Nathan J. Lindsay is a retired Major General having served in the US Air Force (USAF) for 34 years, succeeding in a variety of positions involving program management and operations of USAF and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) launch and satellite systems. During the period 1965 to 1978, Lindsay served as a launch vehicle propulsion engineer, armament R&D manager, and launch vehicle integration director. From 1978 to 1980 he was responsible for space policy and security matters within the NRO Staff in Washington DC. Later, from 1980 to 1984, he led the initial operations planning associated with Department of Defense (DoD) use of the Space Shuttle. In late 1984 he became Commander of the Eastern Space and Missile Center with responsibility for Cape Canaveral, Patrick AFB, and the Eastern Test Range. Lindsay was named Director of Special Projects, NRO, in early 1987 and led the development, launch, and orbital operations of numerous classified satellite programs. He served in that capacity until he retired from the Air Force on January 1, 1993.

In late 1993, Lindsay joined the Martin-Marietta Corporation as Vice President, Mission Success and Product Assurance, at the Astrospace facility, Princeton, NJ. He was later appointed Vice President, Commercial Satellite Operations within Astrospace until closure of the Princeton facility in 1996 when he was transferred to Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, CO, where he served as Vice President and Program Manager of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) development program. In 1998, his role at Astronautics was expanded to include management responsibility for the Atlas family of launch vehicles and all launch system development activities, including the application of the Russian-designed RD-180 rocket engine for the newly developed Atlas III and Atlas V family of launch vehicles. Lindsay retired from Lockheed Martin in June 1999.

During his USAF, NRO, and Lockheed Martin careers Lindsay also worked closely with other US space activities including those of the US Navy, US Army, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the commercial communications satellite industry. His awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the National Intelligence Medal, the National Reconnaissance Office Distinguished Service Award, NASA's Distinguished Service Medal, National Geographic's General Thomas White Space Trophy, the AAS Military Space Trophy and the Air Force Association's Bernard Schreiver Award.

General Lindsay and his wife, Shirley, were born and raised in southern Wisconsin. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1958 and 1965, respectively. He also earned a Master of Science degree in systems management from the University of Southern California in 1976. Today he and his wife, Shirley reside in Golden, Colorado, where his consulting operations are based.