Christopher E. Gerty (born October 19, 1975) is an American aerospace engineer who worked on NASA's Constellation Program.

[1] Gerty is an advocate of NASA's Open Government Initiative and is a leading voice on the concept of participatory exploration and collaboration.

[3] During his college years Gerty realized that flying in space was not his real goal, but rather helping humans explore and extend their sphere of influence to other worlds.

When Gerty finished several co-op tours and graduated, he knew he wanted to work for NASA, and accepted a job offer at JSC as a flight controller.

[1] After his time in the EVA group, in 2006 Gerty became a Constellation Program Systems Integration Engineer, helping plan for lunar missions.

In Gerty's words: "NASA has questions like, 'What is the best way for robots and humans to work together on the lunar or Martian surface?

He served as a liaison for the Constellation Program, living underwater for ten days to study the effects of long-duration spaceflight and test lunar and Martian exploration concepts.

In both situations you need a supply of oxygen to breathe, relative control of pressure and temperature, a means of moving around in a three-dimensional environment, and protection from the hazards ...

The results [of NEEMO 13] will be used to make us more prepared when it is time to put a few more footprints and tire tracks on the moon, and eventually realize the goal of extending the human race to other planets!