Gerald P . Carr Gerald Paul Carr ( born August 22 , 1932 ) is a retired Colonel in the United States Marine Corps and former NASA astronaut . He was commander of Skylab 4 , the third and final manned visit to the Skylab Orbital Workshop , from November 16 , 1973 to February 8 , 1974 . Biography . Carr was born in Denver , Colorado on August 22 , 1932 , but was raised in Santa Ana , California , which he considers his home town . He graduated from Santa Ana High School in Santa Ana ; received a bachelor of engineering degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California in 1954 , a bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering from the U . S . Naval Postgraduate School in 1961 , and a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from Princeton University in 1962 . Military career . Carr began his military career in 1949 with the U . S . Navy , and in 1950 he was appointed a midshipman with the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps ( NROTC ) detachment at the University of Southern California . Upon graduation in 1954 , he received his commission in the U . S . Marine Corps and subsequently reported to The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico , Virginia . He received flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola , Florida , and Naval Air Station Kingsville , Texas , and was then assigned to VMF ( AW ) - 114 where he gained experience in the F9F Cougar and the F - 6A Skyray . After postgraduate training , he served with VMFA ( AW ) - 122 , from 1962 to 1965 , piloting the F - 8 Crusader in the United States and the Far East . Other aircraft he has flown include the F - 4 , T - 1A , T - 28 , T - 33 , T - 38 , H - 13 , and ground effect machines . He has logged more than 8 , 000 flying hours , 5 , 365 hours of which are jet time . NASA experience . Carr was one of the 19 astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966 . When informed by NASA of his selection for astronaut training , he was assigned to the test directors section of Marine Air Control Squadron 3 , a unit responsible for the testing and evaluation of the Marine Tactical Data System . He served as a member of the astronaut support crews and as CAPCOM for the Apollo 8 and 12 flights , and was involved in the development and testing of the Lunar Roving Vehicle . He was in the likely crew rotation position to serve as lunar module pilot for Apollo 19 before this mission was canceled by NASA in 1970 . Carr was commander of Skylab 4 ( third and final manned visit to the Skylab Orbital Workshop ) launched November 16 , 1973 with splashdown on February 8 , 1974 . He was accompanied on the record - setting 34 . 5 - million - mile flight by Dr . Edward Gibson ( science pilot ) and William R . Pogue ( pilot ) . The crew successfully completed 56 experiments , 26 science demonstrations , 15 subsystem - detailed objectives , and 13 student investigations during their 1 , 214 orbits of the Earth . They also acquired extensive Earth resources observation data using hand - held cameras and Skylab ' s Earth Resources Experiment Package camera and sensor array . They logged 338 hours of operations of the Apollo Telescope Mount , which made extensive observations of the sun ' s solar processes . From February 1974 until March 1978 , Carr and his Skylab 4 teammates shared the world record for individual time in space : 2 , 017 hours 15 minutes 32 seconds , and Carr logged 15 hours and 48 minutes in three EVAs outside the Orbital Workshop . In mid - 1977 , Carr was named head of the design support group within the Astronaut Office responsible for providing crew support to such activities as space transportation system design , simulations , testing , and safety assessment , and for development of man / machine interface requirements . Carr retired from the U . S . Marine Corps in September 1975 and from NASA in June 1977 . Business career . From 1977 until 1981 Carr was a senior vice president with Bovay Engineers , Inc . , a Houston consulting engineering firm . He was a senior consultant on special staff to the president of Applied Research , Inc . , Los Angeles , California from 1981 to 1983 . From 1983 until 1985 Carr was manager of The University of Texas Telescope Project . Carr founded CAMUS , Inc . in 1984 based in Vermont . The family - owned corporation provides technical support services in zero - gravity human factors engineering , procedures development , operations analysis , training and systems integration . CAMUS was a major contributor as a technical support subcontractor to Boeing in the crew systems design of the International Space Station . In addition , the corporation is involved in fine art production designed by Carr ' s wife , artist and sculptor Pat Musick . Family and personal . Divorced , Carr has three daughters and three sons from his first marriage . He remarried in 1979 to Patricia L . Musick ( three stepdaughters from second marriage ) . His recreational interests include snorkeling , swimming , bird hunting , fishing and woodworking . Carr is an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America . He is also a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon International Fraternity . Awards and honors . He was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Science , Aeronautical Engineering , from Parks College of Saint Louis University , Cahokia , Illinois , in 1976 . He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal ; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ; Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal , and a Letter of Commendation from the Commander of Carrier Division Two ; received the NASA Group Achievement Award , 1971 ; NASA Distinguished Service Medal , 1974 ; Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Navy Astronaut Wings ; 1974 ; City of Chicago Gold Medal , 1974 ; University of Southern California Alumni Merit Award , 1974 ; Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Eagle Scout Award , 1974 ; Robert J . Collier Trophy for 1973 , in 1974 ; City of New York Gold Medal , 1974 ; Marine Corps Aviation Association ' s Exceptional Achievement Award , 1974 ; Dr . Robert H . Goddard Memorial Trophy , 1975 ; also recipient of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale ' s Gold Space Medal ; De la Vaulx Medal , and V . M . Komarov Diploma for 1974 ; AIAA Haley Astronautics Award for 1974 ; and the American Astronautical Society ' s 1975 Flight Achievement Award . Carr was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1997 . In 1975 , Gerald P . Carr Intermediate School ( previously Ralph C . Smedley Junior High ) in Santa Ana , California , was renamed in Carr ' s honor , and the school ' s team name is the Astros , in honor of Carr ' s NASA achievements . Organizations . Carr is a fellow of the American Astronautical Society ; a former Director of the Sunsat Energy Council ; a former Director of the Houston Pops Orchestra ; a Director of the National Space Society ; the Marine Corps Association and the Marine Corps Aviation Association ; The National Naval Aviation Museum Foundation ; Society of Experimental Test Pilots ; The Order of Daedalians ; National Society of Professional Engineers ; University of Southern California Alumni Association , and Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity .