Abstract:     One of the greatest benefits of the space program has been the exceptional photography returned from missions around earth, and to the most distant regions of the universe. In this presentation some of the best imagery is used to tell about the history and the uses of manned and unmanned space flight.

Biography:     Gary Kitmacher is from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas. Mr. Kitmacher currently serves as the Space and Life Sciences Directorate Manager for Crew Health Care Systems. The directorate's responsibilities include managing the habitat and environment, astronaut's health, nutrition and medical care, and science operations.

Since 1993, Mr. Kitmacher served in several capacities in the Space Shuttle- Mir international program; he was the US manager for the NASA-Mir Priroda Project, and led US efforts to develop new systems and integrate payloads on the Mir's Priroda module, and subsequently served as the US manager for Mir operations.

Mr. Kitmacher has been at the Johnson Space Center since 1981. He has worked in a variety of positions, starting in the lunar sample laboratory, then in the Space Shuttle program management office during the first years of Shuttle operations, and later leading design efforts for the International Space Station, manned moon and Mars habitats, and the commercially developed Spacehab module. Some of his contributions include the International Space Station Cupola, design, configuration and sizing of the International Space Station Lab and Hab Modules, Nodes, the establishment of the logistics concepts for supporting the ISS and the development of the standard for hardware transfer the cargo transfer bags (CTBs), and the development of the first crew recreational computer system, the Crew On Orbit Support System or COSS, used on Mir and ISS. Earlier he served as the mission manager for the Spacehab-2, STS-60 mission and as the Man-Systems Architectural Agent for the Space Station.

Mr. Kitmacher has masters and bachelor's degrees in Management, Geology, Astronomy and Education. Mr. Kitmacher is married. He resides with his wife and three daughters in Houston, Texas. A fourth daughter is stationed on the US Coast Guard Cutter Dallas.

Gary seen here with astronaut Paul Scully Power