Frank Culbertson

Frank Culbertson, a graduate of the US Naval Academy and US Naval Test Pilot School, was selected for the astronaut training program in 1984. He initially supported various shuttle missions on the ground, including the Challenger accident investigation. Afterward, he served as the lead astronaut at the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL), where he led CAPCOM for seven missions. His first space mission was STS-38 in 1990, when he flew aboard Atlantis. Next, he was Commander of Discovery on STS-51 in 1993. From 1994-98, he was Manager of the Shuttle-Mir Program in JSC’s Russian Projects Office, negotiating directly with the Russian Space Agency. Culbertson oversaw nine Shuttle docking missions to the Russian Space Station Mir, and the operations of seven US astronauts, who spent over 30 cumulative months on the Russian station. In 1997, he received a Rotary Stellar Award for leadership. He then served as Commander of the International Space Station (ISS) during his third and final mission in 2001, launching aboard Discovery on STS-105. Culbertson retired from NASA in 2002, then served as Senior Vice President for SAIC in Houston and later as Senior Vice President for Orbital Sciences, eventually becoming President of the Space Systems Group through two mergers. His numerous awards include the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, NASA Space Flight Medals, the Gagarin Gold Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal. Over his career, Culbertson has accumulated over 9,000 hours in 62 different types of aircraft and remains an active pilot.