James Peters

Senior aerospace engineer and program manager, educator, and executive leader with over 35 years of experience spanning human spaceflight programs, academic instruction, research leadership, and private-sector enterprise management.

Former Navy Nuclear Power

Officer having served on the USS Hyman G. Rickover nuclear fast attack submarine. Internationally recognized for leadership in systems engineering, probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), mission assurance, and risk-informed decision-making in high-risk/consequence engineering environments.

Served in senior technical and governance roles at NASA Headquarters and Johnson Space Center, including Deputy Chief Engineer, Program Risk Executive, and Chief Engineer for next-generation spaceflight programs. Extensive experience leading large, interdisciplinary engineering organizations, managing multi-billion-dollar programs, and interfacing with International Partners, Congress, advisory boards, accreditation bodies, and external oversight organizations. Award-winning educator with decades of experience teaching graduate and undergraduate aerospace engineering and technical management courses, developing academic curricula, mentoring graduate research, and authoring graduate-level textbooks.

Proven record of translating applied research into operational decision authority and institutionalized engineering practice.

Founder: Expert Advisor, Instructor, Key Note Speaker - Space Leadership Institute

(2025-01)

Provided strategic and technical consulting across the emerging space and advanced infrastructure ecosystem, advising US and International governmental agencies, industry, and Private Equity investment stakeholders on space-based data centers (such as Starlink, Terrawave, Kuiper, Kepler), defense C5ISR and Golden Dome, satellite servicing and on-orbit logistics, commercial space station & launch vehicle demand forecasting, nuclear power applications in space, and the commercialization outlook of the global space industry.

• Provide Expert Advisory services relating to space-based data centers and the commercial space industry to companies such as Google, Oracle, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, AMD, Palantir, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Firefly, and several other startups
• Led analyses of AI hyperscaler architecture, design, and operational models, with particular focus on resilience, scalability, and mission-critical performance
• Delivered expertise in data center power generation strategies, including small modular reactors (SMRs), as well as thermal management, high-performance network design, and integrated systems engineering for terrestrial and space-enabled computing infrastructures

Chief Engineer – Commercial LEO Development Program (Voyager - Starlab) - NASA – Johnson Space Center & NASA Headquarters

(2023-01 - 2025-01)

Served as Chief Engineering Authority for next-generation commercial space station development. Served as NASA's technical interface with Starlab's International Partners such as Airbus, Mitsubishi, MDA Space, ESA, Space Applications Services and US heavy lift launch vehicle providers, SpaceX and Blue Origin. Responsible for system architecture, safety certification, technical requirements, and operational readiness.

• Led and coordinated 170+ NASA engineers, researchers, and academic subject matter experts
• Oversaw Preliminary and Critical Design Reviews
• Oversaw risk acceptance and certification frameworks
• Oversaw integration with ISS transition and deorbit planning
• Worked closely with commercial providers, universities, and federal partners to develop space habitation technologies

Program Risk Executive – Commercial Crew Program - NASA – Johnson Space Center & NASA Headquarters

(2013-01 - 2023-01)

Enterprise owner for technical, safety, cost, and schedule risk for human spaceflight missions. Provided real-time mission support for SpaceX Crew 1–8, Boeing OFT missions, and integrated test campaigns. Developed and maintained the risk governance framework used for NASA's first commercial human-rated spacecraft.

• Regular interface with Commercial Crew Partners: Prime's: SpaceX and Boeing, and Collaborators: Sierra Nevada, Blue Origin, Vast, Northrup Grumman, and ThinkOrbital
• Regular interface with FAA
• Regular interface with Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP)
• Regular interface with NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC)
• Regular interface with GAO, OIG, and Congressional committees

Deputy Chief Engineer - NASA Headquarters

(2008-01 - 2009-01)

Provided technical governance for Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Oversaw engineering integrity across Orion Crew Vehicle, Space Launch System (SLS) Ares Launch Vehicles, Lunar surface systems, and Human research and life sciences programs.

• Served as senior advisor during White House transition briefings
• Served as senior advisor during Augustine Committee deliberations

Shuttle Debris Integration Chair – Return to Flight - NASA – Johnson Space Center

(2004-01 - 2008-01)

Led corrective actions following the Columbia (STS-107) accident. Coordinated cross-center engineering teams addressing foam, debris, and ascent risk. Led advanced probabilistic risk assessments supporting 11 Return-to-Flight missions. Reported directly to the NASA Administrator and senior agency leadership.

• Worked closely with Texas A&M Aerospace Engineering faculty on debris analysis and modeling
• Contributions directly influenced human spaceflight safety policy and certification standards

President & Chief Executive Officer - Quasar Data Center & Managed Services

(2010-01 - 2025-01)

Assumed leadership of a failing organization and transformed it into a profitable, multi-million-dollar enterprise.

• Full responsibility for Strategic planning and capital investment
• Full responsibility for Budgeting and financial risk management
• Full responsibility for Infrastructure engineering (power, thermal, networking)
• Full responsibility for Cloud and AI Implementation

Adjunct Professor of Aerospace Engineering (Graduate Studies) - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

(1998-01 - 2023-01)

Taught 180+ graduate and undergraduate courses across aerospace engineering, space systems, operations research, and engineering technical management. Chair or committee member for more than 100 graduate theses and capstone projects. Designed and launched the Master of Science in Space Operations curriculum, now a flagship program.

Recognized for excellence in instruction with Outstanding Instructor of the Year Awards (2000, 2011). Known for case-based teaching methods integrating real NASA mission data, failure analysis, and operational decision-making.

• Courses taught: Space Mission and Launch Operations
• Courses taught: Spacecraft Systems Design and Integration
• Courses taught: Space Habitation and Life Support Systems
• Courses taught: Earth Observation and Remote Sensing
• Courses taught: Space Applications (Commercial, Defense, Exploration)
• Courses taught: Organizational Development and Technical Management

Instructor – Short Course Development and Delivery - LaunchSpace

(2007-01 - 2023-01)

• Courses developed and taught: Human Space Flight Equipment and Life Support
• Courses developed and taught: Human Space Exploration Systems Design
• Courses developed and taught: Human Exploration and Life Support Systems

Teaching Instructor - The Boeing Company

(1998-01 - 2003-01)

• Master Instructor for Airport Explosive Detection Equipment and Operations: Trained Boeing and Transportation Security Agency (TSA) instructors on the Explosive Detection System (EDS) and Explosive Trace Detection Equipment (ETD) machines
• Courses taught: Software Engineering Institute Level 3 Certification
• Courses taught: Process Improvement
• Courses taught: Train-the-Trainer – Instructional Methods and Delivery
• Courses taught: 24-Week Leadership for Space Course

PhD - Industrial and Systems Engineering - University of Alabama in Huntsville

MS - Mechanical Engineering - University of Alabama in Huntsville

MS - Aerospace Engineering - University of Maryland, College Park

BS - Aerospace Engineering - United States Naval Academy