George D. Zamka
A Marine Corps pilot who steered the Space Shuttle to the ISS and commanded the mission that delivered the space station's panoramic cupola.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American astronaut·Birthday: June 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
George Zamka's path to space was carved through the skies. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he became a Marine Corps fighter and test pilot, logging thousands of hours in cockpits. Selected by NASA in 1998, he brought a pilot's precision and a Marine's calm to the astronaut corps. His first flight was as pilot of STS-120 on Discovery in 2007, a complex mission that delivered the Harmony module to the International Space Station and required a daring unplanned spacewalk to repair a torn solar array. Zamka's steady hand was crucial. He later commanded STS-130 on Endeavour in 2010, a flight whose primary payload was the Tranquility module and its now-famous Cupola, a seven-windowed observatory that gives astronauts their breathtaking view of Earth. After leaving NASA, Zamka continued to contribute to aerospace, applying his operational experience to the next generation of spaceflight.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
George was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When George Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
George's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Commanded the STS-130 Space Shuttle mission, which delivered the Tranquility module and the Cupola observation dome to the ISS.
- Piloted the STS-120 mission, which installed the Harmony node on the ISS and conducted critical in-flight repairs.
- Logged over 30 days in space across two Space Shuttle flights.
- Served as Deputy Associate Administrator for the Office of Exploration at NASA Headquarters after his flight career.
Did You Know?
His nickname is 'Zambo,' a common shortening of his surname among fellow Marines and astronauts.
He is of Polish and Colombian descent.
Before becoming an astronaut, he was a test pilot for the F/A-18 Hornet.
He served as the CAPCOM (spacecraft communicator) for several Space Shuttle missions prior to his own flights.
“Flying the shuttle is about managing energy, from launch to a dead-stick landing.”
