Corporate Officers

Dr. Manuel De Ponte is senior vice president of the National Systems Group based in Chantilly, Virginia. He assumed this position on January 1, 2008. National Systems Group supports the national security space and intelligence community in the acquisition, launch and orbital operation of advanced technology space systems and their ground data stations. De Ponte held the position of vice president of the group from September through December 2007.

Previously, De Ponte was general manager of the Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) Division. He was responsible for systems engineering support to the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Air Force Space Command, in the architecture, acquisition, development and orbital operation of ultra high frequency (UHF), super high frequency (SHF), and extremely high frequency (EHF) satellite communication systems, including support for the Advanced EHF, Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS), Wideband Global Satcom (WGS), Milstar, and Transformational Satellite (TSAT)Communications System programs.

Prior to his MILSATCOM assignment, De Ponte was the corporate chief engineer, supporting SMC and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on technical and policy issues. Also, in areas of cross-program engineering and system acquisition development, he facilitated interaction between the Air Force and the NRO. In addition, he was responsible for developing corporate policies and programs to ensure that the company consistently applied its talent across its entire customer base. He directly managed the company's resources in support of SMC's Advanced Planning and Systems Acquisition organizations. Under his leadership, the Independent Readiness Review process applicable to all SMC space programs was reinvigorated.

De Ponte was principal director of the Systems Engineering Directorate in the Electronic Programs Division of National Systems Group before being named corporate chief engineer. In this position, he managed engineering support for the NRO's SIGINT (signals intelligence) programs.

Before joining The Aerospace Corporation in 1992, De Ponte served for 20 years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He was Space Segment chief of the Milstar Joint Program Office at SMC in his last assignment.

Educational Background

De Ponte holds a doctorate in electrical engineering (controls) from the University of Southern California. He earned a master's degree in electrical engineering (guidance and control) from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a bachelor's degree in engineering from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

Affiliations

De Ponte is a member of Alpha Sigma Nu and Tau Beta Pi honor societies, the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He represents The Aerospace Corporation on the board of the Military Communications Conference, or MILCOM.