Serkan Bastug is the deputy chief of the Flight Projects Office for NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He provides leadership and guidance to LSP mission managers, who serve as the primary spacecraft customer interface, lead the Mission Integration Team (MIT), and manage the launch service contractor. He also supports advanced planning for prospective LSP spacecraft customers, helping them navigate requirements, timelines, and mission integration considerations.

Experience

Bastug began his career in 1997 at The Boeing Company as a structural strength analyst supporting the Delta family of expendable launch vehicles. In 2006, he transitioned to NASA’s Launch Services Program, where he served as the Strength and Fracture Mechanics Team Lead and discipline expert. In this role, he guided the team through numerous complex technical challenges, including launch vehicle failure investigations on four missions (Orbiting Carbon Observatory, Glory, Commercial Resupply Services-7, AMOS-6) and NASA launch vehicle certification efforts for Taurus XL, Falcon 9, and Falcon Heavy.

In May 2022, NASA detailed Bastug to the agency’s Launch Services Office at NASA Headquarters, where he served as the primary point of contact for NASA’s review of commercial launch Federal Communications Commission and Federal Aviation Administration license applications. He coordinated meetings and facilitated discussions between NASA organizations – including Conjunction Assessment Risk Analysis, the Orbital Debris Program Office, and Trajectory Operations and Planning Office – and industry applicants to foster collaboration, expedite license approvals, and address NASA concerns.

In 2023, Bastug joined the LSP Flight Projects Office as a mission manager, serving as the primary customer interface for LSP. He was responsible for the technical, schedule, and budget performance of commercially acquired launch services. He led mission integration teams for several high profile science missions, including Psyche, PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem), and the combined SPHEREx (Spectro Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) and PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) launch. He also ensured the readiness of both spacecraft and launch vehicles for integration, NASA readiness reviews, and launch operations.

In addition to his NASA role, Bastug serves in the U.S. Navy Reserve, where he has commanded multiple units ranging from 30 to 80 Sailors. In 2019, he deployed to Afghanistan as a construction project manager in support of Operation Resolute Support, managing a $500 million construction portfolio to develop and sustain facilities for the Afghan National Defense Forces.

Awards

Bastug is the recipient of several awards, most recently the NASA Silver Achievement Medal (2025) and the NASA Kennedy Certificate of Commendation (2024).

Education

Bastug earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of California, Irvine, in 1997. He received a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Personal

Bastug is married and has three children. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and exercising.

Biography last updated March 2026