Frank L. Culbertson Jr. | |
---|---|
NASA Astronaut | |
Nationality | American |
Status | Retired |
Born |
Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. |
May 15, 1949
Other names
|
Frank Lee Culbertson Jr. |
Other occupation
|
Naval aviator, test pilot |
USNA, B.S. 1971 | |
Rank | Captain, USN |
Time in space
|
143d 14h 50m |
Selection | 1984 NASA Group 10 |
Total EVAs
|
1 |
Total EVA time
|
5 hours 4 minutes |
Missions | STS-38, STS-51, STS-105, Expedition 3, STS-108 |
Mission insignia
|
|
Retirement | August 24, 2002 |
Awards |
Frank Lee Culbertson Jr. (born May 15, 1949) (Capt, USN, Ret.) is an American former naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aerospace engineer, and NASA astronaut. He served as the Commander of the International Space Station for almost four months in 2001 and was the only American not on Earth when the September 11 attacks occurred. He is currently a President of The Space Systems Group at Orbital ATK. Mr. Culbertson is responsible for the execution, business development and financial performance of the company’s human spaceflight, science, commercial communications, and national security satellite activities, as well as technical services to various government customers. These include some of Orbital’s largest and most important programs such as NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) initiatives to the International Space Station (ISS) as well as various national security-related programs.
Culbertson was born on May 15, 1949, in Charleston, South Carolina, but considers Holly Hill, South Carolina, to be his hometown. He has five children and six grandchildren.
Culbertson was a Boy Scout and earned the rank of Second Class. He graduated from Holly Hill High School in 1967, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1971. He was a member of varsity rowing and wrestling teams at U.S. Naval Academy.