Dr. Jeffrey Smith

Dr. Jeffrey Smith is the Enterprise Strategic Manager (ESM) for the Gateway Program’s Deep Space Logistics (DSL) Project at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a role he has held since 2023.  At DSL, our vision is to enable a vibrant commercial supply chain in deep space, and we do this by procuring delivery services for transporting cargo, equipment, and consumables to enable exploration of the Moon and Mars. As the ESM, Dr. Smith is responsible for initiating, developing and executing strategic relationships, partnerships and investments that align with the DSL vision, and bring new technologies, capabilities, customers and providers to DSL that will enable the mission.  Previously Dr. Smith served in the role of element architect for DSL, providing technical leadership for the project, since its inception in 2018.  

Experience

Smith began his NASA career in 1997 as a life scientist and computer engineer at the agency’s Ames Research Center in California, where he focused on cell science research, artificial gravity technology and flight hardware development for space biology applications. From 2003 to 2010, he moved into a variety of management and leadership positions in research facilities, technology partnerships and spaceflight projects. In addition, during 2006-2007, he served on a detail assignment in the Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In 2010, at NASA Ames, Smith moved to the branch chief position for the Space Biosciences Research Branch, in which he served until 2013. 

From 2013 to 2016, Smith was a project manager for NASA’s Space Biology Project at Ames, which involved oversight of approximately 50 grants across the nation, as well as a variety of technology development efforts, in addition to management and oversight of eight spaceflight projects per year, including International Space Station and free-flyer flight projects such as nanosats.

In 2016, he transferred to Kennedy to serve as the division chief for the Science and Technology Projects Division. There, he led approximately 45 civil servant researchers, engineers and project managers working in a number of technical areas spanning launch systems, in-situ resource utilization, applied chemistry, applied physics, automation and robotics, and the innovative rapid-development capability of Kennedy’s Swamp Works.

Awards

Smith is the recipient of NASA’s Exceptional Service and Outstanding Leadership medals, two of the agency’s most distinguished honor awards.

Education

Smith holds a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering physics and a Bachelor of Arts degree in zoology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences.

Personal

Smith has published more than 45 journal articles, proceedings, technical reports and abstracts in scientific literature and contributes to technical research work in areas of technology maturation and flight development for ISRU and the life sciences.

Biography last updated April 2020