Charles D. Gemar
Encyclopedia
Charles Donald "Sam" Gemar (born 4 August 1955 in Yankton
, South Dakota
) is a former American
astronaut
with NASA
and a Lt. Col.
in the U.S. Army. He served as a pilot in the armed forces. As a member of the armed forces Gemar received numerous awards and honors including a Defense Meritorious Service Medal
, Army Commendation Medal, National Intelligence Achievement Medal
. He has received a number of honors from NASA, including the NASA Achievement Medal, 3 NASA Space Flight Medal
s and many others. Charles Gemar has flown on 3 shuttle mission (STS-38
, STS-48
, STS-62
). Gemar has completed 385 orbits of the earth and 578 hours in space. He has also served in different positions in NASA including as a CAPCOM for shuttle missions. Gemar is married with 2 children.
, but home is Scotland, South Dakota
, where his parents, Mr. & Mrs. Leighton A. Gemar, reside. Married to the former Charlene Stringer of Savannah, Georgia
. They have two children. He enjoys water sports, jogging
, woodworking
, and travel. He graduated from Scotland Public High School, Scotland, South Dakota, in 1973, and received a bachelor of science
degree in engineering
from the U. S. Military Academy in 1979.
Gemar's family, although from Russia
, is of German descent
.
He's also related to Derek, host of the well-known iptv shows PoorBoys and Electronic Beer
in January 1973 and reported for duty on June 11, 1973. In November 1973, he was assigned to the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg
, North Carolina
, where he received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School at Fort Belvoir
, Virginia
, and later a Department of the Army appointment to join the U.S. Military Academy Class of 1979. After graduation he attended the Infantry Officers Basic Course at Fort Benning
, Georgia
, the Initial Entry Rotary Wing Aviation Course and the Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Aviators Course, both at Fort Rucker
, Alabama
. In October 1980, he transferred to the 24th Infantry Division, Fort Stewart
, Georgia, where he remained until January 1, 1985. While at Ft. Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield
he served as an Assistant Flight Operations Officer and Flight Platoon Leader for the 24th Combat Aviation Battalion, Wright Army Airfield Commander, and Chief, Operations Branch, Hunter Army Airfield. Other military schools completed include the Army Parachutist Course, Ranger School, and the Aviation Officers Advanced Course.
in June 1985, Gemar completed a one-year training and evaluation program and became an astronaut
in July 1986. He is qualified for assignment as a mission specialist on future Space Shuttle
flight crews. Since then he has held a variety of technical assignments in support of the Space Shuttle Program including: flight software testing in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL); launch support activities at the Kennedy 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 on STS-38
(November 15–20, 1990), STS-48
(September 12–18, 1991), and STS-62
(March 4–18, 1994).
On his first mission, Gemar served on the five-man crew of STS-38 which launched at night from the Kennedy Space Center
, Florida
, on November 15, 1990. During the five-day mission crew members conducted Department of Defense
operations. After 80 orbits of the Earth in 117 hours, in the first Shuttle recovery in Florida since 1985, Space Shuttle Atlantis
and her crew landed back at the Kennedy Space Center on November 20, 1990.
Gemar then served on the five-man crew of STS-48
aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery
, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on September 12, 1991. During 81 orbits of the Earth, the crew successfully deployed the Upper 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 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 18, 1991. Mission duration was 128 hours.
Gemar's most recent mission was STS-62
aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia
, 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, atmospheric ozone monitoring 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.
Source:
Yankton
Yankton is the name of:* people: Yankton Dakota division of the Dakota, sometimes referred to as Yankton.* county: Yankton County, South Dakota in South Dakota* county seat: Yankton, South Dakota of Yankton County....
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
) is a former American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
with NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and a Lt. Col.
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the U.S. Army. He served as a pilot in the armed forces. As a member of the armed forces Gemar received numerous awards and honors including a Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
The Defense Meritorious Service Medal is the third-highest award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense...
, Army Commendation Medal, National Intelligence Achievement Medal
National Intelligence Achievement Medal
The National Intelligence Achievement Medal is a decoration of the United States Intelligence Community awarded by the National Intelligence Awards Program led by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence ....
. He has received a number of honors from NASA, including the NASA Achievement Medal, 3 NASA Space Flight Medal
NASA Space Flight Medal
The NASA Space Flight Medal is a decoration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. According to its statutes, it is awarded "for significant achievement or service during individual participation as a civilian or military astronaut, pilot, mission specialist, payload specialist, or...
s and many others. Charles Gemar has flown on 3 shuttle mission (STS-38
STS-38
-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Payload: Magnum ELINT satellite ~ **Booster: IUS upper stage ~ **Total: ~ *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 28.5°*Period: 87.5 min-Preparations and Launch:...
, STS-48
STS-48
-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Orbiter landing with payload: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 57.0°*Period: 96.2 min-Mission highlights:...
, STS-62
STS-62
STS-62 was a Space Shuttle program mission flown aboard . The primary payloads were the USMP-02 microgravity experiments package and the OAST-2 engineering and technology payload, both in the orbiter's cargo bay. The two-week mission also featured a number of biomedical experiments focusing on the...
). Gemar has completed 385 orbits of the earth and 578 hours in space. He has also served in different positions in NASA including as a CAPCOM for shuttle missions. Gemar is married with 2 children.
Personal data
Gemar was born August 4, 1955 in Yankton, South DakotaYankton, South Dakota
Yankton is a city in, and the county seat of, Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 14,454 at the 2010 census. Yankton was the original capital of Dakota Territory. It is named for the Yankton tribe of Nakota Native Americans...
, but home is Scotland, South Dakota
Scotland, South Dakota
Scotland is a city in Bon Homme County, South Dakota, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 841.-Geography:Scotland is located at ....
, where his parents, Mr. & Mrs. Leighton A. Gemar, reside. Married to the former Charlene Stringer of Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. They have two children. He enjoys water sports, jogging
Jogging
Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running.-Definition:...
, woodworking
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
, and travel. He graduated from Scotland Public High School, Scotland, South Dakota, in 1973, and received a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
from the U. S. Military Academy in 1979.
Gemar's family, although from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, is of German descent
History of Germans in Russia and the Soviet Union
The German minority in Russia and the Soviet Union was created from several sources and in several waves. The 1914 census puts the number of Germans living in Russian Empire at 2,416,290. In 1989, the German population of the Soviet Union was roughly 2 million. In the 2002 Russian census, 597,212...
.
He's also related to Derek, host of the well-known iptv shows PoorBoys and Electronic Beer
Organizations
- United States Military Academy Association of Graduates
- Army Aviation Association of America
- Association of Space Explorers-USA
- Mount Rushmore National Monument Preservation Society
- Nassau Bay Volunteer Fire Department
Special honors
- Gemar was Distinguished Graduate of his class in Undergraduate 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 Achievement Medal
- NASA Space Flight Medals (3)
- Honorary Doctor of Engineering from the South 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
Experience
Gemar enlisted in the ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in January 1973 and reported for duty on June 11, 1973. In November 1973, he was assigned to the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, where he received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School at Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and later a Department of the Army appointment to join the U.S. Military Academy Class of 1979. After graduation he attended the Infantry Officers Basic Course at Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, the Initial Entry Rotary Wing Aviation Course and the Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Aviators Course, both at Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located mostly in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. In October 1980, he transferred to the 24th Infantry Division, Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily in Liberty County and Bryan County, but also extending into smaller portions of Evans, Long, and Tattnall Counties in Georgia, USA. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census...
, Georgia, where he remained until January 1, 1985. While at Ft. Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield
Hunter Army Airfield
Hunter Army Airfield , located in Savannah, Georgia, United States, is a military airfield and subordinate installation to Fort Stewart.Hunter features a runway that is 11,375 feet long and an aircraft parking area that is more than 350 acres...
he served as an Assistant Flight Operations Officer and Flight Platoon Leader for the 24th Combat Aviation Battalion, Wright Army Airfield Commander, and Chief, Operations Branch, Hunter Army Airfield. Other military schools completed include the Army Parachutist Course, Ranger School, and the Aviation Officers Advanced Course.
NASA experience
Selected by NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
in June 1985, Gemar completed a one-year training and evaluation program and became an astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
in July 1986. He is qualified for assignment as a mission specialist on future Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
flight crews. Since then he has held a variety of technical assignments in support of the Space Shuttle Program including: flight software testing in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL); launch support activities at the Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
; 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 on STS-38
STS-38
-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Payload: Magnum ELINT satellite ~ **Booster: IUS upper stage ~ **Total: ~ *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 28.5°*Period: 87.5 min-Preparations and Launch:...
(November 15–20, 1990), STS-48
STS-48
-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Orbiter landing with payload: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 57.0°*Period: 96.2 min-Mission highlights:...
(September 12–18, 1991), and STS-62
STS-62
STS-62 was a Space Shuttle program mission flown aboard . The primary payloads were the USMP-02 microgravity experiments package and the OAST-2 engineering and technology payload, both in the orbiter's cargo bay. The two-week mission also featured a number of biomedical experiments focusing on the...
(March 4–18, 1994).
On his first mission, Gemar served on the five-man crew of STS-38 which launched at night from the Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, on November 15, 1990. During the five-day mission crew members conducted Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
operations. After 80 orbits of the Earth in 117 hours, in the first Shuttle recovery in Florida since 1985, Space Shuttle Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...
and her crew landed back at the Kennedy Space Center on November 20, 1990.
Gemar then served on the five-man crew of STS-48
STS-48
-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Orbiter landing with payload: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 57.0°*Period: 96.2 min-Mission highlights:...
aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on September 12, 1991. During 81 orbits of the Earth, the crew successfully deployed the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite
Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite was a NASA-operated orbital observatory whose mission was to study the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly the protective ozone layer. The satellite was deployed from Space Shuttle Discovery during the STS-48 mission on September 15, 1991...
(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 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 18, 1991. Mission duration was 128 hours.
Gemar's most recent mission was STS-62
STS-62
STS-62 was a Space Shuttle program mission flown aboard . The primary payloads were the USMP-02 microgravity experiments package and the OAST-2 engineering and technology payload, both in the orbiter's cargo bay. The two-week mission also featured a number of biomedical experiments focusing on the...
aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it completed 27 missions before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 near the end of its 28th, STS-107. All seven crew...
, 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, atmospheric ozone monitoring 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.
Source: