Gene Mikulka

Show Creator, Host, Panelist, Contributor

Gene has been a lifelong student of the history of spaceflight and space exploration. He was the precocious seven-year-old in a Jersey City luncheonette explaining to a crowd why the re-entry corridor for the Apollo Command Module was so important using a toy CM with his grandmother proudly looking on. In his day-job career, he's been knee-deep in the information technology area, first in desktop and server support and finally as a technical writer, end-user trainer, and IT change manager in both the private and defense sectors. Between 1992 and 1995 he volunteered at the County College of Morris Planetarium located in Randolph, NJ where he authored, produced, and presented planetarium shows, and assisted with the planetarium’s outreach and public programs. Gene is also an amateur spaceflight historian, amateur astronomer, model rocketry designer, and space policy wonk. He has presented talks about human spaceflight programs to schools and civic groups. Gene was lucky enough to be selected for the first NASA Tweetup at NASA Headquarters in 2009 and has carried the Talking Space Banner into several NASA Media Events. He has also appeared on BBC Radio several times discussing space exploration news events. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Kean University and his memberships include the National Space Society, The Planetary Society, and The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is also a board member emeritus of the Ferromonte Historic Society and is active in local community theater. Gene calls Northwestern New Jersey home for now, although he misses his time on Florida's Space Coast.