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Advanced Concepts: Our People
Reginald Alexander, Manager
Mr. Reginald Alexander manages NASA's Advanced Concepts Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. In that role he is responsible for the development of new concepts for space vehicles for the Center and Agency. This office studies new conceptual design studies and performs feasibility studies of new ideas to determine their effectiveness to achieve program goals. A native of Corinth, MS, Mr. Alexander has 19 years of experience with NASA. He is married and has three children. He has his B. S. in Mechanical Engineering from Mississippi State University (1989) and an M. S. in Engineering, Fluids Mechanics/Heat Transfer, University of Alabama in Huntsville (1998).
Les Johnson, Deputy Manager, March 2008 -- Present
Les Johnson is the Deputy Manager for NASA’s Advanced Concepts Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. He is also the co-investigator on a Japanese space experiment that will fly in August 2009. During his career at NASA, he served as the Manager for the Space Science Programs and Projects Office, the In-Space Propulsion Technology Project, and the Interstellar Propulsion Research Project. He was the Chief Scientist for the ProSEDS space experiment, twice received NASA's Exceptional Achievement Medal, and has 3 patents. For more information, please refer to his Curriculum Vitae (PDF, 37 KB).
Ed Threet, Team Lead for Earth-to-Orbit Transportation
Ed Threet is the Lead for the Earth-to-Orbit Transportation Team of the Advanced Concepts Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Ed has 21 years experience in leading launch vehicle and upper stage studies NASA. Previous launch vehicle programs and studies that he has led or been involved with include Early Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle, National Launch System, Access to Space Option 2, Bantam Launch Vehicle, Magnum Launch Vehicle, the Intercenter Systems Analysis Team supporting the Space Launch Initiative, and the Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS). Prior to NASA, Mr. Threet worked in air pollution control research for the Tennessee Valley Authority. Mr. Threet has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama.
Jack Mulqueen, Space Systems Team Lead
Tracie Crane, Jacobs Team Lead
Patricia Brinkley, Administrative Assisstant
Jeff Dunnivant, IT Support
Robert Adams, Space Systems Engineering
Rob Adams is a study lead in the Advanced Concepts Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center. His main duties include organizing the efforts of teams of engineers to complete analyses of interest to NASA management. He led the Ares V integration study in 2008, bringing together the disparate efforts from four major centers under one banner. He led the team evaluating concept aircraft dropped launch vehicles for a joint NASA/Air Force study. He has lead a number of analyses for the Space Systems branch as well, including evaluating crewed missions to Mars. Dr. Adams is considered an expert on mitigation systems for defending the Earth against impacts with asteroids and comets. Dr. Adams also conducts analyses and research in the fields of advanced propulsion and mission analysis. He holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Doctor of Philosophy (Mechanical Engineering) degree from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and is finishing a Master's degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Dr. Adams looks forward to the day where we are all out there exploring space. Curriculum Vitae (PDF, 154 KB)
Michael Baysinger, Design & Configuration
Mike Baysinger is a conceptual design engineer in Advanced Concepts. Mike utilizes CAD to design and integrate the concepts under study by collaborating with the other subsystems as well as making renderings of the final design. Prior to joining the Advanced Concepts Office he has worked as a design and systems engineer on the Orbital Space Plane, Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter, Space Launch Initiative engine design, and the Quench Module Insert for the ISS. Before working at NASA, Mike worked as an aircraft design engineer for a variety of new and existing aircraft. He has an B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla.
Peter Capizzo, Avionics & GN&C Subsystems
Dennis Creech, Launch Vehicle Weights & Sizing
Leo Fabisinski, Power Systems
Sharon Fincher, Design & Configuration
Wyatt Fisher, Launch Vehicle Systems Sizing
Jessica Garcia, Launch Vehicle Trajectory Analysis
Brand Griffin, Lunar Surface Architectures
Barney Holt, Launch Vehicle Systems Sizing
Randall Hopkins, Space Systems Trajectory Analysis
Linda Hornsby, Thermal Subsystems
David Jones, Structural Subsystems
Larry Kos, Space Systems Engineering
Emory Lynn, Launch Vehicle Systems
Dauphne Maples, Systems Engineering
Janie Miernik, Structural Subsystems
Tim Monk, Launch Vehicle Structural Analysis
Amy Rebecca Parkinson, Project Coordinator
Alan Philips, Launch Vehicle Structural Analysis
Tara Polsgrove, Space Systems Engineering
Tara Polsgrove is an aerospace engineer in the Advanced Concepts Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. She has a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (2000) and an MS in Engineering with a Systems Engineering focus from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (2008). Tara has been with NASA since 2000 and has worked on many conceptual designs of advanced spacecraft, some using electric propulsion and space tethers. Her background is in interplanetary trajectory optimization and mission analysis. For the last several years she has focused on lunar lander design work supporting NASA's mission to return humans to the Moon. Tara is currently supporting vehicle integration for the Altair Lunar Lander.
David Smitherman, Lunar Surface Architectures
Mr. Smitherman is a technical manager of future space projects focusing on space habitats, surface systems, and overall space transportation infrastructures and architectures. He holds a Master of Science in Space Architecture from the University of Houston, and Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design degrees from Auburn University. Mr. Smitherman is a manager on the Lunar Surface Systems' Habitation Team developing habitat and surface system concepts for future lunar outpost missions. Since 1993 Mr. Smitherman has worked as a planner on numerous aerospace projects including Space Station redesign, Space Station contingency planning, and various International Space Station payloads. He has been the study manager for numerous advanced concepts studies, including Space Business Parks, New Space Industries, Space Elevators, and Propellant Depots. He has written numerous technical papers and NASA publications and has had his work published internationally. From 1988 to 1993 Mr. Smitherman worked as a professional architect in the development of experimental facilities for Marshall for which he received the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.
Dan Thomas, Propulsion Subsystems and Trajectory Analysis
Scott Thomas, Structural/Thermal Subsystems
Kevin Thompson, Animation and Configuration
Eric Waters, Launch Vehicle Trajectory Analysis