On October 7th starting at 2pm ET, in the spirit of World Space Week, CSF President Michael Lopez-Alegria will answer questions in the popular interview series “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit, a site with 50 million visitors a month. AMA subjects have run the gamut from celebrities such as Woody Harrelson and Seth MacFarlane to political leaders such as President Obama. Community members are encouraged to submit any questions for Michael Lopez-Alegria regarding his career as an astronaut, his extensive time on the International Space Station, and his goals for the future of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. Michael will begin answering questions live at 2pm ET at www.reddit.com/r/iAMA.
About CSF President Michael Lopez-Alegria
Michael Lopez-Alegria (Capt., U.S. Navy, Ret.) is the President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. He is a Naval Aviator, test pilot, NASA astronaut and International Space Station commander. Michael was born in Madrid, Spain and raised in Mission Viejo, California. He is fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Russian.
Michael has flown three Space Shuttle missions (STS-73, STS-92, and STS-113) and served as Commander of the ISS for Expedition 14, where he flew to and from the Station in a Soyuz TMA-9. This seven-month mission on ISS set a new American record for the longest spaceflight (215 days). On this flight, he flew with Anousheh Ansari, the fourth space tourist to visit the Station. In addition to flying the longest spaceflight of any American astronaut, he holds NASA records for the most number of Extravehicular Activities (EVA) (10) and longest cumulative EVA time (67 hours 40 minutes). He served as the Assistant for ISS to the Director of Flight Crew Operations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Michael became the President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation in March of 2012. Since then he has testified before Congress twice on the importance of public-private partnerships in space, and the need for frequent access to space for science, exploration, and education. He is the vice-chair of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee.
About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The CSF’s member companies – which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers and service providers – are creating thousands of high-tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For more information please visit www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Sirisha Bandla at sirisha@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.347.418.
