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Schedule for this lecture.
Goddard Space Flight Center Engineering Colloquium
Date: Monday, September 13, 1999
In recent years, global space expenditures have approached, and then exceeded, a 50-50 balance nbsp;between commercial and government programs. The practice of space flight engineering for commercial industrial programs has developed significant differences from that employed on traditional government programs. As commercial ventures become a dominant force in the space industry, programmatic and engineering paradigms will continue to evolve to meet new requirements and standards. These effects will be discussed, together with some of the problems and opportunities that have arisen as a result.
Michael Griffin is Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of Orbital Sciences Corporation. Prior to joining Orbital in 1995, he was Senior Vice President for Program Development at Space Industries International, and General Manager of the Space Industries Division in Houston. Dr. Griffin has previously served as both the Chief Engineer and the Associate Administrator for Exploration at NASA, and as the Deputy for Technology of the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization. Prior to joining SDIO, he participated in numerous space missions while employed at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Computer Sciences Corporation. He is a recipient of the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Space Systems Medal, and the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest award that can be conferred on a non-government employee.
Griffin obtained his BA in Physics from the Johns Hopkins University, which he attended as the winner of a Maryland Senatorial Scholarship. He holds Master's degrees in Aerospace Science from Catholic University, Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, Applied Physics from Johns Hopkins, Civil Engineering from George Washington University, and Business Administration from Loyola College of Maryland. He received his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland. Griffin has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, and George Washington University, offering courses in spacecraft design, applied mathematics, guidance and navigation, compressible flow, computational fluid dynamics, spacecraft attitude control, astrodynamics, and introductory aerospace engineering. He is the lead author of over two dozen technical papers, as well as the textbook Space Vehicle Design. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Maryland and California, and a Fellow of the AIAA.
Griffin was born in 1949 in Aberdeen, Maryland. His hobbies include golf, flying, amateur radio, skiing, and scuba diving. He is a Certified Flight Instructor with instrument and multiengine ratings.
Colloquium Committee Sponsor: Lloyd Purves
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