Terry Virts retired from the space program after having achieved nearly everything he ever dreamed possible, including serving in the U.S. Air Force as an F-16 fighter and test pilot, piloting the Space Shuttle Endeavour, serving as Commander for the International Space Station, and conducting three spacewalks during a 200-day mission in 2014 & 2015.
During his seven months in space, Terry led a multi-national team that included Russian Cosmonauts, U.S. and Italian Astronauts, during some of the tensest relations with Russia since the Cold War, and through 3 onboard accidents that resulted in an extended stay in space. While there, he took more than 300,000 photographs and hours of video—the most of any space mission before or since. These images form the backbone of the IMAX film, A Beautiful Planet, featuring Terry and narrated by Jennifer Lawrence. National Geographic published View from Above, a book featuring some of his best images alongside his reflections on spaceflight, stewardship of life on earth, and our place in the cosmos.
A compelling speaker and regular contributing instructor at Harvard Business School, Terry shares his insights in a wide variety of venues, from Fortune 500 Board rooms to concert halls, to Title One schools. In 2020, his highly anticipated 2nd book, How to Astronaut: Everything You Need to Know Before Leaving Earth, was published.
