What do astronauts do once they leave NASA?

The answer from Robert Frost, as usual, is excellent and covers much of what the question seeks for an answer.  However, since I recently retired in January of 2013, after a 30-year career with NASA (15 as an aerospace engineer and 15 as an Astronaut), I can tell you exactly what this astronaut is doing since he left NASA!

Contrary to what many folks who know me might think; I am NOT sitting around shirtless in my recliner, wearing soiled boxer shorts and scratching my hairy belly while downing a Miller Lite (although it might be fun to try that once, or maybe twice!).  I have found that "life after NASA" and retirement are keeping me plenty busy... maybe busier than when I still worked for NASA!

Today I am employed part-time by Iowa State University where my title is Distinguished Faculty Fellow, Senior Lecturer.  In this capacity, I help team teach a freshman level Intro to Aerospace Engineering course, which includes aspects of spaceflight, airplanes and generalities (e.g., Teamwork and Ethics).  I teach the spaceflight, teamwork and ethics portions of the course and enjoy my time there.  Recently we also kicked off a prototype Spaceflight Operations Workshop that was a huge success.  We hope to continue offering this course, and "growing" its content:


Read other answers by

Clayton C. Anderson on Quora:

• What is the typical age of American astronauts?
• Do astronauts have control of the internal temperature on the ISS?
• Did shuttle astronauts sleep in the space shuttle when it was docked to the ISS?

Read more answers on Quora.

from Quora http://ift.tt/2eyf3gs