Gregory Olsen

Gregory Olsen
Born (1945-04-20) April 20, 1945 (age 79)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Alma materFairleigh Dickinson University (B.S., B.Eng, M.S.)
University of Virginia (Ph.D.)
OccupationEntrepreneur
Space career
Space Adventures Tourist
Time in space
9d 21h 15m
MissionsSoyuz TMA-7 / Soyuz TMA-6
Scientific career
FieldsMaterial science
ThesisThe fcc-bcc transformation in thin iron films. (1970)
Doctoral advisorWilliam A. Jesser

Gregory Hammond Olsen (born April 20, 1945) is an American entrepreneur, engineer and scientist who, in October 2005, became the third private citizen to make a self-funded trip to the International Space Station with the company Space Adventures.

Olsen was the co-founder and chairman of Sensors Unlimited Inc., a company developing optoelectronic devices such as sensitive near-infrared (NIR) and shortwave-infrared (SWIR) cameras. One of Sensors Unlimited's major customers is NASA. Currently, Olsen is President of GHO Ventures, LLC, in Princeton, New Jersey, where he manages his angel investments, South African winery, Montana ranch, Manhattan and Miami real estate, and performs numerous speaking engagements to encourage children – especially minority and female children – to consider careers in science or engineering. He also is a physics professor at Rider University.