Kevin A. Ford
A veteran Air Force pilot who transitioned to NASA, logging over six thousand flight hours and commanding the International Space Station.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American astronaut·Birthday: July 7·Baby Boomers
Biography
Kevin Ford's path to space was built on a foundation of exceptional skill and quiet dedication. A colonel in the U.S. Air Force, he amassed an astonishing breadth of flight experience—over 6,100 hours in everything from fighters to gliders—before NASA selected him in 2000. His career at the agency was defined by versatility and support roles before he got his own ticket to orbit. He served as a crucial link between ground control and crews in space as a CAPCOM, the voice in astronauts' ears during missions. When his turn came, Ford flew aboard the Space Shuttle on a complex mission to deliver supplies and hardware to the International Space Station. Later, he returned to the ISS via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, this time as the station's commander, responsible for the safety and scientific output of the multinational crew during a months-long expedition. In retirement, his deep operational knowledge made him a key leader in NASA's astronaut office, helping to shape the training and selection of the next generation exploring beyond Earth.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Kevin was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kevin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Kevin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Commander of the International Space Station during Expedition 33 in 2012.
- Piloted the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-128 mission, delivering critical supplies and science racks to the ISS.
- Logged over 157 days in space across two separate long-duration missions.
- Held the position of Director of Operations at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia, a key liaison role.
Did You Know?
He holds FAA certifications to pilot not just airplanes and helicopters, but also gliders and balloons.
Before becoming an astronaut, he was an instructor pilot for the F-15E Strike Eagle and the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
He earned a doctorate in astronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
He served as a CAPCOM (spacecraft communicator) in Mission Control for numerous Space Shuttle and ISS expeditions.
“You train for years for the moment the engines light and you go.”
