Ilan Ramon
| Ilan Ramon אילן רמון |
|
|---|---|
Ilan Ramon, November 2001
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|
| ISA astronaut | |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Born | June 20, 1954 Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Died | February 1, 2003 (aged 48) Over Texas |
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Previous occupation
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Fighter pilot |
| Tel Aviv University, B.S. 1987 | |
| Rank | Colonel, Israeli Air Force |
|
Time in space
|
15d 22h 20m |
| Selection | 1996 NASA Group |
| Missions | STS-107 |
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Mission insignia
|
 |
Ilan Ramon (Hebrew: אילן רמון, born Ilan Wolferman; June 20, 1954 – February 1, 2003) was an Israeli fighter pilot and later the first Israeli astronaut for NASA.
Ramon was the space shuttle payload specialist of STS-107, the fatal mission of Columbia, in which he and six other crew members were killed in the re-entry accident. At 48, he was the oldest member of the crew. Ramon is the only foreign recipient of the United States Congressional Space Medal of Honor, which he was awarded posthumously.
Ramon was born in Ramat Gan, Israel, to Tonya (1929–2003) and Eliezer Wolferman (1923–2006). He grew up in Beersheba. His father was from Germany, and his family fled Nazi persecution in 1935. His mother and grandmother were from Poland, and were Holocaust survivors, having been in Auschwitz. They immigrated to Israel in 1949. His first name, Ilan, means "tree" in Hebrew. Ilan changed his last name from Wolferman when he joined the IAF, as did many other Israeli aviators.
Ramon graduated from high school in 1972. In 1987, he graduated with a B.Sc. degree in electronics and computer engineering from Tel Aviv University.
Ilan Ramon was a Colonel (Aluf Mishne) and a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force, with thousands of hours of flying experience. In 1974, he graduated as a fighter pilot from the Israel Air Force (IAF) Flight School. From 1974–76 he participated in A-4 Basic Training and Operations. 1976–80 was spent in Mirage III-C training and operations. In 1980, as one of the IAF's establishment team of the first F-16 Squadron in Israel, he attended the F-16 Training Course at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. From 1981–83, he served as the Deputy Squadron Commander B, F-16 Squadron.
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