John “Danny” Olivas

Dr. John Danny Olivas is a former NASA astronaut, engineer, and materials scientist with a career encompassing spaceflight, accident investigation, and spacesuit development. Olivas was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Group 17 after advancing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he served as program manager of the JPL Advanced Interconnect and Manufacturing Assurance Program. He holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and materials science from Rice University, a Master of Science from the University of Houston, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at El Paso. Olivas holds six U.S. patents and has authored papers in scientific journals and technical conferences.

Olivas flew on two Space Shuttle missions—STS-117 aboard Atlantis and STS-128 aboard Discovery—accumulating more than 668 hours in space and completing five spacewalks totaling over 34 hours of extravehicular activity. During STS-117, he performed the first on-orbit extravehicular activity repair to a Space Shuttle, using a surgical stapler from the crew medical kit to fix a torn thermal protection blanket on Atlantis. He became the first person of Mexican-American heritage to walk in space. On STS-128, Olivas served as a mission specialist, performing three additional spacewalks to help deliver and install the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module on the International Space Station.

Beyond his flights, Olivas contributed to the investigation of the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy. He served on the Spacecraft Crew Survival Integrated Investigation Team, conducting materials investigations on the remnants of the Columbia Crew Module. That work informed the repair techniques later used during STS-117. Olivas also served as an aquanaut on the NEEMO 3 and NEEMO 8 underwater missions and held technical roles in NASA's Robotics Branch, EVA Branch, and Capsule Communicator Branch before retiring from the agency.

After leaving NASA, Olivas became director of systems engineering at Collins Aerospace, supporting the company's space suit and advanced life support systems. In this role, he serves as Collins' chief test astronaut, applying his spacewalk experience to suit design for International Space Station crews and lunar exploration. Olivas is also co-director of the Visual Intelligence and Multimedia Analytics Laboratory at the University of Southern California, researching artificial intelligence applications in space exploration. He previously directed the Center for the Advancement of Space Safety and Mission Assurance Research at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Olivas is a keynote speaker and recipient of two NASA Space Flight Medals, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, and the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, as well as the UTEP Distinguished Alumni Award and the Rice Engineering Outstanding Alumni Award. He has appeared on Nickelodeon's revival of "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" and delivered a TEDx talk at UTEP, discussing diversity of thought and the value of unconventional ideas. His firsthand accounts of spacewalking, orbital repair, and the Columbia investigation provide insight on engineering, innovation, leadership, and perseverance.