Kostelnik, a member of the Senior Executive Service, has worked for 35 years in the government. From 2002 to 2005, he served as the Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Station and Space Shuttle at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Previously, he spent 32 years on active military duty with the U.S. Air Force as a test pilot, instructor pilot, program manager and commander. He has had a career in both management and aviation, accumulating over 3,300 hours of flight time in over 40 types of aircraft. General Kostelnik has management experience in requirements, development and acquisition, and testing of leading edge aerospace systems.