Stephen Horan, PhD, initially came to Langley Research Center to work on spacecraft communications system design for missions. Later, he was the STMD Principal Technologist for Avionics, emphasizing flight computing, communications and navigation, sensors for avionics, and small spacecraft technologies. After STMD, he was the Deputy for the NESC Tech Fellow for Sensors and Instrumentation, assisting with sensor evaluation at the Centers. He also served as the LaRC Spectrum Manager overseeing RF usage for center activities including sensors and UAVs. Before joining NASA, he was a professor of electrical engineering at New Mexico State University with teaching and research experience in digital communications, telemetering systems, radio propagation, and small spacecraft development. He also had experience with operating TDRS satellites at the White Sands Complex.

He continues to be associated with NASA via consulting work in RF spectrum processes and proposal evaluation for NIAC.