Andrew Allen
» MBA, '04
A Top Gun pilot, three-time space shuttle astronaut and senior space program manager, Andy Allen has spent more than three decades working in the aerospace industry. As vice president and general manager of the Jacobs Test and Operations Support Contract at Kennedy Space Center, Allen leads a team of space professionals responsible for the implementation of ground systems capabilities, flight hardware processing and launch operations for NASA and commercial entities. Allen is also chief executive officer of Aerodyne Industries LLC, a service disabled veteran-owned small business that is a top engineering and IT solutions company.
He received a commission in the Marine Corps in 1977, became a pilot and subsequently logged more than 6,000 hours in more than 30 different types of aircraft. Allen graduated from the Navy’s test pilot school in 1987 and was immediately selected by NASA to become an astronaut. He went on to serve in several management roles, including director of the International Space Station at NASA Headquarters, and logged more than 900 hours in space. After retiring from the Marines and NASA, Allen served in various leadership positions including president of the FIRST Foundation, associate program manager for ground operations with United Space Alliance and vice president and program manager with Honeywell
In recognition of his many contributions and years of service to the U.S. space program, Allen was honored in April of 2017 with the Dr. Kurt H. Debus Award, Florida’s most prestigious space-related honor.