Mr. Edward “Ed’ Buckbee

Ed Buckbee has been with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center board since October 2016. Buckbee, an author, lecturer, space expert and director emeritus, has been associated with the U.S. space program for four decades. Buckbee began his NASA career in 1959 when America’s first Mercury astronauts were selected. He attended the launches of Alan Shepard and John Glenn and was present when the Apollo astronauts lifted-off for the moon landings.

In 1970, he was selected by Von Braun to be the first director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Buckbee is the visionary who assembled and managed the world’s largest space and rocket exhibition and founder of the highly successful U.S. Space Camp and Aviation Challenge programs.

Retiring from the U.S. Space & Rocker Center in 1994, Buckbee continues to work as an advisor and consultant to NASA. He has produced and hosted numerous space anniversary events acknowledging famous firsts in human space flight, honoring astronaut John Glenn and moon walkers Alan Shepard, Alan Bean and Gene Cernan. He organized and hosted the 30th anniversary celebration of the astronauts who flew on Amercia’s first space station, Skylab.