Terry Virts

Terry Virts is a retired NASA astronaut, former International Space Station commander, and Air Force test pilot who combines extraordinary spaceflight experience with compelling storytelling and strategic insight. He piloted Space Shuttle Endeavour, commanded the ISS during Expedition 43, completed three spacewalks, and captured over 300,000 photographs from space, more than any other astronaut, featured in the IMAX film A Beautiful Planet. Terry translates his seven months in orbit into powerful presentations on leadership, innovation, crisis management, and global perspective, equipping organisations with practical tools for navigating complexity, fostering intercultural collaboration, and making bold decisions under pressure.

When Terry Virts opened a book about the Apollo missions as a kindergartener in Columbia, Maryland, he set in motion a journey that would take him from fighter jets over Korea and Germany to commanding the International Space Station, and eventually into the arena of American politics. Selected by NASA in 2000 after logging over 4,500 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft as an Air Force test pilot, he piloted Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-130 and later launched aboard Soyuz TMA-15M from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome. During his seven months in orbit, he completed three spacewalks, commanded Expedition 43 aboard the ISS, and captured more than 300,000 photographs from space, the most extensive photographic record of any astronaut in history.

Terry's contributions extend far beyond his technical achievements in orbit. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in mathematics and a master's in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he later completed studies at Harvard Business School, building expertise that spans aerospace engineering, intercultural collaboration, and strategic leadership. His stunning photography from space became the centrepiece of the IMAX film *A Beautiful Planet* and his National Geographic book *View From Above*, whilst his second book, *How to Astronaut*, offers insights into the mindset required for extreme performance. As a film director, he helmed *One More Orbit*, demonstrating his ability to translate complex technical narratives into compelling visual stories. Terry now serves on corporate boards, consults to the entertainment industry across multiple film and television projects, and actively contributes to public policy discussions drawing on his unique vantage point of having observed Earth from 250 miles above its surface.

Today, Terry channels his experience navigating high-stakes environments into helping organisations and audiences understand leadership under pressure, innovation in constrained systems, and decision-making when failure is not an option. His presentations draw on real examples of managing crisis during the most stressful period of US-Russian relations since the Cold War, collaborating across cultural and linguistic barriers with international partners, and maintaining team cohesion in isolated, high-risk environments. Audiences gain practical frameworks for fostering innovation, building resilient teams, and developing the global perspective necessary to address complex challenges. Whether speaking to corporate leaders about strategic vision, advising on environmental stewardship informed by his orbital observations, or engaging communities on the future of exploration and technology, Terry delivers actionable insights that equip people to lead with clarity, courage, and purpose in an increasingly interconnected world.