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pete zell

Pete Zell

Pete Zell has a long history with Ames Research Center. He started at ARC as a student intern while earning a master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. He then served as test engineer conducting experiments in the full-scale wind tunnels at NASA Ames. During his lengthy career at NASA, Zell has served in a variety of leadership positions including project manager for the Lunar Environments ArcJet Facility upgrade, the SOFIA Science Project, deputy project manager for NASA’s Crew Exploration Vehicle (Orion) Thermal Protection System Advanced Development, and technical services manager for the Ames Wind Tunnel Operations Division. He is currently working on proposals for future NASA missions and serving as the project manager for the Ames Coronagraph, and Germanium Immersion Grating Infrared Space Spectrograph instrument development efforts. He is currently the Project Manager for the NASA ISS Cell Science project, equipment developed for the International Space Station to study how life changes in space.

Highlights include:

  • Led the aerodynamic flow calibrations of both the 40-by 80-Foot and 80-by 12-Foot Wind Tunnel test sections Managed a test of the 1903 Wright Flyer in the 40-by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel
  • Managed testing of a powered prototype of the X-35B Joint Strike Fighter at the Outdoor Aerodynamic Test Facility and in the 80-by 12-Foot Wind Tunnel
  • Managed a qualification test of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) parachute in the 80-by 12-Foot Wind Tunnel
  • Served as the NFAC facility manager
  • Served as the entry, descent and landing (EDL) systems engineer for a proposal to land an instrument payload on Venus
  • Served as the deputy project manager for the Orion crew capsule heat shield advanced development
  • Managed the completion and commissioning of a new, high-resolution infrared instrument (EXES) for SOFIA, followed by managing the science project for SOFIA
  • Managed an instrument proposal for a New Frontiers life-detection mission to Saturn’s moon Enceladus (ELSAH)
  • Currently help a PI manage a direct exo-planet imaging (coronagraph) technology development group at Ames​