Charles D. Gemar

Sam Gemar
Born	Charles Donald Gemar (1955-08-04)August 4, 1955 Yankton, South Dakota,U.S.
Education	United States Military Academy(BS)
Space career
NASA astronaut
Rank	Lieutenant colonel,USA
Time in space	24d 5h 38m
Selection	NASA Group 11 (1985)
Missions	STS-38 STS-48 STS-62
Mission insignia
Retirement	1996

Charles Donald "Sam" Gemar(born August 4, 1955) is an American formerastronautwithNASAand alieutenant colonelin theUnited States Army.Gemar has flown on threeSpace Shuttlemissions (STS-38,STS-48andSTS-62). Gemar has completed 385 orbits of theEarthand over 581 hours inspace.He has also served in different positions in NASA, including as aCAPCOMfor Shuttle missions. Gemar was the first astronaut to be born in the state ofSouth Dakota.

Experience

Born August 4, 1955, inYankton, South Dakota,Gemar enlisted in theU.S. Armyin January 1973 and reported for duty on June 11, 1973, following graduation from Scotland Public High School,Scotland, South Dakota.In November 1973, he was assigned to theXVIII Airborne CorpsatFort Bragg,North Carolina,where he received an appointment to theU.S. Military Academy Preparatory SchoolatFort Belvoir,Virginia,and later aDepartment of the Armyappointment to join theUnited States Military AcademyClass of 1979.

After graduating with aBachelor of Sciencedegree inengineering,he attended theInfantry Officers Basic CourseatFort Benning,Georgia,the Initial Entry Rotary Wing Aviation Course and the Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Aviators Course, both atFort Rucker,Alabama.In October 1980, he transferred to the24th Infantry Division,Fort Stewart,Georgia, where he remained until January 1, 1985. While at Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield,he served as an assistant flight operations officer and flight platoon leader for the24th Combat Aviation Battalion,commander ofWright Army Airfield,and chief of Operations Branch, for Hunter Army Airfield.

Other military schools completed include theArmy Parachutist Course,Ranger School,and the Aviation Officers Advanced Course.

His hobbies include:water sports,jogging,woodworking,traveling.

NASA experience

Selected byNASAin June 1985, Gemar completed a one-year training and evaluation program and became an astronaut in July 1986. He is qualified for assignment as amission specialiston futureSpace Shuttleflight crews. Since then he has held a variety of technical assignments in support of the Space Shuttle Program, including flight software testing in theShuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory(SAIL); launch support activities at theKennedy Space Center;spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) in mission control during Space Shuttle missions; Chief of Astronaut Appearances. Gemar has flown three times and has logged over 580 hours in space. He flew onSTS-38(November 15–20, 1990),STS-48(September 12–18, 1991), andSTS-62(March 4–18, 1994).

On his first mission, Gemar served on the five-man crew of STS-38 which launched at night from theKennedy Space Center,Florida,on November 15, 1990. During the five-day mission crew members conductedDepartment of Defenseoperations. After 80 orbits of the Earth in 117 hours, in the first Shuttle recovery in Florida since 1985, Space ShuttleAtlantisand her crew landed back at the Kennedy Space Center on November 20, 1990.

Gemar then served on the five-man crew ofSTS-48aboard the Space ShuttleDiscovery,which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on September 12, 1991. During 81 orbits of the Earth, the crew successfully deployed theUpper Atmosphere Research Satellite(UARS), designed to study the Earth's upper atmosphere on a global scale thus providing scientists with their first complete data set on the upper atmosphere's chemistry, winds and energy inputs, in addition to conducting numerous secondary experiments ranging from growing protein crystals, to studying how fluids and structures react in weightlessness. This five-day mission concluded with a landing atEdwards Air Force Base,California,on September 18, 1991. Mission duration was 128 hours.

Gemar's most recent mission wasSTS-62aboard the Space ShuttleColumbia,which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on March 4, 1994. This microgravity science and technology demonstration mission carried the United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-2) and the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST-2) payloads. Sixty experiments or investigations were conducted in many scientific and engineering disciplines including: materials science, human physiology, biotechnology, protein crystal growth, robotics, structural dynamics, atmosphericozonemonitoring and spacecraft glow. During the spacecraft glow investigation,Columbia's orbital altitude was lowered to 105 nautical miles (194 km), the lowest ever flown by a Space Shuttle. STS-62, the second longest Space Shuttle mission to date, concluded after 13 days, 23 hours, and 16 minutes, following 224 orbits of the Earth with a landing at the Kennedy Space Center on March 18, 1994, after traveling 5.8 million miles.

Organizations

• United States Military Academy Association of Graduates
• Army Aviation Association of America
• Association of Space Explorers
• Mount RushmoreNational Monument Preservation Society
• Nassau BayVolunteer Fire Department

Special honors

• Gemar was Distinguished Graduate of his class inUndergraduate Pilot Training,and Distinguished Graduate of his class in graduate fixed-wing and multi-engine pilot training
• Defense Superior Service Medal
• Defense Meritorious Service Medal
• Army Commendation Medal
• Army Achievement Medal
• Good Conduct Medal
• National Defense Service Medals(2)
• National Intelligence Medal of Achievement
• NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal
• NASA Space Flight Medals(3)
• Honorary Doctorate of Engineering from theSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology
• Honorary Chair for Membership of the South Dakota Congress of Parents and Teachers
• Member of South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame
• Recipient of South Dakota Newspaper Association 1993 Distinguished Service Award

External links

• Spacefacts biography of Charles D. Gemar