| William H. Gerstenmaier | |
|---|---|
NASA's Associate Administrator for Space Operations |
|
| Residence | Washington, D.C. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | nickname at the Naval Academy was "Nitro." |
| Education | B.S. Aerospace engineering, M.S. Mechanical engineering |
| Employer | NASA |
| Title | Associate Administrator for Space Operations[1] |
| Predecessor | William F. Readdy[2] |
| Spouse | Marsha Ann Gerstenmaier[1] |
William H. Gerstenmaier has been the Associate Administrator for Space Operations for NASA since 2005.[1][2] Prior to being Associate Administrator, Gerstenmaier served as the International Space Station Office Program Manager, at Johnson Space Center, a position he began in June 2002.
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Gerstenmaier graduated from Akron East High School in 1973, and followed the early space programs of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo, as a teenager.[3][4] He had early dreams of being a test pilot, and after high school, enrolled at the United States Naval Academy. After seeing so many pilots returning from the Vietnam War, he thought he may not get a chance to fly, and chose to reconsider his path. He transferred to Purdue's School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, hoping to get into flight via academics. During his time at Purdue, Gerstenmaier found a great interest in space technology, and chose to focus on this area for his career.[4]
Gerstenmaier graduated with a bachelor of science in aerospace engineering in 1977, and joined the John H. Glenn Research Center in Ohio, beginning his career with NASA. Initially doing research with supersonic wind tunnels, developing air data curve information used during entry on the space shuttle. Gerstenmaier continued his education, obtaining his master's degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Toledo in 1981.[1][2]
In 1980, Gerstenmaier moved to Houston, Texas, to work at the Johnson Space Center, researching propulsion related to the space shuttle, and was involved in the earliest phases of the International Space Station design. In 1984, he was a semi-finalist in the selection for NASA Astronaut Group 10.[5] In 1988, he first served as manager of Space Shuttle Program Integration, and then went on to serve as head of the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle Operations Office. Following that, he became Director of Space Shuttle and Space Station Freedom Assembly Operations, and was named Chief of the Projects and Facilities Branch of the Flight Design and Dynamics Division.[1]
In 1992, Gerstenmaier was given a fellowship from NASA to obtain his doctorate degree from Purdue, and in 1992 and 1993, he completed course work for a doctorate in dynamics and control, with emphasis in propulsion at Purdue University.[1][2] Of the time away from NASA, he said, "It was the most humbling experience of my life."[4]
In 1995, Gerstenmaier returned to NASA as the Shuttle/Mir Program Operations Manager, and was the liaison to the Russian Space Agency for operations and protocols. For the first half of 1996, he was stationed in Russia to support astronaut Shannon Lucid, who spent six months aboard Mir.
In December 2000, Gerstenmaier was named Deputy Manager of the International Space Station Program. In 2002, Gerstenmaier was named Manager of the International Space Station Program. Mike Suffredini replaced Gerstenmaier as the International Space Station Program manager.
Gerstenmaier was named Associate Administrator for Space Operations in August 2005 .[2][6]
Gerstenmaier has twice been awarded the Aviation Week and Space Technology's Laureate Award for "Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Space", as well as three NASA Certificates of Commendation, two NASA Exceptional Service Medals, a Senior NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, and the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executives.[1][3][6]
In 2003, he received the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executives. Also that year he received the Outstanding Aerospace Engineer Award, Purdue University.
In 2004, Gerstenmaier was selected as a finalist for the Service to America Medal, for "Leading the efforts to continue the safe operation of the International Space Station in the absence of the Space Shuttle, allowing continued research and preservation of its unique capabilities for the future."[7]
In 2006, the Huntsville National Space Club awarded him the Von Braun Award.
In 2007, The Federation of Galaxy Explorers honored Gerstenmaier with the 2007 Space Leadership Award, and Purdue University honored him with the Distinguished Alumni Award, "For outstanding accomplishments in a career dedicated to the human exploration of space and international cooperation in space." In November 2008 he was honored again at Purdue as an Old Master in the 2008 Old Masters Program.[4][8][9]
In 2010, Gerstenmaier received the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement's National Space Trophy.[10]