Mike Marzano

Mike Marzano, known by his callsign “MARZ,” attended Space Camp in October 1994 through the adult/child program, an experience that profoundly influenced his career trajectory in aerospace and aviation. During high school, he joined the Civil Air Patrol as a cadet, where he learned to fly gliders and advanced to the grade of Cadet Major. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Aviation from Lewis University while simultaneously obtaining his private pilot’s license. Concurrently, he enlisted in the Illinois Air National Guard’s 169th Airlift Squadron, deploying to Afghanistan and earning the Air Medal for his service. He departed the Illinois Air National Guard in 2015 as a senior-rated aviator on the C-130 aircraft.

Following his departure, Marzano returned to the Civil Air Patrol in various capacities, including as a pilot and squadron commander of the Lake in the Hills Composite Squadron in Illinois. He was later selected as the deputy director of the former Civil Air Patrol Space Command Familiarization Course at Cape Canaveral. Since 2020, he has served as the Illinois Wing’s Director of Aerospace Education, holding the Civil Air Patrol grade of Major. In 2019, he was appointed to the NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador program, conducting ongoing public outreach on NASA missions and topics. In 2021, he rejoined the Air National Guard in California at Vandenberg Space Force Base as a senior-rated space systems operator, completing the Space Force’s Space 100 and 200 courses, and continues to serve in this role. In his civilian career, he joined SpaceX in 2022 within the security department, undertaking responsibilities such as escorting spacecraft and hardware, accompanying VIPs, participating in launch Red Teams, and serving as Launch Security Officer. He currently acts as the point of contact for SpaceX UAS flight operations at Kennedy Space Center and remains a rated private pilot with endorsements for high-performance aircraft and spins/acrobatics. In addition to his bachelor’s degree, he holds two Associate of Applied Science degrees from the Community College of the Air Force in Aviation Operations and Air & Space Operations Technology. He is presently pursuing a Master of Science degree at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the STEM Space Systems program.