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David Folta – NESC Academy Biography

David Folta

Mr. Folta is an Aerospace Engineer in the Navigation and Mission Design Branch at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) where he leads multiple NASA missions, chairs engineering review panels, and develops innovative technologies across the full spectrum of mission types. He provides operational support and performs research on; dynamical system applications for libration point and cis-lunar missions, autonomous formation flying, and lunar and planetary mission concepts. His research includes technical publications in support of a variety of these missions, particularly in the areas of spacecraft trajectory design and navigation. He is the Mission Design and Navigation Lead for GSFC’s Mars’ mission; Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN), and the upcoming Lunar IceCube mission.  Mr. Folta has supported numerous mission types spanning Low Earth, Sun-Earth and Earth-Moon Libration, Lunar, Cometary, and planetary missions as well as virtual reality technology development.

Mr. Folta is chair of the Goddard Senior Fellows. His awards include NASA’s premier honor, the Distinguished Service Medal, GSFC’s highest engineering award, the Moe I. Schneebaum Memorial award, and NASA’s Medal for Exceptional Service. He received his Bachelors Degree in Physics from Kutztown University and a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from George Washington University.