Clayton Anderson

Clayton Anderson, often known as "Nebraska's Astronaut," was born in Omaha and raised in Ashland. He now resides near Omaha, Nebraska, with his wife Susan. Having retired in 2013 after a 30-year career with NASA, Anderson has spent a total of 167 days in space. His tenure included living on the International Space Station for over five months in 2007 and serving as a Mission Specialist aboard the Discovery with the STS-131 Space Shuttle crew in 2010.

A skilled spacewalker, Anderson spent nearly 40 hours in the vacuum of space, assisting in the construction of the space station during six spacewalks. This achievement places him in the top 40 on the world’s cumulative all-time spacewalk record list. Anderson joined NASA's Johnson Space Center in 1983, where he held various roles, including Manager of the Emergency Operations Center and Chief of the Flight Design Branch, before being selected as a Mission Specialist in June 1998 after 15 attempts over 15 years.

Anderson has authored four books, with a fifth forthcoming, and has been featured in the Nebraska Educational Television (NET) documentary "Homemade Astronaut." He has also appeared on the History Channel's "Only in America" with Larry the Cable Guy, the Travel Channel's "Armed and Ready" with Kevin Connolly, and "Off Limits" with Don Wildman, as well as The Science Channel's "Secret Space Escapes." Currently, Anderson shares his experiences through keynote presentations, focusing on perseverance, teamwork, and leadership. His approach emphasizes the values of hard work, persistence, and moral development, delivered with a blend of humor, honesty, and engaging storytelling.