Redwire Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Al Tadros was recently selected by NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce to serve on the inaugural Advisory Committee on Excellence in Space (ACES). The Federal advisory committee consists of diverse experts representing interests across the space community and will help guide NOAA’s efforts advance U.S. leadership in the global commercial space industry.
Below, Al answers questions about the ACES, his career in the space industry, and what he is most excited about for the future of space.
What do you do at Redwire? How did you get here?
I’m the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Redwire, where I help manage our investments in R&D and key initiatives. I also help the company envision the future of its products and grow along its roadmaps. I’ve worked in the space industry for more than 30 years, starting as a Dynamics and Controls Engineer after graduating college with a degree in AeroAstro Engineering. I’ve also had the pleasure of working as a systems engineer, payload manager, program manager, and in business development. Each of these roles helped me appreciate the technical complexities of space missions, as well as the business, regulatory, and other aspects of the industry. I feel all these experiences are important in my role as CTO as Redwire is using technologies to advance its business and support U.S. and international space needs.
You were recently appointed to the Advisory Committee on Excellence in Space (ACES). What is the role of this new Committee?
The ACES is a Federal advisory committee that will provide advice and recommendations to the Department of Commerce Office of Space Commerce (OSC). The OSC is chartered to support U.S. space commerce and the blossoming commercial space industry. With space activities ranging from sub-orbital space and very low-Earth orbit, to low-Earth orbit, geostationary orbit, cislunar space, and the exciting lunar surface plans with Artemis, ACES will cover many aspects of space commerce.
What work are you looking forward to doing as part of the ACES?
I’m very excited to share the status and recent developments of all the non-governmental space activities and the manner in which the U.S. may facilitate and promote a robust and innovative commercial sector that is investing in, developing, and operating space vehicles. ACES is an opportunity to really inform the Federal government as to how they can support the space industry.
What is your favorite part of working in the space industry?
My favorite part of working in the space industry is the people I get to work with. The space industry has some of the most passionate and talented people you’ll ever find. I’m constantly working with teams that are focused on advancing technologies and transitioning them to products that solve customer needs. At Redwire, this is especially thrilling as we have a broad set of technologies and expertise, such as avionics and navigation sensors, robotics and artificial intelligence, the largest solar arrays in space, and microgravity research like bioprinting on the International Space Station. Interacting with and supporting these very talented teams is my favorite part of working in the space industry.
What are you most excited about for the industry’s future?
For most of my career, access to space was relatively rare and expensive. It was largely the realm of nations and national level programs. However, over the past 10 years, access to space for private, commercial, and even academic space enthusiasts has blossomed. This trend seems to be increasing with larger, super heavy lift and fully reusable rockets. This promises to provide even lower cost and more frequent access to space. With this, we can expect more innovators to develop new technologies and space systems. This is an exceedingly exciting time and makes the future both exciting and hard to imagine.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and really enjoy the weather and outdoor activities. One of my favorite pastimes is sailing on San Francisco Bay, and I especially enjoy taking friends and colleagues out sailing when they visit. It’s always a memorable experience. Since high school I’ve enjoyed flying radio- controlled airplanes and gliders. I really enjoy flying and the community of people I meet on the flying field. But most of my time outside of work is spent with my wife and four kids. It’s a non-stop schedule of activities and a lot of fun. It’s exciting to see our oldest graduating college and starting their career. My wife and I are always drawn to outdoor activities and recently joined the pickleball craze. I feel fortunate in many regards as I greatly enjoy being at work and being home with my family.
Al Tadros is the Chief Technology Officer of Redwire. In this role, he is focused on making strategic investments that support Redwire’s customers, advancing technology development and commercialization, and maintaining a nimble and collaborative technical culture. Prior to joining Redwire, he served as Vice President of Space Infrastructure and Civil Space at Maxar Technologies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). With three decades of experience in space systems engineering and as an aerospace executive, Al is a thought leader in AI-enabled autonomy, machine vision, rendezvous and proximity operations, and robotics.
Related News: Watch Al Tadros Explore Space and AI on the SpaceNews Webinar “Space Loves AI: How AI promises to transform space operations” here.
