Ronald J. Garan Jr.

Ronald J. Garan Jr.‏‎ (born October 30, 1961) is a retired United States Air Force colonel and NASA astronaut. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2000 and has logged over 178 days in space and over 27 hours of EVA during four spacewalks.

Early life and education

Garan was born in Yonkers, New York. He graduated from State University of New York College at Oneonta in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Economics. He later earned a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida in 1994.

Military career

Garan received his commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force from the Officer Training School in 1984. He served as a combat rescue pilot in the Persian Gulf War, Somalia, and Rwanda. He retired from the Air Force in 2009.

NASA career

Garan was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2000. He flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-124, the mission that delivered the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module to the International Space Station. He also served as a flight engineer for Expedition 27 and Expedition 28 to the International Space Station.

Post-NASA career

After retiring from NASA in 2013, Garan became the Chief Pilot for World View Enterprises, a private company that plans to offer commercial spaceflight.

Personal life

Garan is married and has three children. He enjoys flying, scuba diving, and hiking.

See also

• List of astronauts by year of selection
• List of International Space Station expeditions