Mike Moses ’91, Bringing the Moon to the Masses
Mike earned a master’s degree in space sciences from Florida Tech in 1991; this was just the beginning of his exploration of the farthest reaches of our universe. His career began at the Johnson Space Center as a flight controller in the Mission Operations Directorate in 1995 as a contractor, converting to be a full-time NASA employee in 1998. He was a member of the Space Shuttle Propulsion Systems Group, becoming the Lead of that group in 2001, He also served as the Lead for the Shuttle Electrical Systems Group. In 2005, Mike was selected to become a Flight Director, overseeing mission planning and operations for Space Shuttle missions. He was the lead flight director for the STS-123/ 1JA mission in February 2008. At the end of 2008,Mike moved to the Kennedy Space Center and took over the role of Launch Integration Manager, where he served as the Space Shuttle deputy program manager overseeing vehicle processing, launch and landing operations. In this role, Mike oversaw the last twelve Space Shuttle missions and the end of the Shuttle program. Mike was the recipient of the NASA Exceptional Leadership Medal, Johnson Space Center’s Director’s Commendation, and multiple NASA group achievement awards.
Moses left NASA in 2011 following the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program and joined Virgin Galactic. As president of Virgin Galactic, he oversees the commercial human spaceflight program, including WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo vehicle processing, flight planning, astronaut training, flight crew operations including flight test operations in Mojave, California, and Virgin Galactic’s commercial operations at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
“Sending a mission to space shows us clearly that nothing is impossible. My dream is to make space available to everyone. That will truly change life here on Earth,” he said.
Moses was featured in Florida Tech’s 60th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.
