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Watch Live! Feed Provided by NASA
Meet the Crew
The crew of Shuttle Mission ST124 held the countdown rehearsal Friday, May 9, which culminated in a simulated ignition and engine shutdown. This photograph, provided by the Kennedy Space Center, shows the crew just before they crawled through the hatch. They astronauts are Commander Mark Kelly, pilot Kenneth Ham, flight engineer Ronald Garan (left), Karen Nyberg, Michael Fossum, Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and space station flight engineer Gregory Chamitoff.
We will want to ask Colonel Garan what he was looking for after he climbed out of the T-38 he piloted to the Kennedy Space Center in preparation for a countdown rehearsal. Care to speculate?
That's Colonel Garan on the right standing with Commander Mark Kelly after arriving May 6 at Kennedy Space Center, where the seven member crew will begin formal preparations for the May 31 launch of the Shuttle Discovery.
Photo Credit: United States Air Force |
On the Ride of His Life
July 2008 July 14, 2008 The Right Stuff: Colonel Ronald J. Garan Jr. Celebrated by a Proud City Welcome Home Colonel Garan The Museum hosts Colonel Garan in collaboration with Yonkers Public Schools, and it is the site for the current exhibition Space Is the Place, which chronicles the past and future potential of international space travel. The event is FREE and open to the public. June 14, 2008 Our Eagle Has Landed Colonel Garan & Shuttle Crew Home Today June 13, 2008 Discovery Come Home! June 11, 2008
On each of his three spacewalks, Colonel Garan worked in temperatures that varied from 250 degrees F in daylight, and -156 F in darkness. As he and Fossum worked outside the shuttle and space station, they rotatd around the earth once every 90 minutes, working in the heat and sun for 45 minutes, then in the cold and dark for 45 minutes. The thermal design of the Discovery and the astronauts' spacesuits is critical for protection against these extremes. June 10, 2008 You Think it's Hot? June 6. 1008 Yesterday's spacewalk included a check of the effectiveness of the newly designed gloves the astronauts wear while working in space. The thumb and forefinger of the gloves are now reinforced with a patch of fabric called TurtleSkin, a cut resistant fiber already used in the palm. The weave of the patch is much tighter than the palm to help prevent the damage to the gloves experienced in previous missions. Result? Perfect! June 5, 2008 Today's spacewalk is the 111th in NASA history. Garan and Fossum will install the cameras on the Kibo laboratory that will be used to judge clearances for the module’s robotic arm. Garan and Fossum installed the 32,000 pound lab onto the International Space Station during their first space walk Tuesday. Today's Schedule:
June 4, 2008 With the main module of the KIBO lab installed on the International Space Station, the Discovery crew will power it up to begin outfitting the lab. June 3, 2008 Flight Day 3 Update
Using not so ordinary screwdrivers, scrapers and other tools, Colonel Garan and Mike Fossum spent six and one half hours during their space walk, or Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) detaching the KIBO lab from the Space Shuttle and installing it on the International Space Station. Before they performed this main task, they transferred the first transferred the Orbiter Boom Sensor System from the station back to the Dicovery. The system was stored on the Space Station during the previous shuttle mission to make room for the KIBO. Now, the necessary inspection of the shuttle’s heat shield, normally performed early in the mission, can take place. The Day's Activities Colonel Garan and Mike Fossum will take the first of three scheduled six and one half hour spacewalks beginning at 11:32am. They spent the night inside the Quest Airlock breathing a special air mixture that gradually removed nitrogen from their bodies to prevent decompression sickness as they pass through wildly different levels of air pressure. A Walk in Space The purpose of this first airwalk is to retrieve a 50-foot long heat shield inspection boom that was left behind following the last space shuttle mission. The inspection boom is normally deployed by the shuttle astronauts on the second day of a mission to inspect the exterior of the orbiter for debris damage. The Kibo laboratory is so large that it fills the shuttle's cargo bay, leaving no room for the boom. Once the boom is retrieved, they will use it to conduct a detailed inspection of the shuttle's nose cap and wing leading edge panels. The Mission Specialist Greg Chamitoff joined the space station's Expedition 17 crew, trading places with Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman. Chamitoff will return to earth in November. June 2, 2008 Track the Shuttle You can see where the shuttle is in realtime on the NASA website. Once the tracker loads into your browser, slowly move your mouse over the image of the spacecraft, which will be circled in red. As you move your mouse, you can see information about the shuttle and the space station, and just how close they are to each other. The shuttle and space station will rendezvous today about 200 miles above the earth. Astronauts get an eight hour sleep period each night, beginning at about 10:00pm and ending at 6:00am. Because they are weightless, and there is no sense of up or down, they can sleep any way they like; a good thing since there aren't enough beds to go around! Four astronauts can strap themselves into the four separate bunk beds away from the main cabin, the other three can zip themselves into a sleeping bag attached to their seats. Camping Out The two spacewalkers, Garan and Fossum, will spend Monday night in the 18' x 13' Quest airlock in preparation for their spacewalk Tuesday. The airlock, which is between the shuttle and the spacestation, contains a special air mixture that purges the astronauts' bodies of nitrogen. This will prevent them from getting decompression sickness, or "the bends," which happens when a person is exposed to rapid and big changes in air pressure around the body. June 1, 2008 The shuttle crew will survey the ship's heat shield for damage using cameras on a robotic arm today. They will also be checking out the spacesuits that Garan and Fossum will wear during their spacewalks and getting the docking system ready for tomorrow's linkup with the space station. Colonel Garan had some granola and blueberries and orange-mango juice for breakfast. He gets a hearty lunch of potato soup and beef ravioli, and for dinner, he dines on brisket with potatoes and fruit, and a couple of tortillas. No rolls or regular bread for him or any of the other astronauts. Bread makes crumbs---a danger in zero-gravity. The liftoff was perfect. Foam debris was clearly seen. Video of the debris falling was taken by an onboard camera then uplinked to NASA for a careful review. This is a chronic problem for the shuttle. The pictures you see to the left were taken by on board cameras beginning with the liftoff and are courtesy of NASA video. The shuttle's fourteen day, three-spacewalk mission has two primary purposes: to attach Japan's Kibo laboratory module to the international space station, and to exchange station astronauts. Flight engineer Gregory Chamitoff will trade places with Garrett Reisman. The shuttle crew will also deliver a pump that should solve the balky toilet problem on the space station. In addition to the seven human members of the shuttle crew, Buzz Lightyear is on board the Space Buzz Aldrin On July 20, 1969 Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became the first humans to step foot on the moon. The lunar landing captivated the imagination of an eight year old Yonkers boy by the name of Ronald J. Garan, Jr. While on the moon, Armstrong and Aldrin planted a United States flag and left a sign that read, "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind." 2:45pm Update - All Aboard If you've been watching the live feed from NASA, you know the crew is on board, Colonel Garan last man in. The "close out" crew removed the cameras from inside the shuttle, so the visuals of the crew will be limited. Now there are routine communications checks from the ground to the crew (Garan's communication code is MS-2), and among all the control points in Florida, Texas and throughout the world. Non-flight items are being removed, the shuttle hatch will be closed, and seals will be checked. Earlier Today All systems are go for today's 5:02pm launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery from Kennedy Space Center. The seven member crew will deliver and install a laboratory on the Internation Space Station. Yonkers own Colonel Ronald J. Garan, Jr. will take three separate space walks to install the lab's robotic arm. You can watch the countdown and launch beginning at 12:00pm on WDMC TV Channel 75, the cable television station of the Yonkers Public Schools, or online courtesy of NASA. It's video feed is to the left. Launch Day It is interesting to note how precise the schedule is. Suitup is set for 12:42pm. Not 12:40, not 12:30, but 12:42 on the dot. They have exactly 30 minutes to get ready because the schedule requires them to leave their quarters for the launchpad at EXACTLY 1:12pm. Dining in Space The A customized eating plan and menu is developed for each astronaut that takes into account individual dietary needs and preferences. Garan takes his morning coffee with cream and sugar, and enjoys orange, pineapple and mango juice. Menu Planning Garan's eating plan takes into account his nutritional needs as a space-walker. For instance, prior to his first spacewalk on Day 4, his breakfast will consist of granola, two tortillas, peanut butter, a vanilla breakfast shake, pineapple juice and coffee. He will have a high protein lunch and dinner as well. Garan's complete menu and the food that is stored onboard for his consumption is here. A pantry contains extra food for the astronauts in case the mission is extended. May 30, 2008 Official Countdown Underway "He was destined for greatness even then," wrote a former Roosevelt High School cheerleader who remembers Garan the varsity football player. He's taking his RHS Indians team patch on the shuttle along with Eli Manning's football jersey. "I’m taking a piece of New York with me," said Garan. He's also taking along our hearts. What Was Colonel Garan Looking For? Plumbing Update Roosevelt Students Launch Rocket Yonkers Pride Garan's mom, Linda Relis, lives in Port St. Lucie, Florida. She's a wildlife artist whose work is part of the permanent collection of the state of Florida. Mrs. Relis "can't wait for liftoff. It's been a long time coming, a life-long dream of his. To see it finally realized is just great." May 29, 2008 Have you ever tried to find a plumber in the middle of the night? How about in the middle of space? That's just the predicament the crew of the International Space Station is facing -- a broken toilet with the nearest plumber about 200 miles away. Yesterday, the Russian Space Agency shipped a 35 pound package of plumbing parts to the Kennedy Space Center for loading on the shuttle today. According to published reports, a NASA employee traveled from Russia aboard a commercial airliner with the parts in his hand luggage. If you are wondering how he explained what was in his bag to airport security, no explanation was needed. He had the toilet pump and parts in a diplomatic pouch. Are you wondering how astronauts use a toilet in zero gravity? They do have to hang on! Here's what NASA has to say. May 23, 2008 During May 20, 2008 Wearing The spacewalks, more formally known as Extravehicular Mobility Activities, or EVAs, will take place during the 4th, 6th and 9th day of the mission. Garan and Mission Specialist Mike Fossum will be installing the KIBO lab, the largest ever on the Space Station. They are also responsible for regulating the exterior temperature of the station, and returning the 50foot boom left during the last mission to the space station. Garan May 19, 2008 Following a routine Flight Readiness Review, the Shuttle Discovery was declared ready for flight. May 12, 2008 Following the successful countdown rehearsal Friday, the Shuttle crew returned to the Johnson Space Center in Houston to continue their preparations for the May 31st flight. They returned in the same T-38 fighter jets they arrived in, with Colonel Garan piloting the two seater that flies at supersonic speeds. May 7, 2008 The Air Force grounded its T-38 fighter jets last week following the second deadly accident involving the aircraft, so there was some tension as the crew of the Discovery arrived at Kennedy Space Center yesterday aboard several of these supersonic jet pilot trainers. According to the Air Force, the accidents are unrelated, and the T-38s, in use since 1961, are safe to fly. Colonel Garan was a fighter pilot during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He piloted combat missions in the F-16, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross for Combat Valor. He piloted the two-seat T-38 yesterday, with fellow mission specialist Karen L. Nyberg in the rear. These two extraordinary people did the most ordinary things when they landed. First, they both pulled off their specialized helmets. Then, in the stiff coastal breeze, Nyberg pulled her hair back into a pony, and Garan looked around his seat as though he forgot something. You are invited to speculate about what he may have left on his seat - or not. Today's countdown rehearsal is a routine pre-flight simulation of launch day procedures that includes practicing escape drills if a problem arises while still on the launch pad. The crew will crawl through a hatch on the port or left side of the Shuttle, and take their assigned seats. Colonel Garan will be seated in "Up-4" which is located behind Commander Kelly on the Flight Deck. May 6, 2008 Colonel Garan and the rest of Discovery crew arrive at the Kennedy Space Center today to begin what NASA calls a Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. In plain English, it's a simulation of the final hours of the launch countown. The crew and the on-the-ground launch team will rehearse the launch day procedures, culminating in a simulated ignition. This practice run takes three days. The Discovery arrived on the launchpad yesterday, completing a 3.4 mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Plant that began Friday, May 2. Where Will He Sit? May 5, 2008 Colonel Garan was not quite eight years old on a hot and sticky summer's day when everyone in Yonkers was glued to their television sets watching Apollo 11 touch down on the moon, and then, the incredible moment Neil Armstrong took those first steps. The nation was awestruck. But Garan was struck by something else entirely. A dream. "When I grow up, that’s exactly what I want to do," he recalled. That particular dream was shared by millions of other boys and girls. But, for Ron Garan, it was not just a dream, it was a goal he worked "really hard to achieve." Reflecting on his path, Garan says he " had many hurdles to get over and many disappointments along the way, but I kept persisting at it." Following his graduation from Roosevelt High School in 1979, Garan went to SUNY Oneonta as a business major, then to the aeronautical engineering program at Embry-Riddle University in Daytona, Florida, earning a Masters of Aeronautical Science, quickly followed by another Masters in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida. Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, Garan was deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, piloting combat missions in the F-16, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross for Combat Valor. As an active service member, Garan enrolled in the US Naval Test Pilot School, which trains pilots to flight-test aircraft and their systems. After graduation from this elite program, he was assigned to Elgin Air Force Base in Florida where he was the Director of the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile Combined Test Force. The hard work and determination paid off when Garan was chosen for the Astronaut Corps of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Today, in NASA's 50th year, Colonel Garan has what he calls his dream job. He, and the rest of Space Shuttle Discovery's crew, are set to arrive at the Kennedy Space Center tomorrow (May 6, 2008) for a countdown rehearsal.
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Space Shuttle Discovery arrived at the International Space Station yesterday and the astronauts entered the station for the first time after the hatches between the two spacecraft were opened. Amid laughter and just plain awe, the Discovery crew floated in their stocking feet through the Harmony node that connects the Space Shuttle to the outpostand the International Space after the successful docking yesterday. The two crews were a tangle of arms and legs when one of the crew asked in wonder, "Am I really here?"
astronaut diet is rich in calcium to help compensate for the bone density loss expected in zero gravity. Most, but not all the food has to be reconstituted or hydrated. For instance, Colonel Garan will grab a packet of Teriyaki Chicken from the food locker, add some water, then dig in for his first meal in space. Ditto for the macaroni & cheese and strawberries on his menu. The nuts and cookies that round out his dinner will be eaten in their natural form. The scissors on the tray above are used to open the food packets. The tray itself is strapped to the astronauts' laps. Packaging is thrown into a compactor on board the shuttle, then removed upon return to earth. 
menus are planned well in advance following a taste-testing by the crew. Nyberg, Garan and Kelly are shown in this photo during one of the STS-124 menu planning sessions held at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. 
the countdown and launch live on WDMC Channel 75 beginning at 12:00noon tomorrow. 
a training version of the white spacesuit that will enable him to take three spacewalks during the mission, Colonel Garan is just about to be submerged in the pool of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory near Johnson Space Center. Water training helps to prepare for the work he will be doing on the exterior of the International Space Station.
and Fossum will be wearing newly designed space gloves for this mission. The thumb and forefinger are reinforced with a patch of fabric called TurtleSkin, a cut resistant fiber already used in the palm. The weave of the patch is much tighter than the palm to help prevent the damage to the gloves experienced in previous missions. 
Garan's seat is Up-4, located behind the Commander on the Upper or Flight Deck. He'll be getting out of his seat at least three times during the 13 day mission. He'll be walking in space with Mission Specialist Mike Fossum to perform a variety of scheduled tasks. Actually, they'll be floating, since they are weightless in space. 
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