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United States Mike Massimino is a former NASA astronaut and mechanical engineer who transitioned from space exploration to academia, media, and public speaking, sharing lessons on teamwork, perseverance, and problem-solving.
Mike Massimino is a professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University and teaches undergraduate courses including 'Introduction to Human Space Flight' and collaborates on 'The Art of Engineering'.
Mike Massimino serves as the senior advisor for space programs at The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.
Mike Massimino is a former NASA Astronaut, having completed four spacewalks on two missions to the Hubble Space Telescope.
Mike Massimino appeared as himself in a recurring role on the CBS TV sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory', launching to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz.
Mike Massimino is a frequent guest on Neil deGrasse Tyson's podcast 'StarTalk' and has also appeared on its TV version.
Mike Massimino hosted Science Channel's live coverage of the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, and later hosted 'The Planets' and 'The Planets and Beyond' for the channel.
In 2019, Massimino hosted a YouTube series for Wired where he discussed differences between life on Earth and in space, covering topics like food, sleep, and hygiene.
Massimino provided insights on problem-solving, sharing 'three key pieces of NASA wisdom' in an article for CNBC.
Massimino performed twice at storytelling events for The Moth, sharing stories about the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope and his astronaut training.
Michael James Massimino was born on August 19, 1962, in Oceanside, New York, and raised in Franklin Square. He pursued a robust academic path, earning a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Columbia University in 1984. He continued his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he obtained a Master of Science in mechanical engineering and technology and public policy in 1988, a Degree of Mechanical Engineer in 1990, and a Doctor of Philosophy in mechanical engineering in 1992. His early career included working as a systems engineer for IBM in New York City from 1984 to 1986. Following his graduate studies, he worked as a research engineer at McDonnell Douglas Aerospace in Houston, Texas, developing laptop computer displays for Space Shuttle operations. He also served as an adjunct assistant professor at Rice University from 1992 to 1995, teaching feedback control of mechanical systems, and then joined the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1995 as an assistant professor in Industrial and Systems Engineering.
Massimino was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in May 1996, reporting to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. He completed two years of training to qualify as a mission specialist. He participated in two Space Shuttle missions, STS-109 in March 2002 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, and STS-125 in May 2009 aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, both of which were servicing missions for the Hubble Space Telescope. During these missions, he logged a total of 571 hours and 47 minutes in space, including 30 hours and 4 minutes across four spacewalks. On STS-125, he became the first person to use Twitter from space. After leaving NASA in July 2014, Massimino began a teaching career at Columbia University as a professor of mechanical engineering.
In his post-NASA career, Massimino has become a New York Times bestselling author with his book “Spaceman: An Astronaut’s Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe” (2016). He is also the senior advisor for space programs at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. He regularly appears on television and podcasts, including a recurring role as himself on “The Big Bang Theory” and as a guest on Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “StarTalk.” His contributions extend to hosting Science Channel series such as “The Planets and Beyond” and the online companion series “Ask the Astronaut.”
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