Mark Polansky

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) • Astronaut - Retired Vice President for Government Services, Barrios • Astronaut

Award-winning astronaut, fighter pilot and engineer, Mark Polansky is Vice President of Government Services at Barrios and Program Manager of the Mission Technical Integration Contract (MTIC), Barrios’ largest contract. MTIC supports NASA’s Human Space Flight (HSF) program, encompassing the International Space Station (ISS), Orion, Gateway, commercial crew, and commercial LEO initiatives.

At Barrios, Mark provides executive leadership to the program and project management teams, advises the CEO and President, and works closely with the VP Growth and operational Vice Presidents.

Prior to joining the company, Mark spent almost 20 years with NASA as an astronaut and research pilot. During this time, he supported the assembly of the International Space Station, logging almost 1,000 hours in space on three shuttle flights.

He was Commander of STS-127 in July 2009, Commander of STS-116 in December 2006, and Pilot of STS-98 in February 2001. He has held numerous leadership positions within the Astronaut Office. Mark’s final NASA assignment was as Director of Operations at Star City, Russia, where he lived and worked.

Prior to NASA, Mark spent almost 14 years as a United States Air Force fighter pilot and test pilot. He is a distinguished graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School and USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training; and has logged more than 7,000 hours of flying in more than 30 different aircraft.

Events

International Astronautical Congress 2026

5 - 9 October 2026

Antalya, Türkiye

Participation:

International Astronautical Congress 2025

29 September - 3 October 2025

Sydney, Australia

Participation:

International Astronautical Congress 2023

2-6 October 2023

Baku, Azerbaijan

Participation: