Michael Wright

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Michael

Wright

Dragonfly EDL Phase Lead, NASA EDL Strategic Capability Leadership Team Lead (Acting), NASA Ames Research Center

Michael Wright received his PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1997 and has worked at NASA Ames Research Center for twenty-six years, specializing in Entry, Descent and Landing systems and technologies, aerothermodynamics, and thermal protection systems. He is the primary developer of the aerothermodynamics code “DPLR”, 2007 NASA software of the year, and has supported EDL for many flight missions, including the Shuttle Orbiter, Stardust, Phoenix, and Huygens, Orion, and MSL. Michael is currently the acting lead of the Agency EDL System Capability Leadership Team and is the EDL Phase Lead for the Dragonfly Mission to Titan. Dr. Wright is an Associate Fellow of the AIAA and the recipient of the 2023 AIAA Thermophysics Award. Michael has co-authored more than 90 publications in the field, winning the AIAA Best Thermophysics paper award twice.

Evaluation Panel

Navigation Engineer, Engineering Directorate, NASA Johnson Space Center

Entry Systems Modeling (ESM) Principal Investigator, Dragonfly Aerothermal Lead & DrEAM Investigation Lead, VISTA Project Scientist, Aerothermodynamics Branch, NASA Ames Research Center

Tobias Niederwieser

Assistant Research Professor, BioServe Space Technologies / University of Colorado Boulder

Professor Emeritus, Klipsch School of Electrical & Computer Engineering, New Mexico State University, NASA Langley Research Center (Retired), IEEE Committee on Engineering Accreditation Activities

Alan B. Shepard Chair Professor, University of Cincinnati

Jeremiah McNatt

Principal Technologist for Power, NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate

Gergana Nestorova

Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University

Instrument & Payload Systems Engineering Branch Head, NASA's GSFC

Christopher Birkinbine

Project Manager, NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center

Sr. Mission Manager, NASA's Technology Demonstration Missions (TDM)

Simulation Hardware Engineer, NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center

Flight Systems Engineer, NASA's Ames Research Center

Project Engineer (SSTP), NASA's Ames Research Center

Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Small Satellite Technology & Flight Opportunities Program Portfolio Manager, NASA Headquarters

Retired Deputy Chief of Space Projects & Partnerships, Armstrong Flight Research Center

Spacecraft Systems Engineer, NASA's Flight Opportunities

SPLICE - Deputy Project Manager EG6 - Autonomous GNC, NASA's Johnson Space Center

Alicia Dwyer Cianciolo

Aerospace Engineer, NASA's Langley Research Center

Senior Technical Civil Servant, NASA

Alexander Van Dijk

Technologist, NASA's Flight Opportunities

Campaign Manager, NASA's Flight Opportunities