by KYW's Michelle Durham
Lou Carfagno's professional odyssey led him from South Philadelphia to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Now, he is one of the managers in charge of the tools that the astronauts take into space.
"I was an auto mechanic in Philadelphia and I decided to go to college. I joined the Air Force -- I was in the Air Force for four years.
"I went back to Philadelphia, and then I received word that there was a position open here for a space suit engineer. I applied for it and here I am, 12 years later!"
Carfagno has worked with a number of celebrities over the years who came to NASA for help with shooting movies. Most memorably, he recalls, he helped Bruce Willis prepare to dive in NASA's 40-foot-deep pool at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab (top photo) for his 1981 movie Armageddon:
"Yeah, it's been quite an exciting career, and I still enjoy it."
So what was it like working with Bruce Willis and the cast and crew of Armageddon (right)?
"Very professional and very easy. They enjoyed working for the cause of the movie, but more importantly they enjoyed working with NASA."
Putting the occasional limelight of celebrities aside, Carfagno says he enjoys supplying real-life astronauts the tools they will use miles above the earth. He says the tools he creates are almost like members of a family:
"Absolutely -- they're our friends as well."
So what does Lou miss about South Philly besides his own family?
"Pretzels and cheesesteaks."
(Top photo by KYW's Michelle Durham)
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