JEFF KRUKIN, M.S.

The article Space advocates seek NASA course correction: White paper calls for more reliance on commercial launch services said

Radical surgery is needed on NASA's vision for space exploration of the moon, Mars and beyond, according to a study released Monday by a space advocacy group.

The assessment from the New York-based Space Frontier Foundation calls for immediate elimination of all work on the Block 1 version of NASA's Crew Exploration Vehicle and for a delay in developing the Crew Launch Vehicle — a solid-rocket booster design derived from shuttle hardware and now escalating in cost. The study urges NASA to reconsider using the Atlas 5 and Delta 4 launchers in place of the Crew Launch Vehicle...

"We've put a lot of time into this ... and we do believe the study will have an impact", said Jeff Krukin, executive director of the Space Frontier Foundation. "Think of this as an opening salvo in a long-term strategy … a long-term campaign", he told Space.com.

Jeff Krukin, M.S. is Executive Director of the Space Frontier Foundation. He is also Advisor to the Director of the North Carolina Space Initiative, Kenan Institute for Engineering, Science & Technology, NC State University, Participant in invitation-only NASA Exploration Strategy Workshop 2006, on the Steering Committee/Policy Subcommittee of the International Association of Space Entrepreneurs, Senior Consultant on Space Policy for OPS-ALASKA, Director of Space Community Relations for The World Space Center, and Consultant in Coleman Research Group's Executive Forum.

Born in the era of Sputnik, his first garbled words as an infant likely meant "What is that beeping sound in the sky?" Thus began a passionate interest in space which was further influenced by the Apollo program, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the original Star Trek.

During his undergraduate studies in Psychology and Sociology at the George Washington University (BA, '79), Jeff became interested in resource constraints as a contributing factor to conflict. This lead to the MS Program in Studies of the Future at the University of Houston/Clear Lake ('81), where he studied space resources and deepened his belief that space settlement and development are necessary for humanity's survival.

His direct space involvement began in 1979 with a summer job in NASA Headquarters. July 11th was a particularly exciting day, as Australia called to report the impact of Skylab debris. He answered the phone, and feeling somewhat unqualified to handle this he immediately delegated the task to someone else. Talk about leadership!

Jeff returned to NASA Headquarters in 1981, with a six month graduate internship in the International Affairs Division. Participating in high-level meetings, he experienced NASA's struggles to succeed with insufficient budgets and inconsistent political support. Steadfast in his support for NASA, He struggled with the fiscal and political realities of Washington, DC. With graduation approaching, he sought space-related work at NASA and other government agencies such as the CIA and the House and Senate Space Subcommittees. Unfortunately, President Reagan's federal hiring freeze was impossible to overcome.

Returning to Houston and determined to participate in the space program, he was hired by IBM and became a Systems Engineer at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Thus began the unraveling of hiss commitment to NASA, as he realized this wasn't the same agency that had brilliantly succeeded with its lunar challenge. Instead, he discovered that NASA had become just another government agency. His emotional commitment to NASA died a slow and painful death, and he searched for a different way to support human space activity.

Invited to become a Space Frontier Foundation Advocate in 1990, he spent several years conducting research for various projects. He was Program Director of the Foundation's 1994 Conference and Chairman of the 1995 Conference. Combining his passions for space and writing, in the early 1990's he wrote a monthly column on space issues entitled "Think About It", which appeared in the Journal for Space Development and other space newsletters for several years. He has also been published in Space News, the Houston Chronicle, and the Houston Business Journal. He is a noted conference speaker and has been interviewed on radio and television news programs. Video excerpts and writing samples indicate the breadth of his work around the world.

Jeff became a Foundation Board Member in 1995, and the first Director of Advocates the following year. In 1997 he vacated both Foundation positions to become a ProSpace Board Member and Director of the 1998 March Storm lobbying event. For the latter, he received the 1998 ProSpace Activist of the Year Award. In 1999 he became Vice President and continued as Director of March Storm. he became Chairman in 2002 and served until 2004. Since January 2005, he has been Executive Director of the Space Frontier Foundation.

Watch Jeff give the opening speech at the Space Frontier Conference 14! Listen to his interview I and interview II on The Space Show! Read his interview NASA Aims to Open Moon for Business in National Geographic News. Watch an excerpt from an interview with Apollo 12 astronaut Pete Conrad. Read his Betterhumans article Space Is Our Home, not a Program. Print bio!