Pat Forrester serves as an advisor to the Associate Administrator for Space Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Prior to his current assignment, he was NASA’s senior astronaut and the Chief of the Astronaut Office. He was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1996 and flew on three space shuttle missions to the International Space Station.

Prior to joining NASA, Pat served in the United States Army as an aviator and test pilot. He retired from the Army in 2005 and was inducted into the US Army Aviation Hall of Fame in 2011. Pat received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Sciences and Engineering from the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, in 1979, and a Master of Science Degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia in 1989. His military schools include the Army Parachutist Course, U.S. Army Ranger School, and the Command and General Staff College.

Pat has been married to his wife, Diana, for 41 years and they have two married sons and two grandchildren. He is a member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC where he participated in the pastoral internship in January of 2021.