is a NASA astronaut. He graduated Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. After receiving a bachelors degree in Business Economics from State University of New York, College at Oneonta in 1982, he joined the Air Force, becoming a Second Lieutenant in 1984. He became an F-16 pilot, and flew missions in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1994 he obtained a Masters of Aeronautical Science, and in 1996 a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. Before becoming an astronaut he was the Operations Officer of the 40th Flight Test Squadron (FTS). He first flew as a Mission Specialist on STS-124. He will return to space in March 2011 for a six-month stay aboard the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 27.

Personal

Born on October 30, 1961 in Yonkers, NY, Ron Garan is of Russian descent. Married to the former Carmel Courtney of Brooklyn, NY, and Scranton, PA. They have three sons. Recreational interests include skiing, football, coaching and teaching Sunday School classes to children. His father, Ronald Garan Sr., resides in Yonkers, NY. His mother, Linda Lichtblau, resides in Port St. Lucie, FL with her husband, Peter Lichtblau. Garan is Roman Catholic.

Education

Graduated from Roosevelt High School, Yonkers, NY in 1979. Earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Economics from the SUNY College at Oneonta, 1982. Earned a Masters of Aeronautical Science degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 1994. Earned a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida, 1996.

Organizations

Society of Experimental Test Pilots, International Solar Energy Society, Engineers Without Borders, and Founder of the Manna Energy Foundation.

Awards and honors

Military decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross for Combat Valor, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor, National Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Award, Kuwait Liberation Medal, NASA Superior Accomplishment Award, NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, and various other service awards. Distinguished Graduate and Top Academic Award USAF Fighter Weapons School; Twice selected as Top Academic Instructor Pilot: USAF Weapons School; USAF Weapons School and USAF Weapons and Tactics Center: Lt. Gen. Claire Lee Chennault Award; Distinguished Graduate Squadron Officers School; Top Academic Award F-16 Replacement Training Unit (RTU).

Military career

Garan received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force from the Air Force Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base, TX, in 1984. Upon completion, he attended Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) at Vance AFB, OK and earned his wings in 1985. He then completed F-16 training at Luke AFB, AZ and reported to Hahn Air Base in former West Germany where he served as a combat ready F-16 pilot in the 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS), from 1986-88. In March 1988, he was reassigned to the 17th TFS, Shaw AFB, SC, where he served as an instructor pilot, evaluator pilot, and combat ready F-16 pilot. While stationed at Shaw he attended the USAF Fighter Weapons School, graduating in 1989, and then returned to the 17th TFS to assume the position of Squadron Weapons Officer. From August 1990 through March 1991, he deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm where he flew combat missions in the F-16. In 1991, Garan was reassigned to the USAF Weapons School where he served as an F-16 Weapons School Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander and Assistant Operations Officer. In 1994, he was reassigned to the 39th Flight Test Squadron (39th FTS), Eglin AFB, FL were he served as a developmental test pilot and chief F-16 pilot. Garan attended the US Naval Test Pilot School at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, MD from January – December 1997 after which he was reassigned to the 39th FTS, Eglin AFB, FL where he served as the Director of the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile Combined Test Force. Garan was the Operations Officer of the 40th FTS when he was selected as an astronaut for NASA. He has logged over 5,000 hours in more than 30 different aircraft.

NASA career

Selected as a pilot by NASA in July 2000, Colonel Garan reported for training in August 2000. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, he was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Station and Shuttle Operations Branches. In April 2006, he became an aquanaut through his participation in the joint NASA-NOAA, NEEMO 9 (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations), an exploration research mission held in Aquarius, one of the world's only undersea research laboratories. During this eighteen-day mission, the 6 person crew of NEEMO 9 developed lunar surface exploration procedures and telemedical technology applications in support of the United States’s Vision for Space Exploration. Ron Garan completed his first space flight in 2008 on STS-124 as Mission Specialist 2 for ascent and entry, and has logged over 13 days in space and 20 hours and 32 minutes of EVA in 3 spacewalks.

Spaceflight experience

• STS-124 Discovery (May 31 to June 14, 2008) was the 123rd Space Shuttle flight, and the 26 th Shuttle flight to the International Space Station. STS-124 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and docked with the International Space Station on June 2 to deliver the Japanese Experiment Module Pressurized Module (JEM-PM) and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System. During the nine days docked to the space station, the STS-124 Shuttle astronauts delivered the 37-foot (11-meter) Kibo lab and moved the Logistics Module to its permanent home on the top of the JEM-PM. Ron Garan accumulated 20 hours and 32 minutes of EVA time in 3 spacewalks required to maintain the station and to prime the new Japanese module's robotic arm. STS-124 also delivered a new station crew member, Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff. He replaced Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who returned to Earth with the STS-124 crew. The STS-124 mission was completed in 218 orbits, traveling 5,735,643 miles in 13 days, 18 hours, 13 minutes and 7 seconds.

• Ron Garan's next mission will be as a crew member for Expeditions 27 and 28.

Spirituality

On June 24, 2009, Garan met Pope Benedict XVI at his general audience.

A relic was given to him by a Carmelite community in New Caney, Texas. Garan had called the women religious before his space flight to ask for their prayers, and at that time he told them he could take some small item into space on behalf of the community. The sisters reported that the words of St. Thérèse came to mind:

I have the vocation of an apostle. I would like to travel over the whole earth to preach your name and to plant your glorious cross on infidel soil. But oh, my beloved, one mission would not be enough for me, I would want to preach the Gospel on all five continents simultaneously and even to the most remote isles. I would be a missionary, not for a few years but from the beginning of creation until the consummation of the ages.

His next mission is scheduled for March 2011.

The colonel is also the founder of the Manna Energy Foundation that is implementing a unique system to make potable water in the villages of Rwanda.

External links

• NASA bio
• Spacefacts biography of Ronald J. Garan, Jr.
• FragileOasis.org Blog
• Ron Garan on X