John Brackett

Johnathan Brackett, a distinguished NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, hails from Gwinnett County, Georgia. With a passion for space education, Brackett holds over 20 NASA Educator Certifications and has obtained two certificates in astronomy from the University of Edinburgh. He furthered his knowledge with certificates in the History of Manned Spaceflight from the University of Houston and in The Process and Lifetime of a Space Mission from Arizona State University.

Brackett's dedication to space exploration knows no bounds, as he is dive certified in the Underwater Astronaut Trainer at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. In 2019, he contributed to mapping the asteroid Bennu as part of the OSIRIS-REx mission and processed images from the Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter. In the Summer of 2024, Brackett was certified as an educator for the GOES-U weather satellite program. His involvement in NASA initiatives includes serving as a judge in the Perseverance rover naming contest and contributing to NASA's Moon to Mars Objectives Survey as well as NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) Lunar Non-Interference Survey.

Brackett's expertise and commitment have earned him recognition from notable figures such as Governor Kay Ivey of Alabama and Congressman Rob Woodall of Georgia. He has also been commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel and named an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel, Aide De Camp to Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia. Moreover, his contributions have been commemorated on the National Air and Space Museum's Wall of Honor.

An active member of prestigious organizations like the National Science Teaching Association, the Space Generation Advisory Council, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Brackett also serves as a Space Center Houston Advisor. Beyond his professional achievements, he shares his passion for space with younger generations through authoring several children's books available on Amazon and hosting a podcast, Spaceflight Connections. Recently, Grayson Market & Gathering Place hosted an exhibition of Brackett’s photographs called, “EXPLORING BEYOND: AN EXHIBITION OF AMERICAN SPACECRAFT CAPTURED THROUGH THE LENS OF JOHNATHAN BRACKETT”. Brackett's multifaceted expertise and unwavering dedication make him an invaluable asset to the space education community.