EXPERIENCE: In 1974, Ramon graduated as a fighter pilot from the Israel Air Force (IAF) Flight School. From 1974-1976 he participated in A-4 Basic Training and Operations. 1976-1980 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 1981-1983, he served as the Deputy Squadron Commander B, F-16 Squadron. From 1983-1987, he attended the University of Tel Aviv. From 1988-1990, he served as Deputy Squadron Commander A, F-4 Phantom Squadron. During 1990, he attended the Squadron Commanders Course. From 1990-1992, he served as Squadron Commander, F-16 Squadron. From 1992-1994, he was Head of the Aircraft Branch in the Operations Requirement Department. In 1994, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and assigned as Head of the Department of Operational Requirement for Weapon Development and Acquisition. He stayed at this post until 1998.

Colonel Ramon has accumulated over 3,000 flight hours on the A-4, Mirage III-C, and F-4, and over 1,000 flight hours on the F-16.

NASA EXPERIENCE: In 1997, Colonel Ramon was selected as a Payload Specialist. He is designated to train as prime for a Space Shuttle mission with a payload that includes a multispectral camera for recording desert aerosol. In July 1998, he reported for training at the Johnson Space Center, Houston. He is currently assigned to STS-107 scheduled to launch in 2003.

Here are some excerpts from NASA's official pre-flight interview for STS-107:

What personal significance does it have for you for being the first Israeli astronaut?

Well, personally I think it's very, very peculiar to be the first Israeli up in space. Especially because of my background. But my background is kind of a symbol of a lot of other Israelis' background. My mother is a Holocaust survivor. She was in Auschwitz. My father fought for the independence of Israel, not so long ago. I was born in Israel and I'm kind of the proof for them, and for the whole Israeli people, that whatever we fought for and we've been going through in the last century (or maybe in the last two thousand years), is becoming true. And I was talking to a lot of, for instance, Holocaust survivors. And when you talk to these people who are pretty old today, and you tell them that you're going to be in space as an Israeli astronaut, they look at you as a dream that they could have never dreamed of. So, it's very exciting for me to be able to fulfill their dream that they wouldn't dare to dream. So, it is very exciting. Very exciting.

Is it something that may be beyond what your wildest imaginations may have been? And what were maybe the interests that you had growing up that maybe got you to this point?

Well, when I was a kid, and not only a kid growing up, nobody in Israel ever dreamed, well, I wouldn't say nobody. But, most of the people wouldn't dream of being an astronaut because it wasn't on the agenda. So I never thought I would've been an astronaut. I'm a pilot, a fighter pilot, in my background. And I love to fly! Flying aircrafts, fighter aircraft, is great. And I was very happy. I've never dreamed to be an astronaut. When I was selected, I really jumped almost to space. I was very excited. And again, I didn't do anything to be an astronaut. When I was selected, there were actually two requirements to be selected or to be in the group that might have been selected. One of them was to be educated in a technology or science. A degree. And the other was to be involved within the Air Force in experiments. And I was involved, deeply, in experiments in the Air Force. So, I answered the two requirements. And out of several people, they selected me. So personally, I didn't do anything to get here. I just, I think I was in the right place in the right time. That's all.

Can you briefly talk about what academic and professional steps you took along the way to where you are now?

Well, I'm an electrical and computer engineer. I studied very late in the game, when I was 30 years old. Because in Israel, you get drafted at the age of 18, and I went to the Flying School. I started flying airplanes. I had a lot of fun. So, I didn't care too much about studying. But later in the game, I studied in the university. And also I was managing a lot of the experiments - flying experiments - that were done in the Israeli Air Force. So, this is the way I've done that actually took me to where I am today.

So, the flying experiments. Was that like being a test pilot? Or--

I wasn't, I'm not a test pilot in my profession. But I was responsible [for] all the experiments that were done by the test pilots and the test group. And that's my connection to experiments.

Outside of your time so far being an astronaut with NASA, can you give us a little insight into what's been the most enjoyable and memorable experience in your life, outside of the NASA experience?

Yeah, I can give you an example. For instance, while I was studying in the university and after the first year and the break, I went to Nepal with one of my friends. And we were trekking in the Himalayas for three weeks. And this is one of the, I think one of the best periods of time that I've ever had. Another very exciting and peculiar experience was to participate or take part, a small part, in all my four [children's] births. I was supporting my wife during the births of all my four kids. And this is amazing to see a child born. This is the kind of exciting experience that I was in.

What did the experience in the Himalayas teach you about yourself? Or what kind of outlook did it give you, just on life or perspective, did it give you?

The Himalayas are, first of all you get to know very interesting people that are walking by you. Although you may walk there by your own days not meeting anyone. But it's really interesting. And I don't think it has to be the Himalayas. Whenever and wherever you take yourself and hike in nature, or even not hike, but you may bike or wherever you are yourself with the nature, you get to think a lot about: what are we, as a human being are doing here? What is important? What is not important? And you change. You change in your way of thinking and your way of life also.

We've talked about what you're going to do. But are there primary duties for the Payload Specialist title? And can you give us some insight into how a Payload Specialist differs from a Mission Specialist or maybe a Payload Commander for that matter?

Payload Specialist is a title that was used a long time ago. And it's almost passed from NASA agenda. I might be the last one, I think. And since I was here very early in the game, not as other Payload Specialists, I was educated very much more like a Mission Specialist. So, although I have the title of being a Payload Specialist, I think that (and again you can ask Rick the same question) I think that I'm in real life, I'm more like a Mission Specialist involved in a lot of activities and experiments in flight. The original Payload Specialist was actually a specialist with his experiment. For instance, in my case, MEIDEX is the experiment I'm coming with. And I'm a specialist for MEIDEX. And if I was a kind of a pure Payload Specialist, that experiment would be the only thing that I would have done. But, since I'm here a longer time, and I had the opportunity to study a lot of shuttle systems, today I'm part of the crew as any other Mission Specialist.