Awards & Recognition
★Aviation Week and Space Technology Laureate Award (twice) for Outstanding Achievement in Space
★National Academy of Engineering (2018 class)
★Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy (National Space Club)
★Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executives
★Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award
★NASA Exceptional Service Medals (2)
★Senior NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal
★Purdue University Outstanding Aerospace Engineer Award
★Multiple AIAA awards including International Award and von Braun Award
★Service to America Medal
★Purdue University Distinguished Alumni Award
Notable Facts
→VP of Build and Flight Reliability at SpaceX since 2021
→Former NASA Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations (2005-2019)
→Spent 40+ years with NASA before joining SpaceX
→Managed International Space Station program
→Key figure in Commercial Crew Program development
→Negotiated protocols with Russian Space Agency during Shuttle/Mir missions
→Member of National Academy of Engineering
→Has Purdue BS (1977), University of Toledo MS (1981), and honorary PhD from Purdue
→Known throughout aerospace community as 'Gerst'
→Keynote speaker at aerospace conferences including AAS Glenn Space Technology Symposium