Spacecraft Launch Program Engineering Consultant and Expert

Consultant #1491

Spacecraft-launch vehicle mission integration and launch operations.
Spacecraft propulsion systems and ordnance.
Head of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Solid Propulsion Section.
Program and project management for rocket launches.
Rocket launch of communication satellites.
Mission manager for more than 75 sounding rocket launches.
Expendable launch vehicles.
Launch range operations experience at Cape Canaveral, Baikonur, Guiana Space Center and VAFB.
Rocket motors and engines and ordnance.
Spacecraft launch program adviser for more than 30 components spacecraft launches.
Engineering and technical support to GE for design manufacture, test and application.

Significant Career Highlights and Accomplishments

Launch vehicle, propulsion/ordnance systems effectiveness, and integration advisor to SES (formerly SES/AM, GE/AM & RCA/AM) with a 96% success rate out of 30 launched communication spacecraft.
Propulsion and ordnance system effectiveness and integration support engineer for Astrium on 11 launched communication spacecraft programs with a 100% success rate.
Propulsion and ordnance systems effectiveness and integration support engineer for Americom Satellite Corporation and Arabsat for two communication spacecraft.

Undisclosed Company, Senior Advisor, Spacecraft Launch Programs, 1997 - Present

Provide launch vehicle engineering and technical support services for mission integrations associated with commercial spacecraft launch programs.
Provide support to SES Americom for launch of 19 commercial spacecraft with a 95% success rate, including Atlas, Ariane, Proton and Delta rockets.

Conatec Inc., Managing Director, 1984 - 1997

Established and managed an engineering, systems effectiveness and technical support services organization that successfully completed more than 50 U.S. government and commercial (national and international) contracts in support of spacecraft/launch programs.
Managed the Conatec propulsion and launch vehicle/operations support team for six successfully launched SES/AM communications spacecraft (KU2 through C3).
Created Conatec's commercial launch service, and obtained all required U.S. government licensing and insurance coverage.
Responsible for systems engineering and systems effectiveness associated with solid rocket motors (SRMs).
Served as quality assurance engineer in an "on-site" (at ATK) customer representative capacity for General Electric Americom (GE/AM) and Matra Marconi Space (MMS) U.K. Ltd. during the design, development, qualification, manufacturing and testing of 11 upper stage SRMs (STAR 63F, STAR 37XFP and STAR 30E) for spacecraft and launch vehicle applications.
Managed the SDIO DSSR program; five target vehicles launched within 12 months of authority to proceed with a 100 percent mission success.

Orbital Systems, Ltd. (OSL), Operations Manager, 1980 - 1984

Engineering and systems effectiveness manager for propulsion and launch vehicle and operations team.
Served as quality assurance engineer in an "on-site" (at ATK) customer representative capacity for GE/ AM and MMS during the design, development, qualification, manufacturing and testing of 12 upper stage SRMs for spacecraft and launch vehicle applications.
Provided the technical direction and defined the requirements for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Flight Support System (FSS) retrieval and berthing simulations used in preparation for the STS recovery operation of the Solar Maximum Mission spacecraft.

NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Head, Solid Propulsion Section, 1968 - 1980

Head of the Solid Propulsion Section of the Shuttle Payload Integration and Rocket Experiments (SPIRE) Project Office.
Provided the overall management and technical direction for the application of launch vehicle systems and subsystems for sounding rocket launch programs.
Responsible for establishing launch site facilities and operations for the first NASA sounding rockets launched from Spain, Alaska, San Marco, Resolute Bay and Esrange; Mission Manager for over 100 sounding rocket launches.

NASA HQ, Technical Staff, 1965 - 1968

Staff to the Solid Propulsion Experimental Engineering Branch of the NASA Office of Advanced Research and Technology (OART).

Expert Witness

Testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation/Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space, Hearing on Commercial Expendable Launch Liability.
Provided comments and recommendations regarding US House and Senate Bills (HR- 4399 and S-2395) which limit liability of commercial launch operations. Actively lobbied the House and Senate for passage of these bills.
Selected as one of six panel members to represent the U.S. Aerospace Industry at the first Commercial Space Symposium sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Paris.
Presented a white paper on Conatec's Commercial Space Activities to the Commercial Space Working Group of the Presidents Economic Policy Council.
Initiated the first Memorandum of Agreement (Launch Service Agreement) with the U.S. Naval Ordnance Missile Test Station for support of Conatec's commercial launch vehicle operations at the White Sands Missile Range.
Negotiated a Memorandum of Agreement with NASA for Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) for support (property and services) of Conatec's commercial launch vehicle operations.