Badri A. Younes is NASA’s Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) and SCaN Program Manager. SCaN is a division of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. He is responsible for NASA’s space communications and navigation infrastructure and services, as well as space data standards and spectrum policy. He oversees NASA’s three space communications networks – the Space Network (SN), Near Earth Network (NEN), and Deep Space Network (DSN). Mr. Younes is also responsible for the development of advanced space communication technology and capabilities critical to meeting the Agency’s vision for an integrated SCaN architecture aligned with NASA’s future space exploration needs.

Prior to returning to NASA in 2007, Mr. Younes was the Department of Defense (DoD) Director for Spectrum Management, with responsibility for spectrum policy and strategic planning and implementation. Under his leadership, DoD successfully negotiated major win-win agreements with other US government agencies and the US private sector. Mr. Younes’ experience spans over thirty-three years of leadership in microwave and radiofrequency systems engineering and technology. He holds a Masters in Electronics Engineering from Catholic University of America.
 

David J. Israel is the Exploration and Space Communications Projects Division architect and the principal investigator for the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) at Goddard Space Flight Center. He is the co-chair of the Interagency Operations Advisory Group (IOAG) Space Internetworking Strategy Group.

He has been working on various aspects of space communications systems, since joining NASA in 1989. He received a B.S.E.E from the Johns Hopkins University in 1989 and M.S.E.E. from the George Washington University in 1996. He has led the development of various Space Network/Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) operational systems and has been the principal investigator for multiple communications technology activities concerning advanced space communications concepts and networking protocols, including the LPT CANDOS experiment on STS-107 and Disruption Tolerant Network demonstrations on the Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration.
 

Dr. Derek Tournear is currently the director of the Space Development Agency, within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OUSD(R&E)). SDA will unify and integrate space capability development and deployment across the department to achieve the DoD space vision while reducing overlap and inefficiency. He previously served as the Assistant Director for Space, responsible for developing the research and engineering roadmap to address future gaps in the DoD space architecture.

Dr. Tournear previously held leadership roles in industry, most recently the director for the Harris Space & Intelligence (SIS) research & development. SIS was a $2B business focused on providing advanced technical solutions addressing the top National Security threats from underwater to outer space.

Prior to industry, Dr. Derek Tournear was a senior program manager (SNIS-HQE) at the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). At IARPA, Dr. Tournear served as a senior scientist for space activities and space technologies in the Office of Smart Collection.

Prior to IARPA, Dr. Tournear was a program manager for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Tactical Technology Office and Strategic Technology Office. At DARPA, he initiated and directed a large portfolio of program, with an emphasis on sensors and space.
He has professional experience at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) managing intelligence and defense programs. During his time at LANL, he initiated a new field of study in gamma ray optics, and developed sensors for nuclear material detection.

Dr. Tournear has a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford University and a B.S. from Purdue University. In 2010 he received an “Outstanding Alumnus” award from Purdue University and a 2008 DARPA award for “Outstanding Accomplishments in a Systems Technology Area.” Dr. Tournear is a 2011 recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service, and a 2012 recipient of the Office of Director of National Intelligence Award for Exceptional Public Service.
 

As NASA Goddard's deputy center director for technology and research investments, Dr. Johnson manages the Center's research and development portfolio, and is responsible for formulating the Center's future science and technology goals and leading an integrated program of investments aligned to meet those goals.

Dr. Johnson came to NASA Goddard from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she served under the President's Science Advisor as the executive director of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), which is the principal means within the executive branch to coordinate science and technology policy across the Federal research and development enterprise. She was responsible for ensuring the establishment of clear national goals for Federal science and technology investments in a broad array of areas across the executive branch, including basic science, technology, energy, environment, natural resources, and homeland and national security. Prior to joining the White House staff, Dr. Johnson served as the assistant associate administrator of NASA. In this role, she and the associate administrator provided the oversight of the agency's technical mission areas and field center operations.

Dr. Johnson came to the Office of the Administrator from the Office of the Chief Engineer, where she served as the deputy chief engineer for program integration and operations. There, she provided an integrated focus for the development, maintenance, and implementation of agency engineering and program/project management policies, standards, and practices.

Prior to her appointment to the Office of the Chief Engineer, Dr. Johnson served as the associate director for exploratory missions in the Office of Earth Science, where she managed the formulation and development for all Exploratory Missions. The missions that she managed included QuikToms, GRACE, CLOUDSAT, Triana, AQUARIUS, HYDROS, and OCO, and involved mission development activities at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Goddard Space Flight Center, Langley Research Center and several international and industry partners.

Dr. Johnson began her career at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia in 1985 in the Remote Sensing Technology Branch where she designed and built laser systems for advanced active remote sensors. In 1991, she became the program manager and lead engineer of the Diode-Pumped Cr:LiSAF Technology Development Program. In this role she established several initiatives, one of which was an industry and NASA collaboration to build an efficient Differential Absorption Lidar for remote sensing of H2O vapor. Under this program, Dr. Johnson delivered the first tunable diode-pumped Cr: LiSAF laser system to achieve 33 mJ. This achievement was highlighted internationally, and Dr. Johnson was invited to collaborate with scientists at Los Alamos National Labs, using this laser system for three weeks of field measurements in the desert of New Mexico. Dr. Johnson also established a state-of-the-art laboratory for stress optic coefficient measurement of laser crystals, and utilized this laboratory to provide the science community and laser industry with the first stress optic coefficients for the Cr:LiSAF laser material. Dr. Johnson held a variety of project management and senior engineering positions at Langley involved in the design, development, and application of state-of-the-art and advanced systems and subsystems for atmospheric, aeronautics and space flight research missions.

Dr. Johnson earned her bachelor's degree in physics from Lincoln University, a master's degree in electrical engineering from Pennsylvania State University, and a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from George Washington University.
 

Dr. Clothier has nearly a decade of experience in higher education and scientific research. She has been supporting NASA’s Spectrum Policy and Planning division within the Space Operations Mission Directorate’s (HSOMD) Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program Office since 2019.

During this time, she has developed and managed content for a growing online knowledge base as part of the Spectrum Education and Awareness (SPEARS) initiative. She also supports outreach efforts NASA's Lunar Spectrum Manager to engage with current and potential stakeholders. Prior to supporting Spectrum Policy and Planning at NASA, she taught large and small courses at internationally recognized tertiary educational institutions, and conducted research on adult second language learning and computational linguistics.

Ms. Clothier received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Linguistics from Victoria University of Wellington, and a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in Cognitive Science from Johns Hopkins University.

Mr. Abhyankar has over 20 years of professional experience in communications and systems engineering support for Department of Defense and NASA programs and projects as well as private industry. He has been supporting NASA’s Spectrum Policy and Planning division within the Space Operations Mission Directorate’s (SOMD) Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program office since 2018.

During this time, he has been instrumental in supporting the execution of the Spectrum Education and Awareness (SPEARS) initiative, developing and implementing the technical processes and policies to establish NASA’s Lunar Spectrum Manager, and conducting assessments to support sharing of spectrum between NASA assets and other systems.

Prior to supporting Spectrum Policy and Planning at NASA, he supported RF communications analyses, RF Interface Control Document (RFICD) development, ground station requirements development and design, professional training development, and technical writing and communications? efforts at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Defense Spectrum Organization (DSO) and Joint Spectrum Center (JSC).

Mr. Abhyankar received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

After earning two undergraduate degrees in physics and electrical engineering in 2003, La Vida Cooper continued at Johns Hopkins University in pursuit of a master's in electrical and computer engineering. At the time, she wondered where her passions would lead her in life.

Cooper accepted a summer opportunity with the NASA Academy, followed by a co-op position, and knew immediately that NASA would be a good fit. In 2005, Cooper became a full-time employee with Goddard’s Microelectronics and Signal Processing Branch. She says her work is living up to her expectations: “First and foremost, I like the fact that there is always a challenging problem to solve or an unanswered question to ponder. Even if a solution exists, there is always room for improvement. It’s great to be surrounded by people who are willing to embrace new ideas, and are not easily discouraged in the face of temporary obstacles or setbacks.”
 

Roger Dendy has 34 years of experience in satellite and terrestrial wireless communications systems. He began his career in 1987 at the Naval Warfare Assessment Center, Corona CA, developing data relay systems using terrestrial microwave, INMARSAT, and C-Band commercial satellites.

In 1991, he joined the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite project office at NASA Lewis Research Center (now Glenn Research Center), working with industry, academic, and government organizations on experimental applications of the ACTS technologies, and created an experimental terminal application capable of transmitting over 27 Mbps of data using a 1.2m ground antenna.

After leaving NASA, he joined Motorola in Chandler, AZ, in 1998 as part of the Celestri/Teledesic broadband LEO satellite system, before moving to the cellular infrastructure business in 2000. He was the system engineering lead for the 1xEV-DO product in 3G, for customer migration to LTE 4G, and for LTE product integration after merging with Nokia Siemens Networks in 2011.

Returning to the satellite industry in 2014, he supported checkout of the Navy’s MUOS satellites, and studied proposed uses of similar payloads in alternative orbits; then moved to Orbital ATK (now Northrop Grumman), where he was the RF System Engineer for the Iridium NEXT AI&T program and participated in the development and test of the Landsat 9, JPSS 2, and TESS satellites.

He is presently participating in the Artemis Gateway program as a part of the PPE Communications Team at NASA Glenn Research Center.

Mr. Dendy holds two patents in cellular network design and has published two papers on satellite network architectures. He graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. degree in electrical engineering in 1986, and from Cleveland State University with an M.S. degree in electrical engineering in 1998.

Shantanu Gupta