ASHLAND - For 167 days of his life, Clayton Anderson floated far above the Earth. But it’s his hometown of Ashland that Nebraska’s only astronaut has always gravitated toward.

Anderson spent 30 years with NASA and the latter 15 years as an astronaut. Anderson’s 15 years as an astronaut include flying on two space shuttle missions and six spacewalks that totaled 38 hours and 28 minutes. Anderson describes being able to spacewalk as “the ultimate” milestone.

After a decade of retirement, he landed the position of president and CEO of the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum. The museum is located near his hometown along Interstate 80 between Omaha and Lincoln.

“I’m just very excited,” he said in an interview. “There are special people here. There are dedicated, hardworking and amazing people that helped raise me … and made me the man I’ve become. It’s time for me to come home and give back.”

Since his retirement from NASA, Anderson had been teaching intro to aerospace engineering to first-year students at Iowa State University.

Anderson hopes to continue the SAC Museum's mission of educating, entertaining, and inspiring those who come through its doors.

He envisions he and the 30 employees of the museum will implement more interactivity that "can bring the museum even to bigger life."

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