Candidate Profile

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EXPERTISE
Astronomy & Space Science
Aviation
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH:
BIOGRAPHY
Lt Col Verderame is a graduate of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School and has flown in 56 different aircraft. While on active duty he was a NASA astronaut flight control & propulsion instructor, teaching astronauts to fly the Space Shuttle and is 1 of only 4 non-astronaut Air Force officers ever qualified to fly the full motion simulator, logging over 500 hrs and 100+ landings.

He trained both the STS-28 & STS-30 Space Shuttle crews, the latter deploying the Magellan Synthetic Aperture Radar Probe to Venus. Col Verderame has also been an instructor at the USAF Test Pilot School and in 1997 he was selected as the Air Force Senior Fellow at the RAND Corp where he studied future military space applications.

Col Verderame holds a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering as well as a master’s degree in astrophysics with a minor in planetary geology and a second master’s degree in geological engineering. He has authored 5 books and 11 scientific and engineering papers including a study for the NASA Mars Exploration Office on selecting drilling sites for upcoming robotic missions in search of subterranean water. He is an active member of a local astronomy club where he regularly participates in astronomy ‘outreach’ programs, helping the public experience the universe first hand and can he be found on most clear nights in his backyard observatory with his 14” aperture telescope searching the cosmos or doing long exposure astro photography.

Col Verderame has been public speaking for over 35 years to diverse groups of audiences from astronauts to grade school students to community groups with a down-to-earth, entertaining and engaging style that takes the complex world of astro physics and makes it easily understandable to anyone. One cruise guest remarked on a recent cruise “You have an amazing one-of-a-kind gift to be able to explain the most complex topics in a manner that literally anyone can understand – thank-you!” Since 2008 he has also been a part-time actor, appeared in 13 films and 3 commercials. He is the owner of 2 small businesses and is a nationally ranked competitive shooter and 3-division Grand Master in the action shooting sport of Steel Challenge. Col Verderame currently resides in Indialantic, FL with his wife and 3 cats.





(Click image to download sample Powerpoint Presentation PDF - large file, 4.5MB)
PRESENTATIONS
In addition to the below listed lectures I can provide night time star gazing events where guests will be able to learn about the night sky firsthand. Many ‘naked eye’ objects such as the Great Orion Nebula, the Andromeda galaxy, Pleiades star cluster, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Mars and of course the Moon are visible depending on the ship’s latitude and season. During cruises to the northern latitudes, we’ll go out on deck to observe the Aurora Borealis. I'll also show guests how to find the north star and constellations such as the Little Dipper. There may also be meteor showers during cruises which may be visible as well night time passes of the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to be seen. These events will be weather permitting and can be scheduled for any evening at the discretion of the cruise staff.

AVAILABLE LECTURES

1. THE AURORA BOREALIS: ORIGINS & MYSTERIES OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Take an up-close look at one of nature’s truly amazing phenomena of the night sky. What it is, as well as where and when you can see it will be discussed. On cruises to the upper northern latitudes join Ken on deck in the evenings to potentially get a firsthand look at this amazing wonder of nature.

2. THE HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY
Take a tour back in time at the world’s second oldest profession from the beginning ideas of ancient astronomers to modern day plans to colonize Mars and beyond. From the Greeks to Copernicus and on to the James Webb Telescope see how humanity’s understanding of the cosmos has growth exponentially as unleash ever sophisticated technology toward the night sky to unravel the secrets of the universe

3. THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE: UNLOCKING THE ORIGINS OF THE UNIVERSE
Take a tour of what many consider to be the most sophisticated scientific instrument to ever be put into space. Explore the numerous mysterious and secrets Astro Physicists are hoping to unravel with this telescope. Will we finally be able to see back to the very beginning of the Big Bang and when time itself began?

4. ARE ALIENS REAL? CAN WE REALLY BE THE ONLY INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE?
A fun but factual look at the intriguing possibilities of finding other life in the universe. How do scientists find potential planets that could support life? Where would beings inhabiting these planets most likely be found and what might they look like are a few of the questions he’ll discuss.

5. ARE YOU READY TO BE A MEMBER OF THE FIRST MARS COLONY? So you decided to volunteer to be a member of the first Mars colony! Find out what will it be like to live on Mars. What will living conditions be like inside the colony? Will you have cable TV? What will you be doing every day? And what will the training be like to get you ready for your 2-year voyager to the red planet?

6. BLACK HOLES: A ONE-WAY TRIP INTO THE COSMIC ABYSS
Long envisioned as the ‘holy grail’ of astrophysics, astronomers have finally captured an image of a black hole. Black holes are one of the most fascinating, and mind-bendingly complex objects in the universe, but exactly what are they? Come take an in depth look at an object so bizarre that light & even time itself can never escape!

7. THE GAS GIANTS: A CLOSEUP LOOK AT JUPITER, SATURN, URANUS & NEPTUNE
Hitch a ride on Voyager 2 and other spacecraft on their missions to study the outer solar system and beyond. See images of these planets like you’ve never seen before and learn fun scientific facts about the distance neighbors that we share our solar system with.

8. THE UNIVERSE: HOW BIG, HOW FAR, HOW FAST
The dimensions of the Universe are difficult for most people to comprehend. This lecture takes these incomprehensible facts and transforms them, by way of scale models of everyday concepts, into easy-to-understand ideas that will bring the Universe within reach of everyone.

9. GET YOURSELF A TIME MACHINE AND TRAVEL THROUGH THE UNIVERSE! Want to see the rings of Saturn for yourself? Or maybe the Giant Red Spot on Jupiter? How about Deep Space Objects like the Andromeda galaxy? Everything you need to know to get started as an amateur astronomer will be covered. How to select your first telescope. What accessories are essential, nice to have and a waste of money.

10. SCI FI TECH: FACT OR FICTION? Everyone loves the amazing technology seen in science fiction movies or read about in science fiction novels: transporters, cryo sleep, laser pistols, etc. But does any of it have any basis in science or is it just the fertile minds of writers? Dive into the science behind science fiction tech and see what may actually be possible and what is just fun fantasy.

11. AREA 51: AMERICA’S MOST SECRET BASE? Known as “Dreamland” to military insiders; take an up-close look from someone who’s actually worked there at a facility so secret the U.S. government still does not acknowledge its existence! Are they just testing the next generation of top-secret aircraft? Or is the U.S. government actually reverse engineering alien technology there?

12. ONE BILLION YEARS IN THE FUTURE
What will things be like on Earth in the distant future? How about the rest of the solar system? Will we have colonized other planets? When you look up in the night sky what will you see? Explore these and many other fascinating questions as we peer into our far distance future

13. 10 WAYS THE UNIVERSE CAN KILL YOU. The Universe is filled with all sorts of amazing phenomena and strange objects that we are just beginning to understand. Unfortunately, some of them could spell disaster for the human race. From rouge planets to gamma ray bursts take a fun but fact-based tour of these fascinating objects and learn just how much we should be worried about.

14. KILLER ASTEROIDS: WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?
What would civilization do if we found out an ‘extinction-level” asteroid was going to hit the earth? Could we survive? Is anyone planning for this and exactly what technologies would need to be applied to move or destroy the asteroid and save the human race from extinction? A fun, but factual study of current planetary defense programs, plans & activities.

15. HOW DID ASTRONAUTS LEARN TO FLY THE SPACE SHUTTLE? An inside look at astronaut training from a NASA astronaut instructor. While all pilot astronauts are highly experienced test pilots when they join NASA, flying the Space Shuttle is like no other craft they’ve ever flown. See the unique training program used to teach these test pilots and go inside the world of NASA space flight training.

16. SO YOU WANNA BE AN ASTRONAUT?
An up close look at the selection process and the everyday life of preparing to travel in space. See what it takes to compete for one of the most coveted jobs in the world and then prepare for space travel!

17. NIGHT VISION ASTRONOMY. Want to see the universe but don’t own a telescope? With commercially available night vision equipment you can see things in the night sky most amateur astronomers can’t see WITH a telescope! Learn how do to night vision astronomy in your backyard and see examples of what you’ll be able to observe. If you already own a telescope this will effectively double the aperture of your scope!
CRUISE HISTORY / EXPERIENCE
Since 2018 I have completed cruises with Viking (Resident Astronomer), Atlas, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Princess cruise lines. I'm a retired LTC who was a Space Shuttle astronaut instructor, graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School and instructor and am one of only four non-astronaut military officers ever qualified to fly the full motion Space Shuttle simulator. I hold M.S. degrees in AstroPhysics (w/minor in planetary geology) & Geological Engineering and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and have flown in over 56 different military & civilian aircraft. I have worked in space exploration, development & acquisition for over 37 years with NASA and the USAF. In the late 1990s I was Director of the USAF Military SpacePlane Program (X-40) which in 1998 completed the first ever successful autonomous approach and landing of a hypersonic outer mold line vehicle in the history of aviation.
ADDITIONAL RELEVANT INFORMATION
No additional information provided.
RECENT PAST CRUISES COMPLETED
The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.
SHIP REF CRUISE DESCRIPTION NIGHTS SAILING FROM DEPARTURE DATE
Viking Venus VE240112 In Search of the Northern Lights 12 Tilbury Friday, January 12, 2024
Viking Orion OR220309 Panama Canal & Central America 14 Fort Lauderdale, Florida Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Viking Jupiter JU220108 South America & the Chilean Fjords 17 Buenos Aires Saturday, January 8, 2022
Island Princess 2911 Panama Canal - Ocean to Ocean 15 Fort Lauderdale, Florida Tuesday, April 9, 2019