Title: NASA’s “Commercial” Programs: What Are They and Why Are We Doing Them?
Description: For 40 years of NASA’s history, the Agency followed the same process for spacecraft development. That process proved very successful during that time period, producing all the Apollo hardware, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station. But, starting around 2005, NASA’s situation changed and the Agency had to adapt to its new environment.
Mr. McAlister’s presentation will describe those changes and he will elaborate on the differences between the traditional NASA process and the more “commercial” model used for the Commercial Crew and Cargo programs. The presentation will also include videos of the historic first Commercial Cargo mission and the first Commercial Crew mission.
Philip McAlister joined NASA in 2005 and he is currently the Director of the Commercial Spaceflight Division at NASA Headquarters where he advises NASA on issues pertaining to the design, development, and demonstration and services of commercial spaceflight vehicles, systems, and capabilities. Mr. McAlister oversees multiple programs NASA, including: Commercial Crew Program, including the Suborbital Crew project; the Commercial Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) Development Program, which includes Private Astronaut Missions to the ISS and the development of commercial space destinations; and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS).
Prior to this assignment, Mr. McAlister oversaw the successful Commercial Cargo Program (i.e., COTS) which facilitated the development of the SpaceX Dragon and Orbital Sciences Antares cargo transportation systems. He also served as the Executive Director for the “Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee” (also known as the Augustine Committee). In 2010, he earned NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal.
Prior to NASA, he was a Director at Futron Corporation where he managed a division that performed aerospace business analysis and technology assessments. Before joining Futron, he served as a Senior Manager during a ten-year career at TRW Corporation.
Mr. McAlister holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Averett University, a Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering from George Mason University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Sciences from the University of Maryland. |