Charles J. Camarda
Charles Joseph Camarda is an American aerospace engineer, researcher, educator, and former NASA astronaut. His single spaceflight, STS-114, was the first shuttle return-to-flight mission after the Columbia accident.
- Born
- May 8, 1952
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Queens, New York,United States
Flights
1
Spacewalks
0
EVA time
N/A
In space
13 days, 21 hours, 32 minutes
Bio
Camarda spent decades at NASA as an engineer before flying, with research focused on thermal structures, high-temperature materials, and vehicle protection systems. That background became especially relevant when NASA returned the shuttle to flight in 2005.
NASA selected him as an astronaut in 1996, and he later flew STS-114 aboard Discovery. The mission tested new inspection and repair practices, delivered supplies to the ISS, and demonstrated the pitch maneuver used to photograph shuttle heat-shield surfaces.
After flight, Camarda served in senior engineering and innovation roles at NASA, including Johnson Space Center engineering leadership. He retired from NASA in 2019 and continued education and problem-solving work outside the agency.