‘The most influential person when it comes to US space flight’
William H. “Bill” Gerstenmaier received a bachelor’s degree and a PhD in aeronautics and astronautics in 1977 and 1993, respectively, and an honorary doctorate in 2019. After completing his studies, he joined NASA’s John Glenn Research Center, conducting research on supersonic tunnels, which contributed to information used for the reentry of the Space Shuttle. In 1980, Gerstenmaier moved to the Johnson Space Center, where he participated in research concerning the Space Shuttle’s propulsion and early stages of the design of the International Space Station (ISS). Gerstenmaier became heavily involved with the Space Shuttle program, eventually rising to Shuttle/Mir Program operations manager. He later was named program manager for the ISS. From 2005 to 2019, Gerstenmaier served as NASA’s associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations. In this role, he was described as “arguably the most influential person when it comes to US space flight.” In 2020, Gerstenmaier completed his 40-year career with NASA to join SpaceX as a consultant. A year later, he became SpaceX’s vice president of Build and Flight Reliability. Gerstenmaier has twice received the LaCrête Award for achievement in the field of space. Purdue recognized him with an Outstanding Aerospace Engineer Award in 2003, a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award in 2007, and an Old Masters induction in 2008.