Josh is currently a senior systems engineer at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory where he is the flight control lead for the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission. He has 15 years of space mission operations experience across both manned and robotic spaceflight, with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.S. in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
Josh began his career in mission operations during a three semester co-op with the United Space Alliance. During that time, he had the opportunity to see manned spaceflight operations while working three space shuttle missions: STS 124, STS-126, and STS-127. After graduating, he took a position with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab as a flight controller on the New Horizons mission to Pluto as well as the MESSENGER mission around Mercury. In that role, he operated as a shift lead for both missions, performed New Horizons simulator testing, and worked both the Pluto and Arrokoth encounters (including the processor swap right before the Pluto encounter). After getting a Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering from the JHU EP program, Josh transitioned to the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission as the flight control lead as well as a mission analyst. He has served in that position since, working the launch, multiple Venus flyby’s, 20 (and counting) solar encounters, and navigating some pretty drastic operational changes under COVID.
Josh currently spends most of his free time wrangling a toddler and taking care of a 19th century stone house.
Education History
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of Texas
- M.S. Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
Work Experience
Senior Professional Staff, JHU Applied Physics Laboratory
Honors and Awards
- American Astronautical Society Neil Armstrong Space Flight Achievement Award: Presented to the Parker Solar Probe Team for outstanding achievements as a team (2019)
- International SpaceOps Award for Outstanding Achievement: Presented to the New Horizons Mission Operations Team (2016)
- Gold Edison Award for Space Exploration: Presented to New Horizons: the first mission to Pluto (2016)
- American Astronautical Society Neil Armstrong Space Flight Achievement Award: Presented to the NASA New Horizons Team (2015)