A former NASA astronaut and a veteran of a record seven Space Shuttle mission, Jerry has logged more than 1,390 hours in space and has seen 4 solar eclipses. He performed nine spacewalks, including one that repaired the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory in April 1991 and five that helped build the International Space Station (1998 and 2002),
He served on Space Shuttle missions STA-61B in 1985, STS-27 in 1988, STS-37 in 1991, STS-55 in 1993, STS-74 in 1995, STS-88 in 1998, and STS-110 in 2002. He is the recipient of 15 NASA medals and more than ten military medals.
His holds two degrees in mechanical engineering and he is a graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School Flight Test Engineer course. He is the author of two books. He is retired and enjoys traveling.