In 1985, he was picked as a payload specialist to operate the equipment in space. His first flight was planned for March 1986, when he was scheduled to study Halley's comet from orbit. The explosion of the Shuttle Challenger early in 1986 put the entire shuttle program on hold. On both missions Dr. Parise and his colleagues operated a package of three ultraviolet telescopes housed in the cargo bay of the shuttle. They observed double stars, star clusters, galaxies, Jupiter, Comet Levy, and the 1987 Supernova.
Ultraviolet observations identify hot and energetic sources in the universe.
Observations in this wavelength can be done only from space because Earth's atmosphere absorbs ultraviolet radiation before it can reach the surface. Astronomers, including Dr. Parise, will be analyzing the results of the two Astro missions for years in an attempt to better understand the birth, life and death of stars and galaxies. Dr. Parise received his undergraduate degree in astronomy and physics from Youngstown State University in Ohio and his PH.D. in astronomy from the University of Florida. In 1996 he served as commencement speaker at YSU, where he was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree. Aboard the Eclipse '99 Voyage to Darkness eclipse cruise, Dr. Parise, will share his Astro training experiences, his wonder in seeing Earth from space, and his knowledge of the skies in evening skywatches on deck.