Passion for aeronautics and space has a tendency to follow you through every phase of life and no one understands this better than Discovery Circle member Peter Crew. Crew’s love for space exploration began as a child and it has followed him throughout his journey of adulthood and even into retirement.
At an early age, Crew was motivated by Alan Shepard’s maiden voyage in Freedom 7, the Mercury spacecraft, to pursue a career in aviation. This inspiration first led him to join United Airlines as a customer service representative. During this time, he also worked with Dial-a-Shuttle, an AT&T service that allowed the caller to listen to the commentary that was happening onboard the space shuttle when in flight. As he continued to work in the space industry and learn more about human space flight, his love for industry only grew and evolved a longing to be more involved. Upon his well-deserved retirement, his wife encouraged him to stay engaged in the space industry that he loved so much by seeking out volunteer opportunities to inspire other young minds who might someday pursue aeronautics. Lucky for Space Center Houston that Crew found a place to connect his lifelong love of space with us as a volunteer.
Crew has volunteered at Space Center Houston for many years. Over this time, he’s become quite passionate about volunteering, too, because, he says, he loves inspiring children and adults to learn more about the space industry’s past and present. With the launch of Artemis and the continuing success of the SpaceX program, Crew says, “Kids are becoming more aware of the space program. Just the idea of exploration on the Moon is extremely positive.”
Since the launch of Space Center Houston’s revamped membership program, which provides members access to unique opportunities to continue to explore and celebrate space and science, Crew has been a volunteer and a Patron-level member. While enjoying participation in both the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 50th anniversary celebrations, Crew says one of his favorite membership perks to date was his trip to NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, which he visited during a Discovery Briefing.
Space Center Houston is proud to spotlight Crew and his commitment to continue contributing to space and science learning. He is an outstanding example of why we love our members, and we are grateful for his support of our vision to bring people and space closer together. A love for space exploration – at any age – can accomplish many things but making a significant impact on the continuing need to inspire the next generation of scientists, explorers and innovators is among the most noble.
