Christopher Loria

Christopher Joseph "Gus" Loria (born July 9, 1960) is a retired United States Marine Corps Colonel and a medically retired NASA astronaut. He was originally scheduled to fly on STS-113 as pilot; however, he was grounded from spaceflight due to a severe back injury.

Personal Colonel "CJ" Loria was born in Newton, Massachusetts. His mother, Joan Loria, is deceased and his father, Robert L. Loria is deceased.

Education Loria graduated from Belmont High School in 1978 and the U.S. Naval Academy Preparatory School in 1979.

He has 3,079 hours of flight time and has flown 32 different aircraft. Colonel Loria is now retired, and resides in Orono, Minnesota.

Post NASA career He served as a consultant for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Office of Congressman Jim Bridenstine, and International Launch Services, Inc. (ILS). With SAIC and later Leidos, he worked on National strategic programs with the Defense Information Systems Agency at Fort Meade, MD. During 2014 & 2015 he was the second Observatory Director for the NSF's National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). As a member of the Federal government's Senior Executive Service with the U.S. Geological Survey he was the Center Director for the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, SD.

Awards and honors NASA Fellow Harvard Kennedy School Fellow NASA Certificate of Appreciation 2010 NASA Acquisition Improvement Award NASA Group Achievement Award Defense Superior Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (three) Navy Commendation Medals (two, one with "V") Air Medals (two, both with "V") Strike Flight Air Medals (four) Navy Achievement Medal Naval Test Wing Atlantic Test Pilot of the Year 1995–1996 Who's Who in the World 1995 Who's Who in the American West 1994 Commodore's List with Distinction US Naval Academy Distinguished Hispanic Graduate US Naval Academy Notable Graduate

Organizations Society of Experimental Test Pilots, U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, Marine Corps Aviation Association, National Rifle Association of America.