Jonathan H. Ward

American author Jonathan Ward spent several years of his childhood in Japan, lives in Greensboro, NC, and considers the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC to be his hometown. Although he has a wide variety of interests and has worked in many fields, space exploration is his lifelong passion. His joy of bringing the space program to life for the general public began in high school, when he served as a volunteer tour guide at the National Air and Space Museum during the Apollo 15 and 16 missions. He continues his public outreach today, as a Solar System Ambassador for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as a frequent speaker on space exploration topics to interest groups and at regional conferences, and as an author of space histories that concentrate on the human element in space exploration. Jonathan also contributes to online space exploration forums.

Jonathan spends more than 120 days at sea every year as a cruise ship lecturer and astronomer. His travels have taken him all over the world. He loves bringing history to life and helping inquisitive audiences to understand the incredible truths we are learning about ourselves and our place in the universe.

Jonathan's most recent book is "Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission," which is the memoir of astronaut Eileen Collins. It is the basis for the Haviland Digital documentary, "Spacewoman," scheduled for release in 2025.

Jonathan and his wife Jane now reside in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is fiercely proud of his two grown children and their families, and he wishes they lived closer to him.