Daniel Heimerdinger

Daniel Heimerdinger is an aerospace subject matter expert with more than four decades of technical and management experience with NASA, NOAA, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Space Force, and the commercial space industry. He has recently retired and was formerly the co-founder, co-owner, and Chief Executive Officer of Exostrategies, Inc., acquired in 2021. His expertise spans both human and Earth observation space system programs with emphases on risk management; operational readiness and safety; ground and space communications networks; radiofrequency and optical systems development and integration; large system software development, integration, and test; launch range operations; chemical and electric rocket propulsion; orbital mechanics for near-Earth and cislunar missions; and near-Earth micrometeoroid and orbital debris risk characterization, detection, and protection. Heimerdinger has been appointed to several federal and international task forces since 1992, including as a member of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board’s Independent Assessment Team, Shuttle/Station Configuration Options Team, Stafford STS-46 independent tethered satellite system review, and is currently serving as a member of the NASA International Space Station Advisory Committee. He has received several awards, including the two highest awards from NASA to non-governmental individuals: the Distinguished Public Service Medal and Exceptional Public Service Medal. He was also awarded a Certificate of International Collaboration from the Russian Space Agency. He is an associated fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT, where he specialized in advanced spacecraft propulsion. He earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace and mechanical engineering from Princeton University.