Biographical Summary

About Launch Guest Briefings

• Grew up in Atlanta, GA.
• Graduated from Georgia Tech in 1983 with a degree in Aerospace Engineering.
• Four years in the U.S. Air Force.
• Assigned to the Space Shuttle Launch Site in Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. 
• Honorably discharged with the rank of Captain in 1987. 
• After discharge, joined NASA at Kennedy Space Center. 
• For first several years with NASA, worked as a Shuttle orbiter project engineer. 
• In 1996, became a member of KSC's Space Station Team. 
• Was manager responsible for overseeing launch site processing of the first U.S. launched element of the ISS - Unity - launched and deployed in space during the STS-88 mission in Dec. 1998.
• Currently manager of the U.S. Laboratory Module (named "Destiny") and the airlock. Both will be launched on separate Shuttle missions in 2001.
• Married to the former Lynn Ficken. They have two children, Jon and Jacqueline.
• Jon enjoys hang gliding, SCUBA diving, football and baseball.

Biography last updated - June 2000

Involvement in pre-launch briefings can take one of three forms -- either as the master of ceremonies, a presenter or a scriptwriter.  The briefing is composed of two twenty minute presentations -- one that focuses on KSC as a wildlife refuge and also provides an overview of Shuttle processing, followed by a second presentation that highlights projected mission, science and crew activities.

Jon has been involved with the Launch Guest Briefing Program the longest of all our current briefers.  He is also a highly sought after speaker with the KSC Speakers Bureau.   

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