Scott Poteet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Scott Poteet
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Poteet in 2010
|
|
| Born | December 7, 1973 Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.
|
| Education |
|
| Military career | |
| Nickname(s) | "Kidd", "Martian Man" |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1998–2016 |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
| Combat operations |
|
| Space career | |
| Commercial astronaut | |
|
Time in space
|
4 days, 22 hours, 13 minutes |
| Missions | Polaris Dawn |
Scott "Kidd" Poteet, born on December 7, 1973, is a former pilot for the United States Air Force. In 2024, he was the pilot for the Polaris Dawn mission. This was a special space trip paid for by a private company called SpaceX and organized by Jared Isaacman.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Scott Poteet grew up in the United States. He went to the University of New Hampshire and earned a degree in Outdoor education. This means he studied how to teach and lead activities in nature.
Later, he continued his studies at the Air Command and Staff College. He also earned a Master's degree in counseling and leadership. He got this degree from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. This program was also connected with the Air Force Academy.
Military and Flying Career
Scott Poteet was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force. He served for 18 years in many different roles. He was the leader of the 64th Aggressor Squadron. He also flew as a pilot for the USAF Thunderbirds, which is a famous air show team.
Types of Aircraft Flown
Poteet was a test pilot, which means he flew planes to check how they worked. He also became a commercial pilot. He has flown for over 3,200 hours in many different types of aircraft. These include the F-16, A-4, T-38, T-37, T-3, and Alpha Jet.
Combat Missions
During his time in the Air Force, he spent over 400 hours flying in combat missions. These missions included operations like Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Joint Guardian, Freedom's Sentinel, and Resolute Support.
Life After the Air Force
After leaving the Air Force, Scott Poteet worked in the business world. From 2016 to 2020, he was a director of business development at a company called Draken International.
Then, from 2020 to 2022, he became the vice president of strategy at Shift4. This company's CEO was Jared Isaacman. While working at Shift4, Poteet also trained to be a mission director. He then helped lead the Inspiration4 mission. This was the first space mission where everyone on board was a civilian, meaning they were not professional astronauts. Jared Isaacman was the commander of this mission.
The Polaris Dawn Mission
In 2022, Scott Poteet was chosen to be the spacecraft pilot for the Polaris Dawn mission. This mission took place in September 2024. During the flight, Poteet was the backup pilot for Jared Isaacman, who was the mission commander. Isaacman successfully completed the first commercial spacewalk during this mission.
Personal Life and Hobbies
.jpg)
Scott Poteet is married to Kristen, and they have two daughters and one son. He enjoys staying active. He is a runner and a triathlete. A triathlon is a race that includes swimming, biking, and running.
He has competed in 15 Ironman triathlons since the year 2000. This includes four times at the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
Media Appearances
Scott Poteet appeared as a mission director in a 2021 docuseries called Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space. This series showed the preparations for the Inspiration4 space mission.
See also
- Polaris program
