President, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Axiom Space, Inc.
B.S. ASE 1983, The University of Texas at Austin
Michael T. Suffredini is President, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Axiom Space, Inc., which aims to develop the world’s first commercial space station. He has 35+ years of experience in human spaceflight, and served as NASA’s International Space Station (ISS) program manager for a decade prior to his retirement in late 2015.
Suffredini earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in 1983 and joined NASA in January 1989.
As ISS program manager, Suffredini was responsible for all aspects of the program including design, development, assembly, operation and utilization of the 460 metric ton, permanently manned international orbiting laboratory complex. The 15-nation program is the largest international peacetime project in human history. During his tenure, Suffredini successfully led the transition of the ISS program from a development and assembly focus to a research and commercial utilization focus, opening avenues for a new commercial marketplace in space.
Suffredini has received many special honors and awards including the NASA Distinguished Service medal, the NASA Outstanding Leadership medal, the National Air and Space Museum Trophy and the Yuri Gagarin Medal. In addition, he has had both the Rank of Meritorious Executive and Rank of Distinguished Executive conferred upon him by the President of the United States. He also received the Cockrell School of Engineering Distinguished Alumni award in 2009.
