Crosslink Fall 2007 Contributors
Independent Assessments for Mission Readiness
Thomas A. Freitag (left), Systems Director, Mission Assurance, is coleader of the SMC Independent Readiness Review Team. Freitag cofounded the team in 2000 and created its organizational structure, policies, and procedures. The team reviews satellites and boosters before launch to ensure successful satellite deployment. Freitag joined Aerospace in 1981. He has an M.S. in engineering from UCLA.
Bernardo Higuera (right), Principal Engineer, Launch Directorate, serves as the directorate's chief engineer in support of the NRO Office of Space Launch. He also provides technical advice and guidance to the Mission Assurance Team and is the directorate's primary liaison with the Atlas V and Delta IV chief engineers. Higuera joined Aerospace in 1992 and has an M.S. in applied mechanics from Stanford University.
A Mission Assurance Toolbox
Bruce L. Simpson (left), Systems Director, Systems Engineering, is responsible for systems engineering and launch readiness verification. He joined Aerospace in 1985 after 17 years developing, integrating, testing, and activating weapon systems software for the Minuteman II and III, and the GPS control segment. Since joining Aerospace, he has led the Consolidated Space Operations Center systems test, activation, and operations turnover to the Air Force's 50th Space Wing. Simpson has an M.S. in engineering from California State University, Fullerton.
James P. Roberts (right), Senior Project Leader, Corporate Chief Architect/Engineer, supports mission assurance related activities with a focus on the sustainment and continuous improvement of the Mission Assurance Portal. Roberts has a B.S. in information technology from The Johns Hopkins University and joined Aerospace in 2001.
The Mission Assurance Guide
Sergio B. Guarro, Distinguished Engineer, Risk Assessment and Management, is responsible for risk management and mission assurance process development. He is an expert in the areas of probabilistic risk assessment, risk management, and related fields, and has served on several panels and committees to provide advice and assistance on these subjects to U.S. government agencies. Guarro has a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from UCLA and has worked for Aerospace since 1989.
Learning From Other People's Mistakes
Patrick L. Smith (left), Principal Director, Mission Assurance Subdivision, has many years of technical experience in estimation and control. He has also supported tactical applications of space systems and efforts to improve acquisition planning, particularly in the area of risk analysis. He has a Ph.D. in control systems engineering from UCLA and has been with Aerospace since 1968.
Paul G. Cheng (right), Senior Engineering Specialist, Risk Assessment and Management Subdivision, supports numerous cross-program mission assurance activities, such as gleaning lessons from past anomalies. Paul joined Aerospace in 1999. He received a Ph.D. in chemistry from UCLA.
Software Mission Assurance
(from left to right)
Michael L. Campbell, Chief Software Engineer, Navigation Division, supports the SMC Global Positioning Systems Wing. In this position, he promotes effective and coordinated application of best practices for software acquisition, software engineering, software development, and mission assurance for GPS-related software systems. He has a Ph.D. in computer science from UCLA and has worked at Aerospace since 1992.
Francis J. Sisti, Principal Engineer/Scientist, Milsatcom Division, is Chief Software Engineer supporting the SMC Milsatcom Systems Wing. He provides software assurance and quality guidance, software engineering expertise, and oversight for related software issues spanning milsatcom acquisition programs. Sisti is a doctoral candidate in organizational leadership at the University of Phoenix.
Suellen Eslinger, Distinguished Engineer, Software Engineering Subdivision, leads the subdivision's software acquisition research program. She recently led the Software Process Integrated Product Team for the SMC/NRO Mission Assurance Improvement Task Force, which was responsible for updating the military standard for software and for incorporating software testing requirements into the updated space vehicle test military standard. Eslinger has an M.S. in mathematics from the University of Arizona.
Robert E. Duvall is Manager of the Avionics Section in Flight Software Validation. His section is responsible for the development and operation of real-time hardware-in-the-loop test beds for launch vehicle flight software. He has a Ph.D. in astrophysical sciences from Princeton University and has been with Aerospace since 2000.
John C. Cantrell, Senior Engineering Specialist, Software Architecture and Engineering, joined Aerospace in 1987 and has worked on numerous satellite flight software projects ranging from small test efforts to multiyear multisatellite projects including SMC, NASA, and NRO commercial programs. He has an M.S. in computer science from Illinois Institute of Technology.
Mission Assurance: A Human-Rated Space Perspective
Garry H. Boggan, Senior Project Engineer, Civil and Commercial Operations, Houston office, has most recently worked with the Space Shuttle Program Systems Engineering and Integration Office. Since joining Aerospace in 2000, he has supported NASA's human-rated space programs, including the space shuttle, International Space Station, and Constellation programs. Boggan received an M.S. in materials science from the University of Texas, Arlington, and a J.D. from South Texas College of Law.
Battery Testing
(from left to right)
Valerie J. Ang, Senior Scientist, Energy Technology, has more than 25 years experience in battery design, development, system integration, testing, and failure investigation. Since joining Aerospace in 1999, she has provided support to many government and commercial space satellite and launch vehicle programs. She received a B.S. in chemistry from Andrews University.
Albert H. Zimmerman, Distinguished Engineer and Scientist, Electronics Technology Center, is a consultant in aerospace batteries for space programs and a team leader for electrochemical performance and modeling research efforts. He is an internationally recognized expert in electrochemistry—his research has led to an understanding of how the nickel electrode in batteries works and how it controls the performance and lifetime of the nickel cadmium and nickel hydrogen space batteries used on satellites and launch vehicles. Zimmerman has a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Stanford University and has been with Aerospace since 1977.
Margot L. Wasz is a Senior Scientist in the Electronics and Photonics Laboratory, where her specialty is batteries—particularly those used on launch vehicles. Her work in investigating the cause of capacity loss in batteries used by the Titan program earned her a President's Distinguished Achievement Award in 2002. She has a Ph.D. in materials science from Rice University and has been with Aerospace since 1996.
Warren C. Hwang, Director, Energy Technology, is a specialist in the application of nickel cadmium, nickel hydrogen, and lithium-ion batteries for space vehicle applications, and has served as the technical focal point for batteries for Air Force programs such as GPS, DSP, DMSP, and DSCS. Hwang has a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from UCLA and has been with Aerospace since 1973.
Boyd J. Carter, Senior Scientist, Energy Technology, joined Aerospace in 1987 and specializes in application of nickel cadmium, nickel hydrogen, and lithium ion batteries for space vehicles. He has worked to guide the transition of new battery products and technology to space vehicles and other high-reliability programs. He has a Ph.D. in chemistry from California Institute of Technology.
The Space Quality Improvement Council
Gary L. Schipper, Senior Project Leader, Corporate Chief Architect/Engineer, has led the Space Quality Improvement Council since its inception in 2001. He also heads up mission assurance initiatives with industry and government agencies, as well as cross-program and multidisciplinary failure investigations. Schipper has an M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and joined Aerospace in 1989.
To Fall 2007 Table of Contents
