Mike Kaplan

Mike Kaplan is a visionary leader in the space arena, with a significant track record of cultivating diverse teams that achieve powerful results. He is a thought leader across multiple space domains with extensive experience in both government and commercial industries, previously holding senior leadership positions at NASA Hqs., Boeing, Raytheon Technologies, Ball Aerospace, and Space Systems Loral, Mike has led advanced development teams to create highly complex payloads, spacecraft subsystems, spacecraft buses, planetary landers, and robotic satellite servicers, At NASA, Mike led the creation of several transformational space missions, including the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA.).

He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a Chair of the Public Policy Subcommittee of the AIAA Small Satellite Technical Committee, Secretary of the AIAA Space Systems Technical Committee, and a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer (IEEE). Mike earned a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace and Mechanical Sciences/Engineering Physics at Princeton University and master’s degrees in Electrophysics and R&D Management at George Washington University.