George D. Zamka

Infobox Astronaut
name =George D. Zamka

---

type =NASA Astronaut
status =Active
nationality =American
date_birth =Birth date and age|1962|6|29|mf=yes
date_death =
place_birth =Jersey City, New Jersey
place_death =
occupation =Test Pilot
rank =Colonel, USMC
selection =1998 NASA Group
time = 15 days, 2 hours, 23 minutes
mission = STS-120
insignia =

George David Zamka (born 1962) is a United States Marine Corps officer and a NASA astronaut. He has over 3500 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft.

Personal

George David Zamka was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1962. He was raised in New York City; Irvington, New York; Medellín, Colombia, where his mother is from [http://www.eltiempo.com/internacional/euycanada/noticias/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-3775962.html] ; and Rochester Hills, Michigan. He graduated from Rochester Adams High School in Michigan in 1980.

Zamka is married and has two children. His extended family resides in Colorado, Mississippi, and Tennessee. He earned a bachelor in mathematics (1984) and a master in industrial management (1997)

Military career

Zamka graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the United States Naval Academy in 1984. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps after graduating from the United States Naval Academy in May 1984. He received A-6E Intruder training at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington in 1988-1987. He was assigned to VMA(AW)-242 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. In addition to flight safety and administration, he was a Squadron Weapons and Tactics instructor. In 1990, he trainied as an FA-18 pilot and was then assigned to VMFA(AW)-121. Zamka flew 66 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm. In 1993, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California as a forward air controller. In December 1994, he graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School; following which, he served as an F/A-18 Hornet test pilot and operations officer.

In 1997, he earned a Masters of Science degree in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. In 1998, he returned to VMFA (AW)-121 and deployed to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan

NASA career

In June 1998, Zamka was selected for the NASA astronaut program, and reported for training in August. He served as lead for the shuttle training and procedures division and as supervisor for the astronaut candidate class of 2004. Zamka made his first spaceflight as the pilot of mission STS-120.

Awards and honors

Zamka has received the following honors and awards: Navy Strike Air Medal (6), Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V, and various other military service and campaign awards. Distinguished Graduate, United States Naval Academy. Commodore’s list and Academic Achievement Award, Training Air Wing Five. Received three NASA Superior Accomplishment Awards.

ee also

References

:"This article incorporates text in the public domain from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a U.S. government agency."
* [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/zamka.html Astronaut Bio: George D. Zamka] , NASA, June 2006. Retrieved on 2006-06-25.
* [http://www.technewsworld.com/story/space/51233.html NASA Appoints Crew for Space Station Mission] , "UPI", 2006-06-20. Retrieved on 2006-06-25.
* [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/zamka_george.htm Spacefacts biography of George D. Zamka]