Ronald Parise

Lore & Background

Parise developed an early interest in astronomy and aviation, becoming a pilot in his teens. After earning his doctorate in astronomy, he worked at Operations Research Inc. on avionics requirements for NASA missions, then at Computer Sciences Corporation on the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) operations center. He later contributed to the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) Spacelab experiment, handling flight hardware, software, and mission planning. In 1984, NASA selected him as a payload specialist for the Astro mission series, where he served for twelve years, involved in planning, simulator development, integration, and flight procedures. After the Astro program, he supported advanced communications planning for human spaceflight projects including Mir, the International Space Station, and the X-38. Parise also conducted astronomical research on circumstellar matter in binary star systems and the evolutionary status of stars in globular clusters, publishing several professional papers.

Reader's Guide

Parise's significance lies in his dual role as a scientist-astronaut and an amateur radio operator who helped integrate amateur radio into Space Shuttle missions. He flew on both Astro observatory flights (STS-35 and STS-67), logging over 614 hours and 10.6 million miles in space. His work on the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope and the Astro program contributed to far ultraviolet observations of faint astronomical objects. Parise was instrumental in bringing amateur radio equipment to the Shuttle and operated on the air under his call sign WA4SIR during his own missions. His career also included advanced communications planning for human spaceflight and work on using standard Internet Protocols in space data transmission. He was a member of multiple professional organizations including the American Astronomical Society, AMSAT, ARISS, and the Association of Space Explorers. Parise received numerous NASA awards including the Space Flight Medal and Group Achievement Awards, and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Youngstown State University.

Did You Know?

• Parise became a licensed amateur radio operator by age 11.
• He flew on both Astro observatory missions, STS-35 and STS-67.
• His amateur radio call sign was WA4SIR.