People Category: Monday Sessions
Tim Maclay
Dr. Timothy Maclay is the President of Celestial Insight, Inc., an aerospace consulting company he founded in 2003 to provide engineering and policy support to commercial and government customers. Areas of concentration include space mission development, satellite operations, and environmentally responsible practices.
Dr. Maclay’s industry experience includes OneWeb, as the Director of Mission Systems Engineering, and before that, Orbcomm, as the VP of Systems Engineering. He has spent nearly 25 years developing and operating low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations for global communications. He began his career with Kaman Sciences working various space safety topics after earning a PhD in Aerospace Engineering Sciences from the University of Colorado in the fields of astrodynamics, debris environment modeling, and hypervelocity impact physics.
Dr. Maclay has chaired conferences and published numerous articles on orbital debris and has served on related technical committees for the National Research Council, NASA’s Engineering Safety Center, the AIAA, and the IAA. He has served on the board of the Hypervelocity Impact Society and currently serves on advisory boards for ClearSpace SA, and for the World Economic Forum’s Space Sustainability Rating.
Michelle Rucker
Michelle Rucker is 34-year veteran of NASA. She began her career in the Houston oil industry, designing down-hole sensors while pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University. She began her NASA career as a test engineer at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, initially supporting the space shuttle Challenger accident investigation through solid rocket booster materials testing. At White Sands, she also managed the two-stage light gas gun hypervelocity impact research laboratory and developed environmental control and life support systems for the International Space Station (ISS). Michelle has had the good fortune to participate in a range of exciting projects, such as supervising spacesuit and Extravehicular Activity (EVA) tools development, ISS exercise equipment system engineering, and Orion and Altair lunar lander test and verification. She currently leads the Mars Integration Group, developing crewed Mars mission concepts.
Steven G. Labbe
Mr. Steven G. Labbe is the Director of Engineering at Intuitive Machines, LLC where he serves as the Chief Engineer for their Nova-C Lunar Lander development, slated to fly IM’s first mission to the lunar surface in response to NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Task Order. Mr. Labbe brings along more than 35 years of service and experience with NASA, where he advanced through increasing levels of responsibility focused on the development of NASA human space flight systems. He began his career at the Johnson Space Center in 1984 joining the Aeroscience Branch where he was responsible for development of Space Shuttle ascent aerodynamic characteristics via wind tunnel test, flight test and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and as the Space Shuttle Ascent Aerodynamic System Manager responsible for the development and certification of all launch vehicle aerodynamic environments.
Mr. Labbe served as both the Deputy Chief and Chief of the Applied Aeroscience & CFD Branch, where he was instrumental in the development of the X-38 Project Flight Dynamics and Aerodynamics and he guided the branch through critical investigation support, reconstruction and assessment of the STS-107 Columbia accident. In 2003, Mr. Labbe was assigned to the newly established NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) as the Discipline Expert for Flight Sciences, where he established an agency wide Flight Sciences Technical Discipline Team in support of a wide variety of NESC Independent Technical Assessments.
In October 2007 Mr. Labbe was named the Chief Engineer for the Constellation Program representing NASA’s engineering community as the Engineering Technical Authority for all program level activities. In January 2011, Mr. Labbe was selected as the Chief of the Aeroscience & Flight Mechanics Division where for 8 years he led the Division’s in line support of the Orion Program, oversight of the International Space Station (ISS) and independent verification analysis of the Commercial Crew Program. In 2018, Mr. Labbe was selected as the Chief Engineer for HEOMD’s Gateway Program. Mr. Labbe retired from NASA in 2019 and joined Intuitive Machines soon after. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1984.
Jeff Thornburg
Jeff Thornburg is a career space engineer and leader who brings a unique perspective to the space industry. Jeff is founder and President of Interstellar Technologies, an engineering and technology development company focused on advanced research and development for launch vehicles and propulsion systems that expand our reach into the solar system. Prior to the current focus on Interstellar, Jeff was the Vice President for Propulsion Engineering at Stratolaunch working with Paul Allen on the advanced and fast-paced PGA Engine development for Stratolaunch. Jeff was also the Senior Director of Propulsion Engineering at SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA, and served as the principal engineer and architect of the Raptor engine development program. Jeff also served as the Vice President of Propulsion Engineering at SpaceX overseeing flight, test, development and research operations while also supporting customer interactions; including those with NASA and the U.S. Air Force. Jeff oversaw six successful Falcon 9 launches during his time as the VP of Propulsion, and coordinated qualification and certification activities with the U.S. Air Force and NASA. He was also a lead propulsion engineer and turbomachinery technical project manager for the J-2X engine development program at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and Jeff spent 4 years working for Aerojet as an engineering director for their liquid engine turbomachinery group, and served as the site manager for the Aerojet-Woodland Hills engineering office in Woodland Hills, CA.
Jeff started his career in the U.S. Air Force as a flight commander and aircraft maintenance officer on KC-135R tanker aircraft at MacDill AFB, FL. He was selected to attend the Air Force Institute of Technology and earned his Master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Jeff was stationed at Edwards AFB, CA, where he joined the liquid rocket engine branch at the Air Force Research Laboratory where he worked on several component and engine technology programs included leadership of the joint Air Force-NASA Integrated Powerhead Demonstration engine. This program performed the world’s first hydrogen full-flow staged combustion cycle engine demonstration. Since his first assignment to Edwards AFB, Jeff has been very fortunate to have built his career working on nearly all liquid engine technology development programs since the Space Shuttle Main Engine. Jeff has received numerous Air Force and NASA awards including a NASA Space Flight Awareness award, the NASA Made It Happen award, the NASA Stennis Space Center Propulsion Test Director’s Leadership Award, and was an Air Force Research Laboratory Technical Program Manager of the Year. In addition to his master’s degree, he has a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Amanda Mitskevich
Amanda Mitskevich is the program manager of the Launch Services Program at NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where she is responsible for overseeing NASA’s provision and management of domestic commercial launch services for robotic missions. She ensures overall mission success through leading, managing and directing the progress of planning and acquisition of launch services, commercial launch vehicle engineering and analysis, mission integration, launch vehicle production, launch site processing, launch campaigns and launch. Prior to her current position, she served as the program’s deputy program manager. She has been employed with NASA for over 30 years.
Previously, Mitskevich was the chief of the Flight Projects Office in the Launch Services Program. This office provides the mission management of the launch service across NASA’s commercial launch vehicle fleet. During her tenure, the mission managers, under her direction, managed over 30 successful missions through launch and implemented many cross-cutting processes to enable consistent and customer-focused management of the missions. Before becoming the office chief, Mitskevich was a mission manager in the
Launch Services Program, where she successfully led several mission teams for spacecraft that were managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Marshall Space Flight Center and Goddard Space Flight Center; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and private industry. Additionally, in 1998, she was instrumental in transitioning and consolidating major elements of the Launch Services Program from Goddard Space Flight Center and Glenn Research Center to Kennedy Space Center.
Her previous experience includes several Shuttle Operations positions, managing projects, such as implementation of improvements to aid in more efficient orbiter processing operations, optimization of the Orbiter Logistics resources for sparing orbiter hardware, and implementation of new processes for award fee evaluation of the contractors across all logistics elements. Additionally, she served as a management intern to Kennedy Space Center’s director.
Mitskevich has received numerous achievement and performance honors throughout her career. She was awarded a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Central Florida, where she received her Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and was featured in the “Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine.” Mitskevich is a registered professional engineer and holds a Federal Acquisition Certification in
Project management. Her honors also include NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, and the Florida National Space Club’s Debus Award.
Brian Brady
Dr. Brian B. Brady is a Principal Scientist at the Aerospace Corporation. Brian received his Ph.D. from Columbia University and his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. Brian is currently investigating hybrid rocket motor testing, methane coking rates, and green propellant properties in a new propulsion research facility. He also investigates small satellite propulsion technologies. He tested flammability of launch vehicle coatings, safety of monopropellant replacements for hydrazine, and explosion generated debris risk for satellites. He is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics where he serves on the Hybrid Rocket Technical Committee, and of the American Chemical Society where he is an ACS Fellow and a councilor for the Southern California Local Section.
Matt Moran
Matt Moran has been developing power and propulsion systems and technologies since 1982. He led engineering teams and completed projects for NASA, DARPA, Air Force, Navy, Missile Defense, energy, non-profit and commercial organizations. Moran Innovation is the seventh technology-based startup company he has co-founded. Matt acquired $8.5MM in early stage funding and completed 19 successful contract awards in his previous businesses.
He also worked at NASA for 31 years, most recently as Sector Manager for Energy and Materials where he established strategic partnerships, captured new business, and negotiated license agreements. In his prior position at NASA, he managed a portfolio of power and propulsion systems technology development projects and led a team of 40 scientists and engineers.
Matt has developed space and defense systems and technologies for the space shuttle, international space station, launch vehicles, spacecraft, satellites, and underwater vehicles. He has subject matter expertise in cryogenics (e.g. hydrogen, oxygen, methane and xenon), thermal management, MEMS/microsystems, and thermodynamic cycles. He has also provided technology transfer and commercialization consulting to hundreds of organizations over his career.
Matt has an MBA, along with a Bachelor’s degree and graduate work in engineering. He has three US patents and has authored 47 publications. More about Matt can be found on his LinkedIn profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-moran-3a54568/
Daniel Lockney
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Daniel Lockney is the Technology Transfer Program Executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, responsible for Agency-level management of NASA intellectual property and the transfer of NASA technology to promote the commercialization and public availability of Federally-owned inventions to benefit the national economy and the U.S. public. Lockney oversees policy, strategy, resources, and direction for the Agency’s technology commercialization efforts.
NASA has had a long history of finding new, innovative uses for its space and aeronautics technologies, and Lockney is the Agency’s leading authority on these technologies and their practical, terrestrial applications.
Lockney studied American Literature at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and creative writing at Johns Hopkins University. He started his NASA career as a contractor in 2004, converting to civil service in 2010. He lives in University Park, Maryland, with his wife and two space pups, Astro and Cosmo
Sandra Cauffman
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Mrs. Cauffman currently serves as the Acting Division Director of the Earth Science Division, in the Science Mission Directorate at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters. She provides executive leadership, strategic direction, and overall management for the entire agency’s Earth Science portfolio, from technology development, applied science, research, mission implementation and operation.
Prior to joining NASA HQ, Mrs. Cauffman worked at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) for 25 years serving on a variety of roles. She served as the Deputy Systems Program Director for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R Series, a multi-billion dollar operational geostationary weather satellite program developed in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Before returning to the GOES program for the third time in her career, Mrs. Cauffman was the Deputy Project Manager for the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) Mission, a NASA mission to the red planet, which launched on November 18, 2013 and arrived at Mars on September 21, 2014. MAVEN is providing a comprehensive picture of the present state of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere of Mars and the processes controlling them to determine how loss of volatiles to outer space in the present epoch varies with changing solar conditions.
She served as the Project Manager (PM) for the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small Explorer (SMEX) (GEMS). In June 2009, GEMS was one of two missions selected for implementation competing on the 2008 SMEX Announcement of Opportunity (AO). GEMS was an Astrophysics mission using X-Ray polarimetry to probe the structure and effects of the formidable magnetic field around black holes, magnetars, dead stars. Previously, Mrs. Cauffman was the Assistant Director for Flight Projects Directorate since August 2004. As assistant Director, Mrs. Cauffman helped maintain technical and administrative oversight for the Directorate.
Mrs. Cauffman served as the Deputy Project Manager for the GOES-R Series Program. Before becoming the GOES-R Deputy Project Manager, Mrs. Cauffman served as the Instrument Systems Manager for GOES-R, overseeing the research, development and implementation of multi-million dollar instruments directed toward exploration of the earth’s environment, weather prediction, charged particle detection, advanced data collection and search and rescue techniques.
Before joining GOES (again), Mrs. Cauffman served as the Project Formulation Office (PFO) Office Chief, where she was responsible for planning, implementing, and coordinating all activities related to the development of feasible mission concepts, requirements generation and formulation of new projects to be implemented such us Global Precipitation Mission (GPM), Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO), Constellation X, and Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA).
Mrs. Cauffman worked on GOES as an Instrument Manager supporting the design, development, fabrication, test and launch and on-orbit checkout of the GOES-I/M and N/P SXI and SEM instruments. Mrs. Cauffman joined NASA in 1991, when she started as the Ground Systems Manager for the Satellite Servicing Project, where she supported missions such as Hubble Space Telescope (HST) First Servicing Mission, Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), and Explorers Platform (EP)/Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE). Before her NASA life, Mrs. Cauffman worked for Engineering and Economics Research (EER).
Mrs. Cauffman has been awarded the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal and the NASA Exceptional Leadership Medal. She is also a four times recipient of the NASA Acquisition Improvement Award. She is a Senior Fellow on the Council for Excellence in Government. She received a B.S. in Physics, a B.S in Electrical Engineering and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering, all from George Mason University. Mrs. Cauffman was born in Costa Rica and is fluent in Spanish.