Shannon Gregory

Shannon Gregory serves as the chief of Aircraft Flight Operations at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Gregory plans, directs, and coordinates all aspects of the center’s flight operations supporting launch and recovery actions.

Gregory is a senior line manager with authority over all flight activities to include manned and unmanned aerial systems, Airbus EC135 helicopters, and transient visitor aircraft.

Experience

Gregory began his career with NASA Kennedy in October 2021. Gregory’s roles include the overall lead pilot and manager of all aviation activities operating under Kennedy’s authority as well as leads maintenance and maintenance test fight procedures.

Gregory’s team is the lead for Commercial Crew Program (CCP) recovery operations. His team plans, integrates, and gathers images to support re-entry system performance and engineering analysis of drogue and parachute deployment for spacecraft missions. Gregory also leads critical air operations support during Dragon module descent, landing, and recovery operations for the other CCP and NASA missions in numerous locations throughout the country.

Gregory pilots EC135 helicopters under day, night, night vision goggles (NVG) and instrument weather conditions. Gregory conducts flight briefings, develops operational procedures, and exercises aviation authority and safety responsibility in evaluating pilot readiness to support NASA missions.

He also provides oversight to Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operations to Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; and other centers across the agency.

Prior to NASA, Gregory joined the United States Marine Corps 1992, serving for six years. He later joined the Minnesota Army National Guard as a UH-60 helicopter pilot and retired from active duty after 25 years of service in 2017.

Licenses and Certifications

Gregory became a commercial, instrument, helicopter pilot in July 2001.

Education

Gregory graduated in 2005 from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and professional aeronautics.

He continued his education with a Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management in 2018.

Gregory was also a Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government Senior Executive Fellow in 2023.

Personal

Gregory grew up in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area and settled there during his military career.

Residing now in coastal Florida, Gregory remains steadfast in his desire to serve others and contribute to their well-being.

Gregory has two children, one who is a pilot in the Navy, and the other who is studying aerospace engineering at the University of Central Florida.

Biography last updated May 2024