Michael Cortright's interest in space exploration started out at a very young age.  When he was growing up on the family farm, he spent a lot of time gazing at the stars in the night sky. That interest grew, with the launch of the Mercury missions, then Gemini, Apollo, Pioneer, and Voyager and his interest in astronomy and space exploration continues to this day,  He is a US Air Force veteran, and graduated from Michigan Technological University with Associates Degree in Electrical Engineering Technology.  His latest position was Vice President of Project Management for a services supply company, retiring in January 2017 after 21 years with the company. Since retirement, he has again turned to astronomy, and also has taken up and had some success doing astrophotography. It has been an exciting challenge for him.  He is currently a member of four Michigan astronomy clubs and have been very active with public outreach programs. He is very passionate about sharing the knowledge he has gained over the years regarding the night sky, and space exploration.