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Astronaut

MEET ASTRO CLAY
CLAYTON ANDERSON

Astronaut • Author • Educator • Explorer

Clayton Anderson

MEET
CLAYTON C. ANDERSON

NASA U. S. ASTRONAUT (Retired)

Astronaut Clayton –“Astro Clay”– Anderson, Nebraska’s only Astronaut, spent 167 days in space and 38 hours and 28 minutes in executing 6 spacewalks. He applied 15 times before NASA selected him as an Astronaut in 1998, and he spent 30 years working for NASA; 15 as an engineer and then 15 as an Astronaut.

Succeeding in one of the most difficult and coveted jobs in the world through perseverance and a never-give-up mantra, Anderson employs NASA’s “Plan, Train and Fly (Execute)” philosophy to his speaking engagements and projects. Coupled with lessons learned in the areas of leadership, persistence, teamwork, and passion, he provides unique and “out of this world” insights for those seeking to achieve results through thoughtful, practical, and successful execution.

Clay’s AWARD-WINNING books, The Ordinary Spaceman™
: From Boyhood Dreams to Astronaut, and A is for Astronaut: Blasting Through the Alphabet, along with It’s a Question of Space: An Ordinary Astronaut’s Answers to Sometimes Extraordinary Questions, Letters from Space, and his newly released children’s book So You Want To Be An Astronaut are all available through www.astroclay.com and www.astronautclaytonanderson.com as well as a special “Astronaut Edition” Fisher Space Pen and other Astro Clay logo merchandise.

Download Clay portrait
view clay’s NASA Biography
jet
Space Shuttle

MISSION Highlights
& Spacewalks

Six missions. Six spacewalks. Over 38 hours of extravehicular activity. Dive into the milestones that defined Clay’s NASA legacy.

Time in Space :

Days, Hours, Minutes

Spacewalks (EVAs) :

Totaling Hours,

STS-131, April 5-20, ( 2010)

Anderson launched and returned aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, spending over 15 days on a resupply mission to the International Space Station.

The mission brought a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) of supplies to attach to ISS and he performed 3 more spacewalks, all with crewmate Rick Mastracchio.

STS-117 / ISS Expeditions 15 & 16 (2001)

Anderson launched aboard Atlantis and spent over five months living and working aboard the International Space Station. His mission included multiple spacewalks and critical station assembly operations.

Anderson launched aboard Atlantis and spent over five months living and working aboard the International Space Station.

STS-117 / ISS Expeditions 15 & 16 (2002)

Anderson launched aboard Atlantis and spent over five months living and working aboard the International Space Station. His mission included multiple spacewalks and critical station assembly operations.

Anderson launched aboard Atlantis and spent over five months living and working aboard the International Space Station.

NEEMO 5, June 16-29, (2003)

NEEMO 5 was the fifth mission in NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) project, an underwater analog for spaceflight, where astronauts and scientists lived in the Aquarius habitat off Florida for 14 days to train for space missions by simulating space conditions like confinement and spacewalks (Extravehicular Activities or EVAs).

This early NEEMO mission, conducted in the Aquarius Reef Base near Key Largo, Florida, tested crew procedures, equipment, and human adaptation in a hostile environment, laying groundwork for future exploration by simulating long-duration space travel. The NEEMO 5 crew included astronauts Peggy Whitson, Garrett Reisman, Anderson and Scientist Emma Hwang, along with Habitat Technicians Ryan Snow and James Talacek.

STS-117 / ISS Expeditions 15 & 16 (2004)

Anderson launched aboard Atlantis and spent over five months living and working aboard the International Space Station. His mission included multiple spacewalks and critical station assembly operations.

Anderson launched aboard Atlantis and spent over five months living and working aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 16

STS-117 / ISS Expeditions 15 & 16 (2005)

Anderson launched aboard Atlantis and spent over five months living and working aboard the International Space Station. His mission included multiple spacewalks and critical station assembly operations.

Anderson launched aboard Atlantis and spent over five months living and working aboard the International Space Station.

STS-117 / ISS Expeditions 15 & 16 (2006)

Anderson launched aboard Atlantis and spent over five months living and working aboard the International Space Station. His mission included multiple spacewalks and critical station assembly operations.

Anderson launched aboard Atlantis and spent over five months living and working aboard the International Space Station.

STS-117/120, ISS Expedition 15/16, June 8-November 7, (2007)

Anderson launched aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis and spent over five months living and working aboard the International Space Station as a member of the 15th and 16th station expeditions. His mission included 3 spacewalks, serving as the station Science and Crew Medical Officers, performing critical station assembly operations and station science experiments.

Anderson also flew the CanadArm2 and flew in Soyuz TMA10 as the station crew moved her to a new docking port, anticipating the arrival of a new station crew. He returned to Earth with the crew of STS-120.

In space, you learn that preparation and humility pave the way to extraordinary outcomes.

Philosophy,
Leadership & Learning

Clay believes that the mindset of an astronaut — Plan. Train. Fly. — extends far beyond space missions. It’s a universal framework for achieving excellence in any field, from education to business to everyday life.

Drawing from his time at NASA and experiences on the International Space Station, Clay shares stories that illuminate resilience, teamwork, and the art of leading through uncertainty.
Whether he’s speaking to students, executives, or global audiences, Clay’s approach blends science, storytelling, and humanity — inspiring others to look higher, think deeper, and dream bigger.

Interview with KTRH 740 Radio in Houston, TX

Books &
Publications

jet

A look behind the visor — capturing the milestones, missions, and memories that define Clay’s path.

Astranaut Question's
It’s a Question of Space

A beautifully illustrated A-to-Z journey celebrating space and the people who explore it.

Astranaut
A is for Astronaut

A Q&A-style guide answering real questions about what it’s like to live and work in orbit.

Clayton Anderson
The Ordinary Spaceman

Clay’s memoir — a personal, funny, and powerful look at life before, during, and after space.

Letter from space
Letters From Space

Real letters from the cosmos — where humor, heart, and imagination meet.

Personalized Kid's Book Bundle (3) with Patch (1)



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Clayton Anderson

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