As the first NASA Director of Operations in Star City, Moscow, Kenneth “Ken” Cameron’s career as an astronaut is highlighted by his extensive technical expertise and leadership in space exploration.

Selected by NASA in 1984, Cameron became an astronaut in 1985, taking on numerous technical and management roles, such as working on the Tethered Satellite Payload and serving as CAPCOM for several shuttle missions. In 1994, he made history as the first NASA Director of Operations in Star City, Moscow, where he collaborated with the Cosmonaut Training Center and trained in Soyuz and Mir systems. Cameron flew three space missions, logging over 561 hours in space. He piloted STS-37, commanded STS-56, and led STS-74, the first mission to use the space shuttle for assembling a module on a space station.

During his first mission, STS-37, Cameron piloted the deployment of the Gamma Ray Observatory to explore gamma ray sources throughout the universe. On his second mission, STS-56, he commanded the crew of space shuttle Discovery, conducting atmospheric and solar studies to understand the effect of solar activity on Earth’s climate. His third mission, STS-74, saw him command space shuttle Atlantis in NASA’s second space shuttle mission to dock with the Russian Space Station Mir, validating procedures for the future assembly of the International Space Station. Cameron’s extensive experience in space exploration highlights his remarkable career and dedication to advancing aerospace technology.

After leaving NASA in 1996, Cameron held executive roles at Hughes Training, Saab Automobile, and General Motors. He returned to NASA in 2003, contributing to the NASA Engineering & Safety Center before retiring in 2008 to join Northrop Grumman as Director of Houston Operations.