Background
Camarda, Charles J. was born on May 8, 1952 in Queens, New York, United States. Son of Jack and Ray Camarda.
Camarda, Charles J. was born on May 8, 1952 in Queens, New York, United States. Son of Jack and Ray Camarda.
Camarda graduated from Nativity Blessed Virgin Mary and went to Archbishop Molloy High School. He graduated with a bachelor"s degree in aerospace engineering from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1974, a master"s degree in engineering science from George Washington University in 1980, and a doctorate in aerospace engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1990.
Speaking of his early interest in space flight, Camarda said, "lieutenant was a time when spaceflight was so intriguing. lieutenant was natural for me to want to be an astronaut, to dream of being an astronaut." He is currently married to Melinda Evans Miller Camarda and was previously married. He has one biological child, Chelsea Camarda, and three step-children, Holly, Christopher, and Alexander Miller.
After receiving his bachelor"s degree, Camarda began work as a research scientist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration"s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
In the Thermal Structures Branch, he was responsible for demonstrating the viability of a heat-pipe cooled leading edge for the Space Shuttle. Camarda then headed up the High-Speed Research and Reusable Launch Vehicle programs and oversaw several test facilities such as the Thermal Structure Laboratory, where he worked on numerous Shuttle component developments.
Camarda holds seven patents on various innovations, including National Aeronautics and Space Administration"s Heat-Pipe-Cooled Sandwich Panel, named one of the top 100 technical innovations of 1983 by Industrial Research Magazine. Camarda was named a mission specialist in 1996.
He also served as a faculty at New York University Polytechnic
Camarda served as a back-up crew member for Expedition 8 of the International Space Station. His first space flight was STS-114, National Aeronautics and Space Administration"s "return to flight" mission following the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia.
Fellow: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (associate).
Married Melinda Miller. 4 children.