Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...
(LCDR) Mario Runco Jr. is a former United States Naval officer and
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
. He was selected as an astronaut with in 1987.
He flew three
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program na ...
missions,
performed a spacewalk on his second mission, and is now retired both from
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
and the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
.
Early life and education
Mario Runco, Jr. was born on January 26, 1952 in
The Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
,
to Mario and Filomena Ragusa Runco.
Raised in the
Highbridge neighborhood of
The Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
, his family moved to
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as enu ...
in his early teen years.
Runco graduated from Sacred Heart School, in the Bronx, NY in 1966 and
Cardinal Hayes High School
Cardinal Hayes High School is an American Catholic high school for boys in the Concourse Village neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City, New York. The school serves the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. It is a member of the Catholic Hi ...
, the Bronx, NY in 1970. He earned a bachelor of science degree in
meteorology
Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not ...
and
physical oceanography
Physical oceanography is the study of physical conditions and physical processes within the ocean, especially the motions and physical properties of ocean waters.
Physical oceanography is one of several sub-domains into which oceanography is divi ...
from the
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...
in 1974 and a master of science degree in meteorology from
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
in 1976. He played intercollegiate ice hockey on the
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...
and
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
teams.
Special honors
He was awarded the
Defense Superior Service Medal
The Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM) is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members who perform superior meritorious service in a position of significant ...
,
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
The Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM) is an award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense. In the order of precedence of the United States Armed Forces, it is worn between the Purple ...
,
NASA Exceptional Service Medal
The NASA Exceptional Service Medal is an award granted to U.S. government employees for significant sustained performance characterized by unusual initiative or creative ability that clearly demonstrates substantial improvement in engineering, ae ...
,
Navy Achievement Medal
The Achievement Medal is a military Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize outstanding achievement or meritorious se ...
and
Navy Pistol Expert Medal. He was also awarded three
NASA Space Flight Medal
The NASA Space Flight Medal is a decoration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. According to its statutes, it is awarded "for significant achievement or service during individual participation as a civilian or military astronau ...
s (
STS-44
STS-44 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission using ''Atlantis'' that launched on November 24, 1991. It was a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) space mission.
Crew
Backup crew
Crew seating arrangements
Mission highlights
The launch was ...
,
STS-54
STS-54 was a NASA ''Space Transportation System'' (Space Shuttle) mission using Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. This was the third flight for ''Endeavour'', and was launched on January 13, 1993 with Endeavour returning to the Kennedy Space Center ...
and
STS-77
STS-77 was the 77th Space Shuttle mission and the 11th mission of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission began from launch pad 39B from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 19 May 1996 lasting 10 days and 40 minutes and completing 161 revolut ...
), two Navy
Sea Service Ribbon
A Sea Service Ribbon is an award of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, U.S. Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, the United States Army, U.S. Army, and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps which recognizes thos ...
s (
USS NASSAU ">HA-4and
USNS CHAUVENET ">-AGS-29, and the Navy
Battle Efficiency Ribbon (
USS NASSAU ">HA-4. He received a Rotary National Space Achievement Stellar Team Award (2002) for his work on the International Space Station’s (ISS’s) Science Window and the
Window Observational Research Facility (WORF), He was also the recipient of the City College of New York's
Townsend Harris
Townsend Harris (October 4, 1804 – February 25, 1878) was an American merchant and politician who served as the first United States Consul General to Japan. He negotiated the "Harris Treaty" between the US and Japan and is credited as the di ...
Medal (1993), and the
Cardinal Hayes High School Cardinal
Francis Joseph Spellman
Francis Joseph Spellman (May 4, 1889 – December 2, 1967) was an American bishop and cardinal of the Catholic Church. From 1939 until his death in 1967, he served as the sixth Archbishop of New York; he had previously served as an auxiliary ...
Award (1993). As an undergraduate, he received the City College of New York Class of 1938 Athletic Service Award and is believed to be the first person of Italian origin to fly in space, being decorated accordingly by the president of Italy in 1999. He received an honorary doctor of science degree from the
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...
in 1999.
Early career
Working at various positions even through his school years, Runco worked continuously from age nine until his retirement on December 31, 2017, eventually accumulating 57 years of continuous employment and almost 48 years of federal service with four different federal agencies (
USPOD/
USPS
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U. ...
,
USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, a ...
,
USN
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
, and
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
). After graduating from Rutgers University, he worked for a year as a research
hydrologist
Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is calle ...
conducting ground water surveys for the
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. In 1977, he joined the
New Jersey State Police
The New Jersey State Police (NJSP) is the official state police force of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with statewide jurisdiction, designated by troop sectors.
History
As with other state police organization ...
and, after completing training at the State Police Academy, he worked as a New Jersey State Trooper until he entered the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
in June 1978. Upon completion of
Navy Officer Candidate School in
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...
, in September 1978, he was commissioned and assigned to the
Naval Oceanographic and Atmospheric Research Laboratory then known as the Naval Environmental Prediction Research Facility (NEPRF) in
Monterey, California
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...
as a research
meteorologist
A meteorologist is a scientist who studies and works in the field of meteorology aiming to understand or predict Earth's atmospheric phenomena including the weather. Those who study meteorological phenomena are meteorologists in research, while t ...
. From April 1981 to December 1983, he served as the Meteorological Officer aboard the
amphibious assault ship
An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers (and, as ...
USS NASSAU ">HA-4 It was during this tour of duty that he earned his designation as a
Naval Surface Warfare Officer. From January 1984 to December 1985, he worked as a laboratory instructor at the
Naval Postgraduate School
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is a public graduate school operated by the United States Navy and located in Monterey, California.
It offers master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 70 fields of study to the U.S. Armed Forces, DOD ci ...
, specifically the Geophysics Technical Readiness Laboratory, in Monterey, California. From December 1985 to December 1986, he served as Commanding Officer of Oceanographic Unit 4 embarked in the naval survey vessel
USNS CHAUVENET ">-AGS-29 conducting hydrographic and oceanographic surveys of the
Makassar
Makassar (, mak, ᨆᨀᨔᨑ, Mangkasara’, ) is the capital of the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia and the country's fifth-largest urban center after Jakarta, Surabaya, Med ...
and
Sunda Sunda may refer to:
Europe
* Sunda, Faroe Islands
India
* Sunda (asura), an asura brother of Upasunda
* Sunda (clan), a clan (gotra) of Jats in Haryana and Rajasthan, India
Southeast Asia
* Sundanese (disambiguation)
** Sundanese people ...
Straits and the
Flores
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia. Including the Komodo Islands off its west coast (but excluding the Solor Archipelago to the east of Flores), the land area is 15,530.58 km2, and th ...
and
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
Seas, Indonesia. His last assignment within the Navy before being assigned to NASA was as Fleet Environmental Services Officer at the
Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command's Naval Western Meteorology and Oceanography Center,
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu, Hawaii, Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the ...
. He joined NASA in 1987 and remained on active duty as a NASA astronaut until 1994 after which he continued his NASA career as a civilian astronaut until his retirement.
NASA tenure
Selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate in June 1987, Runco qualified for assignment as an astronaut mission specialist in August 1988. A veteran of three space flights (
STS-44
STS-44 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission using ''Atlantis'' that launched on November 24, 1991. It was a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) space mission.
Crew
Backup crew
Crew seating arrangements
Mission highlights
The launch was ...
in 1991,
STS-54
STS-54 was a NASA ''Space Transportation System'' (Space Shuttle) mission using Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. This was the third flight for ''Endeavour'', and was launched on January 13, 1993 with Endeavour returning to the Kennedy Space Center ...
in 1993, and
STS-77
STS-77 was the 77th Space Shuttle mission and the 11th mission of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission began from launch pad 39B from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 19 May 1996 lasting 10 days and 40 minutes and completing 161 revolut ...
in 1996), Runco has logged over 551 hours in space which includes a 4.5 hour spacewalk during his STS-54 mission. His technical assignments included serving in Operations Development, where he assisted in the design, development and testing of the
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program na ...
crew escape system after the
Challenger
Challenger, Challengers, or The Challengers may refer to:
Entertainment
Comics and manga
* Challenger (character), comic book character
* ''Challengers'' (manga), manga by Hinako Takanaga
Film and TV
* ''The Challengers'' (TV series), a 1979 ...
(
Orbiter Vehicle -099) accident; in Mission Support, at the
Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory
The Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL) was a facility at Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. It was the only facility in the Space Shuttle Program where actual orbiter hardware and flight software can be integrated and ...
(SAIL,
OV-095) as a SAIL Commander, performing test and evaluation of Space Shuttle mission-specific flight software; at the
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 1968 ...
, as an Astronaut Support Person (ASP or "cape Crusader"), where he assisted in preparing Space Shuttle missions for launch supporting missions STS-81, 82, 83, 84, 94, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, & 91, and in the
Johnson Space Center's Mission Control Center as a Capsule (Spacecraft) Communicator (
CAPCOM
is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
) supporting missions STS-60, 62, 63, 65, 66, 67, 68, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98, 99, 101, 104, 105, 106, & 109 as the Lead CAPCOM for the last
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most versa ...
repair mission. He was served as an Earth and planetary scientist and the lead for Spacecraft Window Optics and Utilization for the
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ...
's (ISS's) windows, including the
U.S. Laboratory Destiny Module Nadir Science Window, the
Window Observational Research Facility
The Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) is an experiment rack facility manufactured by the Brazilian Space Agency, which remotely operated payloads and crew members can perform Earth and space science research, including hand held pho ...
(WORF), and the ISS's
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.
The word derives, via Italian, from ...
windows, all of which he helped design.
Spaceflight
STS-44
On his first flight, Runco served as a
Mission Specialist (MS-3) on the crew of
STS-44
STS-44 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission using ''Atlantis'' that launched on November 24, 1991. It was a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) space mission.
Crew
Backup crew
Crew seating arrangements
Mission highlights
The launch was ...
aboard the
Space Shuttle ATLANTIS
Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' (Orbiter Vehicle designation: OV‑104) is a Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle which belongs to NASA, the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States. ''Atlantis'' was manufactured by the Rockwell Inte ...
(
OV-104) which launched from the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC's)
launch pad 39A
Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) is the first of Launch Complex 39's three launch pads, located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. The pad, along with Launch Complex 39B, were first designed for the Saturn V launch vehicle. Ty ...
on the night of November 24, 1991. The primary mission objective was accomplished with the successful deployment of a
Defense Support Program
The Defense Support Program (DSP) is a program of the United States Space Force that operated the reconnaissance satellites which form the principal component of the ''Satellite Early Warning System'' used by the United States.
DSP satellite ...
(DSP) satellite. In addition, the crew conducted two Military Man-in-Space Earth Observation experiments (M88-1, on which he was the lead, and Terra Scout), three radiation monitoring experiments, and numerous life sciences experiments in support of long duration space flights.
STS-44
STS-44 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission using ''Atlantis'' that launched on November 24, 1991. It was a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) space mission.
Crew
Backup crew
Crew seating arrangements
Mission highlights
The launch was ...
was originally scheduled as a 10-day mission; however, the oxygen loading for the mission was not sufficient to last 10 days due to the weight of the primary payload so the crew would need to drastically conserve power to be able to make the oxygen last through the full mission duration. The crew’s power conservation efforts paid off on flight day 6 when it appeared there finally was enough oxygen to last the rest of the mission; however, the mission was cut short as Minimum Duration Flight (MDF) when a second navigational
Inertial Measurement Unit
An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is an electronic device that measures and reports a body's specific force, angular rate, and sometimes the orientation of the body, using a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and sometimes magnetometer ...
(IMU) was powered up for redundancy and immediately failed and (
CAPCOM
is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
) and fellow classmate
Jan Davis dejectedly called the Commander
Fred Gregory with the bad news, "“Fred, we’ve run out of ideas on IMU-2. We see problems both with the attitude and the velocity. We have declared IMU-2 failed.”
ATLANTIS
Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas (mythology), Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works ''Timaeus (dialogue), Timaeus'' and ''Critias (dialogue), Critias'' ...
(
OV-104) returned with only 2 of 3 IMU’s (#'s 1 and 3) operating to a contingency landing the next day on lakebed runway 05 at
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County. The hub of the base is E ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, on December 1, 1991, completing 110 orbits of the
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
.
STS-54
![STS-54 Harbaugh carries Runco](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/STS-54_Harbaugh_carries_Runco.jpg)
Even before launching for his first mission, Runco was assigned as a
Mission Specialist (MS1) to his second flight,
STS-54
STS-54 was a NASA ''Space Transportation System'' (Space Shuttle) mission using Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. This was the third flight for ''Endeavour'', and was launched on January 13, 1993 with Endeavour returning to the Kennedy Space Center ...
, which would fly on the
Space Shuttle ENDEAVOUR
Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'' (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-105) is a retired orbiter from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the fifth and final operational Shuttle built. It embarked on its first mission, STS-49, in May 1992 and its 25th and ...
(
OV-105).
STS-54
STS-54 was a NASA ''Space Transportation System'' (Space Shuttle) mission using Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. This was the third flight for ''Endeavour'', and was launched on January 13, 1993 with Endeavour returning to the Kennedy Space Center ...
launched from KSC’s
launch pad 39B launch pad 39B on January 13, 1993 and landed at the
Shuttle Landing Facility
The Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) also known as Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) is an airport located on Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is a part of the Kennedy Space Center and was used by Space Shuttle for lan ...
(SLF) runway 33 at KSC in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
on January 19, 1993, completing 96 orbits of the
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
. The six-day mission’s primary objective was accomplished with his deployment of a NASA
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite
A tracking and data relay satellite (TDRS) is a type of communications satellite that forms part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) used by NASA and other United States government agencies for communications to and fro ...
(TDRS-F) on flight day 1. Also carried in the payload bay was th
Diffuse X-Ray Spectrometer (DXS) This astronomical instrument for studying stellar evolution scanned the local vicinity of our
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye ...
galaxy and recorded the low-energy X-ray emanations believed to originate from the plasma remnants of an ancient supernova. Crewmate
Greg Harbaugh (EV1) and Runco (EV2) also became the 47th and 48th Americans to walk in space during a 4.5-hour spacewalk designed to evaluate the limits of human performance during
extravehicular activities
Extravehicular activity (EVA) is any activity done by an astronaut in outer space outside a spacecraft. In the absence of a breathable Earthlike atmosphere, the astronaut is completely reliant on a space suit for environmental support. EVA inc ...
(EVA) in anticipation of the construction of the ISS. Included in these EVA evaluations was the first and only attempt thus far at ingressing a personal foot restraint (PFR) without the use of handholds, which Runco accomplished successfully and is still the only person to have done so. Of Runco, his spacewalking crew mate commented, “Mario was the most naturally skilled EVA guy I ever saw. He moved with ease and was able to accomplish everything he was challenged to do. He ingressed the Personal Foot Restraint (PFR) without handholds, a task ground controllers were taking bets on as to whether it could be accomplished or not, look like he’d done it his whole life, and even did it a second time when disbelieving ground controllers asked him to do it again, which he did. Early in the EVA, he even caught a small tool case when it came loose after my tether hook failed to close (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it) as we were transferring the tool items we needed to take with us from the payload bay’s EVA tool box or Personnel Support Assembly (PSA) to our portable mini-work stations. Mario had large strong hands, which are a huge asset for EVA, and he was a hockey player so he had tremendous endurance. I find it curious that he never got a chance to display his skills on HST or ISS.” Lastly, in what was called th
"Physics of Toys In Space" which has since become a popular children's educational video, the crew also demonstrated how everyday toys behave in space to an interactive audience of elementary school students across the United States. Mission duration was 5 days, 23 hours and 38 minutes.
STS-77
On his last mission he served as a
Mission Specialist (MS-3) on the crew of
STS-77
STS-77 was the 77th Space Shuttle mission and the 11th mission of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission began from launch pad 39B from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 19 May 1996 lasting 10 days and 40 minutes and completing 161 revolut ...
aboard the
Space Shuttle ENDEAVOUR
Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'' (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-105) is a retired orbiter from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the fifth and final operational Shuttle built. It embarked on its first mission, STS-49, in May 1992 and its 25th and ...
(
OV-105). Launching from KSC’s
launch pad 39B on May 19, 1996,
STS-77
STS-77 was the 77th Space Shuttle mission and the 11th mission of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission began from launch pad 39B from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 19 May 1996 lasting 10 days and 40 minutes and completing 161 revolut ...
carried a number of technology development experiments as well as a suite of
microgravity
The term micro-g environment (also μg, often referred to by the term microgravity) is more or less synonymous with the terms ''weightlessness'' and ''zero-g'', but emphasising that g-forces are never exactly zero—just very small (on the I ...
science experiments.
STS-77
STS-77 was the 77th Space Shuttle mission and the 11th mission of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission began from launch pad 39B from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 19 May 1996 lasting 10 days and 40 minutes and completing 161 revolut ...
also featured the fourth flight of a
SpaceHab
Astrotech Corporation, formerly Spacehab Inc., is a technology incubator headquartered in Austin, Texas. Astrotech uses technology sourced internally and from research institutions, government laboratories, and universities to fund, manage and s ...
module, in this case a double module, as an experiment laboratory carried in ENDEAVOUR’s payload bay. The technology development experiments included two deployable satellites both of which were deployed by Runco. For the deploy of the Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy (SPARTAN)-207/
Inflatable Antenna Experiment
The Inflatable Antenna Experiment (IAE) was a NASA experiment that began on May 19, 1996, consisting of an inflatable antenna made of mylar which was launched from the Space Shuttle '' Endeavour'' during the 1996 STS-77 mission, in cooperation wi ...
Runco was the
Remote Manipulator System (Robotic Arm) operator. The other deployable was a small Satellite Test Unit (STU) which was designed to use the drag from the rarified atmosphere present in low Earth orbit and the Earth’s
magnetic field
A magnetic field is a vector field that describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges, electric currents, and magnetic materials. A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular to its own velocity and to ...
for attitude control and stabilization. His foresight in having high resolution and low light level photography equipment and a high intensity spotlight added to the mission’s suite of photography equipment and insisting that a second overhead window rather than a blank be installed in the second of the twin
SpaceHab
Astrotech Corporation, formerly Spacehab Inc., is a technology incubator headquartered in Austin, Texas. Astrotech uses technology sourced internally and from research institutions, government laboratories, and universities to fund, manage and s ...
modules, salvaged this experiment when its laser Attitude Measuring System (AMS), also installed in the payload bay, failed shortly after deploy of the satellite. He used these assets and his photographic expertise to capture video of the STU as Endeavour tracked and flew astern of it for several days. Principal investigators were able to use the video retrieved by Runco in lieu of the AMS data to complete their evaluations. A clip from thi
video of the STUhave even been posted on the internet as proof of the existence of
UFO’s. He also captured some additiona
"Physics of Toys"scenes for a sequel to the original
STS-54
STS-54 was a NASA ''Space Transportation System'' (Space Shuttle) mission using Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. This was the third flight for ''Endeavour'', and was launched on January 13, 1993 with Endeavour returning to the Kennedy Space Center ...
educational video and subsequently made several appearances on the children’s television show
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...
(Episodes 3696**, 3698, 3731, 3776, and 3785) in 1998 for the “Slimey to the Moon” series during Season 29 (1997-98).
STS-77
STS-77 was the 77th Space Shuttle mission and the 11th mission of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission began from launch pad 39B from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 19 May 1996 lasting 10 days and 40 minutes and completing 161 revolut ...
landed at KSC’s
SLF runway 33 on May 29, 1996, completing 161 orbits of the
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
. Mission duration was 10 days and 39 minutes.
Post-spaceflight
Upon leaving the astronaut office, Runco became the
JSC lead for spacecraft window optics and utilization endeavouring to have optical quality windows installed in the
ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (J ...
and all future spacecraft. As such, he assisted with the design of the ISS’s
U.S. Laboratory Destiny Module Nadir Science Window and
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.
The word derives, via Italian, from ...
Windows. He also was a key designer of the
WORF
Worf, son of Mogh is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. He appears in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (''TNG'') and seasons four through seven of '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (''DS9'') as well as t ...
installed over the
Destiny
Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual.
Fate
Although often ...
science window and was a co-principal investigator on the
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota (also known as UND or North Dakota) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of ...
’
ISS Agricultural Camera (ISS AgCam/ISSAC) which operated from the
WORF
Worf, son of Mogh is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. He appears in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (''TNG'') and seasons four through seven of '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (''DS9'') as well as t ...
. In addition, he helped with the design and facilitated the integration of several other
WORF
Worf, son of Mogh is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. He appears in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (''TNG'') and seasons four through seven of '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (''DS9'') as well as t ...
payloads including
EarthKAM
Sally Ride EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students) is a NASA educational outreach program started in 1996. The program was initiated by JoBea Way Holt, an Earth scientist from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and was initiall ...
,
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
for the filming of
Toni Myers
Toni Myers (29 September 1943 – 18 February 2019) was a Canadian film editor, writer, director, and producer, best known for her 3D IMAX work. Her most recent film was 2016's '' A Beautiful Planet''.
Selected filmography
*'' Blue Planet'' (1990 ...
’ last film, “
A Beautiful Planet
''A Beautiful Planet'' is a 2016 American documentary film directed, written, and produced by Toni Myers, and narrated by actress Jennifer Lawrence. It was originally released exclusively for IMAX theatres. Created in cooperation with the Nati ...
",
Nanoracks
Nanoracks LLC is a private in-space services companywhich builds space hardware and in-space repurposing tools.The company also facilitates experiments and launches of CubeSats to Low Earth Orbit.
Nanoracks's main office is in Houston, Tex ...
ISS SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System (I-SERV) and
Chiba University
is a national university in the city of Chiba, Japan. It offers Doctoral degrees in education as part of a coalition with Tokyo Gakugei University, Saitama University, and Yokohama National University. The university was formed in 1949 from exist ...
’s (
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
“Meteor”observation study.
Personal life
Runco married the former Susan Kay Friess of
Sylvania, Ohio
Sylvania is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States. The population was 19,011 at the 2020 census. Sylvania is a suburb of Toledo, and encompassed by Sylvania Township. Its northern border is the southern border of the state of Michigan.
T ...
. They have two children, Maria and Carl.
He is also a former
New Jersey state trooper and
USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, a ...
research hydrologist.
Publications
1. Schultz, Christopher J., Timothy J. Lang, Skye Leak, Mario Runco, & William Stefanov. A Technique for Automated Detection of Lightning in Images and Video from the International Space Station for Scientific Understanding and Validation. American Geophysical Union (AGU), Earth and Space Science, 8, e2020EA001085, 02/12/2021.
2. Schultz, Christopher J., Timothy J. Lang, Skye Leake, Mario Runco, Jr., and Richard J. Blakeslee. Utilizing ISS Camera Systems for Scientific Analysis of Lightning Characteristics and Comparison with ISS-LIS and GLM (NASA Document ID 20170011711 NASA Report MSFC-E-DAA-TN50229). American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, New Orleans, LA, December 11, 2017. (Approved for Public Release) https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20170011711>
3. Runco Jr., Mario, and Karen P. Scott. NASA Space Flight Human-System Standard, Volume 2: Human Factors, Habitability, and Environmental Health (NASA Technical Standard 3001, Vol. 2), Baseline ed. Vol. 2 of 2. Washington, D.C. 20546-0001: NASA, 1-10-2011. pp. 11-12, 100, 104-07, 173-194 (Appendices A-C). 2 vols. NASA - Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058-3696. Web. 10 May 2011. (Approved for Public Release)
4. Runco Jr., Mario, and Karen P. Scott. Human Integration Design Handbook (NASA Handbook - NASA/SP-2010-3407), Baseline ed. Washington, D.C. 20546-0001: NASA, 1-27-2010. pp. iii, 9-10, 592-624, 969-997 (Appendix A), 1066-1127 (Appendices C and D). 1 vols. NASA - Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center 77058-3696. Web. 10 May 2011. (Approved for Public Release)
5. Runco Jr., Mario, and Karen P. Scott. Optical Performance Requirements for Windows in Human Space Flight Applications (NASA/SP-2010-3407 - Human Integration Design Handbook, Appendix D). Baseline ed. Washington, D.C. 20546-0001: NASA, 1-27-2010. pp. 1089-1127. 1 vols. NASA - Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center 77058-3696. Web. 10 May 2011. (Approved for Public Release)
6. Scott, Karen P. and Mario Runco Jr. Basic Optical Theory Applied to Windows (NASA/SP-2010-3407 - Human Integration Design Handbook, Appendix C), Baseline ed. Washington, D.C. 20546-0001: NASA, 1-27-2010. pp. 1066-1078. 1 vols. NASA - Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center 77058-3696. Web. 10 May 2011. (Approved for Public Release)
7. Scott, Karen P. and Mario Runco Jr. Optical Design Guidelines for Good Windows (NASA/SP-2010-3407 - Human Integration Design Handbook, Appendix C), Baseline ed. Washington, D.C. 20546-0001: NASA, 1-27-2010. pp. 1079-1088. 1 vols. NASA - Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center 77058-3696. Web. 10 May 2011. (Approved for Public Release)
8. Runco Jr., Mario and Karen P. Scott. Requirements for Optical Properties for Windows Used in Crewed Spacecraft (JSC-63307), Baseline ed. Houston, Texas 77058-3696: NASA, 6-28-2007. pp. 1-11, A1-A3. 1 vols. NASA - Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Web. 10 May 2011. (Approved for Public Release) TIC
A tic is a sudden, repetitive, nonrhythmic motor movement or vocalization involving discrete muscle groups.American Psychiatric Association (2000)DSM-IV-TR: Tourette's Disorder.''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'', 4th ed., ...
Library>
9. Runco Jr., Mario, and Karen P. Scott (cataloged under Dory, Jonathan). Constellation Program Human-System Integration Requirements, (CxP70024, JSC-CN-26834), Baseline-Revision E, Houston, TX 77058-3696: NASA, November 19, 2010, Requirements Section 3.4-Architecture, Subsection 3.4.4-Hatches, Paragraph 3.4.4.2.1.4 and Subsection 3.4.5-Windows, pp. 95-98; Verification Requirements Section 4.4-Architecture, Subsection 4.4.4-Hatches, Paragraph 4.4.4.2.1.4 and Subsection 4.4.5-Windows, pp. 243-247; Appendix M; and optical/window related portions of Appendices A and J. (Approved for Public Release)