The session went really well! We had almost 300 people from around the world tune in live for Mike's presentation. He told a great story and wove in messages around not giving up on your dreams, teamwork, working in isolation, and a lot of others. We have received extremely good feedback from participants, unsolicited, around his story and message. I think it was a home run or a perfect lift off!
Mike Massimino
Former NASA Astronaut, First Person to Tweet From Space, and Bestselling Author
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Mike Massimino
Biography
Mike Massimino is a former NASA Astronaut, a New York Times bestselling author, a Columbia University professor, an advisor at The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, and a television personality.
A spacewalker on the final two Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions, Mike and his crews traveled faster (Mach 26) and higher (350 miles) than any other astronauts in the 21st century while increasing the discovery capabilities of arguably the greatest scientific instrument ever built by a factor of 100.
During the final Hubble servicing mission, Mike was faced with both success and life-threatening challenges as he performed the most intricate repair ever attempted in space. Mike set a team record for cumulative spacewalking time on a single space shuttle mission, was the last person to work inside of the Hubble Space Telescope, and was the first person to tweet from space. He persisted through three rejections over 7 years on his way to becoming an astronaut, including overcoming a medical disqualification by training his eyes and brain to see better.
Mike has made numerous television appearances and movie cameos, including a recurring role as himself on the CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory. He was featured in National Geographic Television’s One Strange Rock and in the Netflix series Worn Stories. Mike is a frequent guest on morning shows and late-night television including The Today Show, Good Morning America, and The Daily Show, and a guest expert on network and cable news including NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, and CNBC.
Mike’s first book, Spaceman: An Astronaut’s Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe, has received rave reviews and is a New York Times best-seller. His second book, Spaceman: The True Story of a Young Boy’s Journey to Becoming an Astronaut (for young readers) is a National Science Teachers Association 2021 Best STEM Book Winner.
In Mike’s new book, Moonshot: A NASA Astronaut’s Guide to Achieving the Impossible, he distills stories and insights from NASA into an actionable guide to accomplish your biggest goals. Mike reveals how to make possible the seemingly impossible—on Earth. Written with characteristic wit and a big heart, Mike identifies ten hard-earned lessons of spaceflight and his other life experiences.
Mike uses humor and his unique storytelling ability to inspire audiences to identify the passion in their work, to use teamwork and innovation to solve problems, to provide leadership in the face of adversity and crisis, and to never give up when pursuing a goal.
Mike Massimino
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Mike Massimino
Featured Keynote Programs
Be Ready for the Future
Change is Inevitable, Accept and Embrace It
Companies go through reorganizations and changes to grow their business and prepare for future opportunities in the changing marketplace. Often these transformations are met with resistance by team members who are happy with the way things are, but leadership needs to clearly communicate the benefits of these changes to gain buy- in. Mike relates changes in the space program to changes in today’s business world. During his career, NASA pivoted from working independently to embarking on global partnerships with the space faring countries of the world including Russia, and commercial partnerships with private space companies. Leadership made it clear that although many would be uncomfortable with these changes, they were needed to secure the future of space exploration, improve international relations, and stimulate a new space economy. Mike encourages audiences that although they may have an initial reluctance to accept change, they should embrace it as an opportunity for future greatness and success.
Being Resilient and Adaptable in Challenging Times
When you think all hope is Lost, Find Another Way Around
Sometimes forces out of our control can make moving forward difficult. In spite of our best efforts we often get knocked down repeatedly. But we need to find a way around that next obstacle. Mike encourages audiences: When the odds are against you, do it anyway. Mike’s dream of becoming an astronaut began when he was six years old watching Neil Armstrong take the first steps on the moon. The path to achieving this dream was wrought with unexpected challenges, failures, disappointments, and self-doubt. Mike was rejected three times by NASA including a medical disqualification which Mike overcame by teaching his eyes and brain to “see better.” His persistence paid off when he was selected to be an astronaut on his fourth try. This same resilience was needed after earning his astronaut wings to persevere through the setbacks, tragedies, and technical challenges that Mike experienced in his astronaut career. Mike stresses that as long as you keep trying, no matter the obstacles, achieving a goal is possible.
The Team’s Success is Your Success
You Cannot do this Alone, You will Succeed or Fail as a Team
An organization’s goals are only obtainable if everyone on the team works together. Individual accomplishments are needed, but the success of the team is most important. In our complex world, not everyone can be good at everything. But by pooling our abilities, we can be good at everything as a team. Mike conveys how he and his colleagues worked together with a culture of admitting mistakes and bringing forward concerns without worry of embarrassment or finger pointing. Providing help to teammates was not considered to be a burden, but rather a way to make the team stronger. When Mike broke a critical piece of equipment while repairing the Hubble Space Telescope during his final spacewalk, his team was there to help. Rather than blaming Mike, the ground control team and the astronauts in space worked together with him to come up with an innovative solution that saved the day and the mission. Although not every problem has an obvious solution, teamwork can help us with overcoming unforeseen challenges. Mike communicates to audiences how the NASA models for teamwork and leadership can be applied to the business world and in life. When you need help, reach out to your own “Mission Control Center,” and be “Mission Control” for others.
Gaining that Competitive Edge
Accepting AI and New Technology in the Workplace
AI and new technology is all around us. It can be intimidating. But it can also provide opportunities for growth and improve our decision making. The Space Shuttle was a manually controlled spacecraft. Very little computing power was available and astronauts and flight controllers were responsible for operations and decision making during high stakes situations. In today’s spaceships, AI performs many of the decision making tasks previously
done by astronauts. But the path getting there was not easy as astronauts were accustomed to being in total control of their spacecraft. The road to acceptance was through demonstrated benefits such as increased safety, improved performance, and reduced training time. Mike encourages audiences to embrace new technologies and AI to give them the competitive edge they need in meeting the challenges of a dynamic and uncertain world.
Mike Massimino
Featured Books
Spaceman (Adapted for Young Readers): The True Story of a Young Boy's Journey to Becoming an Astronaut
by Mike Massimino
An astronaut who completed spacewalks on two Hubble missions tells his inspiring story in this middle grade adaptation of his bestselling adult memoir, Spaceman: An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe. Fans of The Right Stuff and Apollo 13 will be thrilled by this astronaut's real life adventure. From the time he was seven-years-old and saw Apollo 11 land on the moon, Mike Massimino dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Long Island is a long way from space. Kids like him, growing up in working-class families, seldom left the neighborhood. But with the encouragement of teachers and mentors, Mike ventured down on a path that took him to Columbia University and to MIT. It wasn't easy. There were academic setbacks and disappointments aplenty--and NASA turned him down three times. Still, Mike never gave up. He rose to each challenge and forged ahead, inching closer to realizing his boyhood dream. His love of science and space, along with his indomitable spirit and sense of teamwork eventually got him assigned to two missions to fix the Hubble Space Telescope--as a spacewalker. Spaceman takes readers on Mike's unlikely ride from Earth to space, showing the breathtaking wonder of science and technology along the way. "Mike Massimino is a spaceman through and through. In this edition for young people, he tells us how hard work can take you out of this world. He believes in teamwork, and he never gives up. Prepare to be inspired." --BILL NYE, SCIENCE GUY and CEO, THE PLANETARY SOCIETY
Moonshot: A NASA Astronaut's Guide to Achieving the Impossible
by Mike Massimino
Learn the NASA Astronaut mindset to solve problems, provide leadership in the face of adversity, and never give up when pursuing your wildest ambitions. Mike Massimino achieved his dream of exploring space. Now he distills stories and insights from NASA into an actionable guide to accomplish your biggest goals. Mike reveals how to make possible the seemingly impossible--on Earth. Written with characteristic wit and a big heart, Mike identifies ten hard-earned lessons of spaceflight and his other life experiences, including: - One in a Million Is Not Zero: The odds are against you. Do it anyway.
- The Thirty-Second Rule: You're going to make mistakes. Learn how to deal with them.
- Be Amazed: The universe is an incredible place. Stop what you're doing and look around.
- Know When to Pivot: Change is inevitable. Accept and embrace it. We all have our own personal "moon shots" we'd like to take in life, but as mission control will tell you, doing one big thing really means getting a thousand little things right along the way. Moonshot is the book that will show you how to do just that, and help set you on the right path to achieve your own personal and professional dreams.
Mike Massimino
Featured Reviews
Mike Massimino
Featured Articles & Resources
Leadership Lessons from Space: Mike Massimino on Perseverance and Innovation
In the realm of leadership, few stories are as inspiring or instructive as that of former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino. In a recent interview, Massimino—a keynote speaker...
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Keynotes
NY TIMES - How to Savor Life Like an Astronaut - You don't have to leave Earth to appreciate
Mike Massimino used to complain about the weather when he was growing up outside New York City. Then he went to outer space.
“In space, there is no weather,” he told me. “No...
FORBES - An Astronaut's Guide To Communication Skills Training
Carmine Gallo - Senior Contributor
HONG KONG, HONG KONG - JULY 11: Mike Massimino, astronaut and professor of Columbia University ... [+]
Getty Images
Former...
FORTUNE MAGAZINE - This astronaut was rejected by NASA three times. Here are his
When Mike Massimino was six years old in Long Island, New York, he saw astronauts as superheroes and held them up on a pedestal. The summer of 1969, he watched wide-eyed on the...
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