Gregory H. Johnson

Gregory H. Johnson, often known as “Box”, is a retired NASA astronaut and a former United States Air Force colonel. Born on May 12, 1962, in South Ruislip, England, he was raised in Fairborn, Ohio. Johnson earned a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 1984, a Master of Science in Flight Structures Engineering from Columbia University in 1985, and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin in 2005. He served in the U.S. Air Force, flying 34 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm and 27 missions during Operation Southern Watch. In 1998, he was selected as a NASA astronaut and piloted two Space Shuttle missions: STS-123 in 2008 and STS-134, the final flight of Endeavour, in 2011. Over his career, Johnson logged over 5,000 flight hours in more than 50 different aircraft. BrainyQuote+6+6+6+3+3USASEF+3European Space Agency+9USASEF+9+9

After retiring from NASA in 2013, Johnson became the President and Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), where he led efforts to maximize utilization of the International Space Station (ISS) for scientific research and innovation. He has served on various boards, including the SpaceCom Advisory Board, the Astronaut Memorial Foundation, and the National Boy Scouts of America STEM Advisory Board. Johnson is also a member of the Association of Space Explorers, the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. NASA+8Scholarly Commons+8USASEF+8

Reflecting on his journey, Johnson has shared several insights:

“Children often ask me, they say, 'Well, how do you become a fighter pilot, or how do you become an astronaut, or...?' And I say, 'Love what you're doing and do it very well.'”
“I loved being a test pilot, and so being an astronaut was not my end point in, you know, either I achieved success by being an astronaut, or if I don't get picked, I'm not successful. I loved my career as a pilot, and it was a bonus to be selected as an astronaut.”
“The building of the International Space Station is something wonderful, and it will show us how to take the next step beyond low-Earth orbit.”BrainyQuote+4+4What Should I Read Next+4BrainyQuote+3Quotesia+3AllGreatQuotes+3

These reflections underscore his passion for aviation, commitment to excellence, and belief in the transformative power of space exploration. Scholarly Commons+13Ohio Astronauts+13Quotesia+13