Mark Albrecht

Mark J. Albrecht is an American aerospace and telecommunications executive. He is credited in government with reform of NASA and implementation of the "faster, cheaper, better" approach to space development and in the space launch business is credited for inventing and implementing the concept of "mutual backup" that revolutionized commercial space launch.

Early life and education
Albrecht was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He completed his BA and MA from UCLA (Phi Beta Kappa) and PhD from the Pardee RAND Graduate School.

Career
Albrecht was the Legislative Assistant for National Security Affairs to United States Senator Pete Wilson of California from 1983–1989. He was the executive secretary of the National Space Council from 1989–1992 and was the principal advisor to President George H. W. Bush on space. He was a senior executive at SAIC from 1992–1997 and was President of Lockheed Martin's International Launch Services from 1999–2006. . Albrecht is the author of best selling Falling Back To Earth : A Firsthand Account Of The Great Space Race And The End Of The Cold War.

Awards
Albrecht was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and the DOD distinguished civilian service medal and is the recipient of the Space Pioneer award of the National Space Society.

Personal life
He has three children, one of them is Alexander "Alex" Albrecht.