Professor of Practice
President/CEO Strategic Air Command (SAC) and Aerospace Museum

Anderson, the current President and CEO of the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum (Ashland, Nebraska), joined the Johnson Space Center in 1983 in the Mission Planning and Analysis Division, performing rendezvous and proximity operations trajectory designs for early space shuttle and International Space Station missions. In 1988, he moved to the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) as a Flight Design Manager, leading the trajectory design team for the Galileo planetary mission (STS-34) while serving as the backup for the Magellan planetary mission (STS-31). In 1989, Anderson was chosen to be supervisor of the MOD Ascent Flight Design Section and, following reorganization, the Flight Design Engineering Office of the Flight Design and Dynamics Division. In 1993, he was named the Chief of the Flight Design Branch. From 1996 until his selection, Anderson held the post of Manager, Emergency Operations Center, NASA Johnson Space Center. Selected as a Mission Specialist by NASA in June 1998, he reported for training in August of that year. Training included orientation briefings and tours, numerous scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training, ground school to prepare for T-38 flight training as well as learning water and wilderness survival techniques. Prior to being assigned to a spaceflight, Anderson served as lead for the Enhanced Caution and Warning (ECW) System development effort within the space shuttle Cockpit Avionics Upgrade (CAU) project. Previously, he was the Crew Support astronaut for International Space Station Expedition 4, providing ground support on technical issues in addition to supporting the crew families. Anderson also served as a space station Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) and as the Astronaut Office Crew Representative for the space station electrical power system. In November 2002, Anderson completed training in the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Skills program. He also served as backup Flight Engineer for International Space Station Expeditions 12, 13 and 14. A veteran of two space flights, Anderson has logged 167 days in space and 38 hours and 28 minutes of EVA in six spacewalks. He completed 5 months aboard the space station in 2007 and served aboard the STS-131 crew in 2010. For more information see his NASA Biographical Data

Special Honors

• 2023 AIAA Children’s Literature Award, Letters from Space: (Sleeping Bear Press) This award is presented for an outstanding, significant, and original book in aeronautics and astronautics.
• National Center for the Book’s Great Reads from Great Places Program-2022 National Book Festival (Letters from Space)
• Nebraska Book Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book (2020) (Letters from Space)
• Nebraska Book Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book (2019) (A is for Astronaut: Blasting Through the Alphabet)
• Nebraska Book Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book (2016) (The Ordinary Spaceman^TM: From Boyhood Dreams to Astronaut)
• The Jason Awards, Chirdren’s Square USA (2015)
• Tom Osborne Leadership Award, Leadership Hastings (2012)
• Judge, Miss Nebraska Pageant (2012)
• Ak-Sar-Ben Court of Honor, Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation (2011)
• NASA Spaceflight Medal (2008, 2011)
• NASA Exceptional Service Medal (2008, 2011)
• Russian Federation Medal for Merit in Space Exploration (2011)
• Charles Bessey Medal, University of Nebraska (2010)
• Outstanding Alumnus, Iowa State University (2008)
• Outstanding Alumnus, Hastings College (Nebraska) (2008)
• Honorary Doctorate degree from Hastings College (2004)
• Distinguished Alumnus Award, National Council of Alpha Chi (2001)
• NASA Quality and Safety Achievement Recognition (QASAR) Award (1998)
• NCAA National Christian College Basketball Championships Official (1997, 1998)
• Johnson Space Center (JSC) Certificate of Commendation (1993)
• Outstanding Young Man of America (1981, 1985, 1987)
• Bronco Award Winner, Hastings College (1981).

• M.S Aerospace Engineering, Iowa State University, 1983
• B.S Physics, Hastings College, Nebraska, 1981