Les Johnson is a scientist, an author, and the Deputy Manager for NASA's Advanced Concepts Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. He thrice received NASA's Exceptional Achievement Medal and has 3 patents. Les's latest science fiction novel, "Rescue Mode" (with co-author Ben Bova) will be released by Baen Books in June; his latest popular science book, "Harvesting Space for the Earth" (with Greg Matloff and C Bangs) will be released by Springer Books in May. His science fiction books include the "Going Interstellar" anthology, and the novel "Back to the Moon." He was the featured interstellar explorer in the January 2013 issue of National Geographic Magazine, served as a technical consultant on the movie "Europa Report," and spoke at TEDx Huntsville 2013. Les is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, and a member of MENSA, The World Future Society, the National Space Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.