13 Facts About Christopher Loria

Christopher Loria was scheduled to fly on STS-113 as pilot; however, he was grounded from spaceflight due to a severe back injury.

Christopher Loria entered the US Naval Academy shortly after and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in general engineering in 1983, and is a Distinguished Hispanic graduate of the Naval Academy.

Christopher Loria later completed 30 credits of coursework toward a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology.

Christopher Loria received his commission after graduating from Annapolis in 1983, and was designated a Naval Aviator in July 1988.

Colonel Christopher Loria was the Naval Test Wing Atlantic's test pilot of the year in 1995.

Colonel Christopher Loria requested a transfer back to the US Marine Corps and left NASA in February 2005.

Christopher Loria has 3,079 hours of flight time and has flown 32 different aircraft.

Christopher Loria was initially assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office as an Ascent and Entry CAPCOM.

Christopher Loria earned an MPA in June 2004, and was selected as a Fellow at the Center for Business and Government at the Kennedy School.

Christopher Loria requested assignment back to the operational forces of the Marine Corps.

Christopher Loria became a member of the Senior Executive Service and served as the Director of the Earth Resources Observation and Science center, with the US Geological Survey in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Colonel Christopher Loria is retired, and resides in Orono, Minnesota.

Christopher Loria served as a consultant for the National Science Foundation, the Office of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Office of Congressman Jim Bridenstine, and International Launch Services, Inc.