Michael J. McCulley

Michael J. McCulley holds the distinction of being the first individual to transition from a career as a submariner to the role of a space pilot. Born on August 4, 1943, in San Diego, he followed a path through naval service and rigorous flight training before joining the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1984.

Naval and Aviation Service

Before his tenure at NASA, McCulley served on one diesel-powered and two nuclear-powered submarines. In 1965, he enrolled at Purdue University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Metallurgical Engineering by 1970. Upon receiving his naval commission, he completed flight training and gained experience flying more than 55 different aircraft types. His career included service in A-4 Skyhawk and A-6 Intruder aircraft, and he attended the Empire Test Pilots' School in Great Britain. He performed duties at the Naval Air Test Center in Maryland and completed nearly 400 carrier landings across vessels including the USS Saratoga and USS Nimitz.

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NASA Operations and STS-34

Selected as an astronaut in May 1984, McCulley completed a year of evaluation in 1985. His technical contributions to the agency included acting as the Astronaut Office weather coordinator and serving as the lead for the Astronaut Support Team at the Kennedy Space Center. On October 18, 1989, he served as the pilot for mission STS-34 aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The crew successfully deployed the Galileo spacecraft toward Jupiter and conducted experiments ranging from atmospheric ozone mapping to studies on ice crystal growth. The mission lasted four days, 23 hours, and 41 minutes, concluding with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base.

Leadership in the Space Industry

Following his retirement from the Navy and NASA in 1990, McCulley joined Lockheed Martin Space Operations, eventually serving as the Director at the Kennedy Space Center. In 1996, he transitioned to the United Space Alliance as the Vice President and Associate Program Manager for Ground Operations. He advanced to Chief Operating Officer in 1999, taking responsibility for the day-to-day management of the prime contractor for the Space Shuttle program. From 2003 until his retirement in 2007, he held the position of president and CEO of the United Space Alliance.