Tom Reinarts

Dr. Tom Reinarts has been the Technical Advisor to the Engineering Director at Kennedy Space Center in Florida since September 2023. He was the Deputy Chief Engineer for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate and the Space Operations Mission Directorate from June 2021 through August 2023.

Experience

Reinarts was the Chief Engineer of Deep Space Logistics from November 2019 through May 2021, and before that he was the Deputy Chief Engineer for the Science Mission Directorate from October 2018 through October 2019. He worked for the Launch Services Program at Kennedy supporting ELV launches from 2000 through 2018. He started as a thermal analyst and then moved on to a position as the vehicle systems engineer for the Taurus launch vehicle, and was deputy chief engineer from 2007-2018. From 1997 to 2000, he was a thermal analyst for the shuttle solid rocket boosters.

Prior to 1997, Reinarts did one year of post-doctoral work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center modeling ammonia-boiling transients in a cooling loop. He spent the next four years working on Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) programs and product development for Mainstream Engineering and DynEco Corporations in Rockledge, Fla.

Education

Reinarts was born in Winona, Minn., and graduated from Winona Senior High School in 1981. He completed a Bachelor of Science in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University in 1986. He also received a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in nuclear engineering in 1989 and 1993, respectively, both from Texas A&M. His master’s thesis was on experimental frozen heat pipe start-up transients. His Ph. D. dissertation developed two-phase flow regime models for zero, lunar, Martian and Earth gravitational fields. He has performed multiple tests in zero and low gravity aboard the NASA KC-135.

Personal

Reinarts lives in Merritt Island, Fla., with his wife and son. In his free time, he enjoys hockey and travel.

Biography last updated January 2024