X-59 Deputy Project Manager for Integration NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center 02/2020 - 12/2024: Deputy Project Manager for Integration for the X-59 project for 5 years. Managed the X-59 aircraft production, integration, and flight test at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works on behalf of NASA. Monitored contractor and NASA project integration activities to positively influence project performance. Consulted with project leadership to solve complex problems in budget, schedule, quality assurance, and system safety. Formal responsibilities included Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), a contract oversight role, and Information System Owner (ISO), a cybersecurity role. Received prestigious NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in recognition of these endeavors.
X-57 Chief Engineer NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center 10/2014 - 02/2020 X-57: Chief Engineer for the X-57 electric aircraft for 5 years, providing technical leadership to multidisciplinary engineers across multiple aeronautics centers and project contractors. Participated directly in the aircraft design, integration, and test. Played an integral role in the redesign of the X-57 battery system following a test failure. Resulted in commercialization of the battery technology for commercial aviation (See ref. #1). Actively participated in the design of the aircraft power and command system, including application of a Field Oriented Control (FOC) algorithm on a FPGA based embedded motor controller. (See ref. #2). Oversaw the development and loads test of the fully composite high aspect ratio wing. Executed performance testing of the new motor design on the NASA AirVolt test stand.
Flight Systems Research Engineer NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center 9/1999 - 10/2014:
UAVSAR/ACT/LVAC - Designed the Autopilot Interface Computer (AIC) system for the Platform Precision Autopilot (PPA) for the JPL run UAVSAR project deployed on NASA aircraft 502 in 2005 and still operational today. AIC was also installed on F-18 tail number 853 to provide a pilot control interface in support of the Launch Vehicle Adaptive Control (LVAC) project. Also developed Hardware in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation using the AIC for validation of the Automated Coordinated Trajectories (ACT) flight dynamics algorithms. Received the prestigious NASA Exceptional Service Medal in recognition of these achievements.
Autonomy - Formulated the concept of the Multi-level Autonomous Piloting System (MAPS) to create an architecture for deploying flight critical applications in autonomous systems. Deployed a collision avoidance algorithm using a Spartan 3 FPGA interfaced to a quadrotor. Developed the High Performance Embedded Platform (HiPEP) computing platform based on Virtex 6 FPGA interfaced to a dual core ARM single board computer running real time Linux to support demonstration of complex autonomy algorithms on quadrotor. Developed the HiPEP 16 layer PCB and BOM using Altium and coordinated board manufacture and assembly.
PA-1 - Served as Integrated Product Team (IPT) lead for the Orion Crew Module (CM) development for the Pad Abort 1 (PA-1) flight test. Managed the development of the CM boilerplate structure and integration of avionics and flight test instrumentation. Stepped in to develop the PCB for the Camera Trigger Unit (CTU) used to trigger the high speed camera at vehicle separation when the team was overcommitted. Supported successful flight test demonstration of the abort system at White Sands Missile Range, a critical flight test campaign milestone for Orion. (See ref. #5).
Hyper-X - Flight systems lead for design and integration of the X-43 Research Vehicle and Launch Vehicle flight systems. Work included formulation and execution of integration test procedures, software development, hardware integration and trouble-shooting, and data reduction and analysis. Assisted flight dynamics and aerodynamics teams in conducting HIL simulation to solve many closed loop control issues. Developed the electrical ground support equipment and the B-52 on-board X-43 monitor system. Flew on the NASA B-52 as the Research Vehicle flight systems engineer. Culminated in successful flight tests at Mach 7 and Mach 10. (See ref. #6).
Aerospace Engineer ZelTech, Inc 54 Old Hampton Lane Hampton, VA 9/1992 - 9/1999:
Lidar In Space Technology Experiment (LITE) - STS-64 - Developed mission planning database tool used during the two week space shuttle mission to perform real time re-planning for scientific observations. Coordinated operations of multiple airborne earth based assets to provide data correlation and calibration. Extremely successful research experiment that led to multiple follow-on missions to study global climate using lidar, including CloudSat and CALIPSO orbiting satellites. (See ref. #7).
Measurement of Air Pollution from Space (MAPS) - STS-59 and STS-68 - Participated in the experiment to learn about the effects of carbon monoxide on the global climate. Developed a mission planning tool that allowed the NASA mission scientists to plan day-to-day observations during the space shuttle missions. Conducted data analysis of mission data using code developed in C and Matlab, including code to infer CO concentrations from atmospheric models.
EarlyBird/Clark satellites - Worked on the first generation 3 meter resolution earth imaging satellites. EarlyBird was the commercial version of the NASA Clark satellite developed by EarthWatch, now known as Digitalglobe, a primary supplier of commercial space imagery. Developed spacecraft bus simulator in LabWindows (essentially Labview with a C based interface) to support integration ground testing and simulation prior to launch. Supported satellite launch operations on-site at the Russian Svobodny cosmodrome in eastern Russia.
Education:
California State University, Northridge
Northridge, CA United States
Master's degree (with Honors) June 2006, GPA 3.93
Major: Electrical Engineering
Coursework: Digital Design, Verilog, VHDL, VLSI, Design Automation, CPU Design, Microcontroller Systems, Computer Architecture
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA United States
Bachelor's degree May 1992, GPA 3.16
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Coursework: Physics, Mathematics, Controls, Thermodynamics, Aerodynamics and Astrodynamics
George Washington University
Washington D.C United States
Additional college (no degree)
Major: Engineering Management
Coursework: Multiple courses in leadership and project and engineering management
Referenced Publications:
1. Hernandez Lugo, Dionne Clarke, Sean Miller, Tom Redifer, Matt Foster, Trevor. (2018). X-57 Maxwell Battery From Cell Level to System. Report/Patent Number: GRC-E-DAA-TN59208 2. Clarke, Sean & Redifer, Matthew & Papathakis, Kurt & Samuel, Aamod & Foster, Trevor. (2017). X-57 Power and Command System Design. Report/Patent Number: FRC-E-DAA-TN43366. 3. Borer, Nicholas K. Patterson, Michael D. Viken, Jeffrey K. Moore, Mark D. Clarke, Sean Redifer, Matthew E. Christie, Robert J. Stoll, Alex M. Dubois, Arthur Bevirt, JoeBen. (2016). Design and Performance of the NASA SCEPTOR Distributed Electric Propulsion Flight Demonstrator. Report/Patent Number: NF1676L-22882 4. Some, Raphael Goforth, Monte Chen, Yuan Powell, Wes Paulick, Paul Vitalpur, Sharada Buscher, Deborah Wade, Ray West, John Redifer, Matt. (2014). Flight Avionics Hardware Roadmap. Report/Patent Number: NASA/TM-2013-217986/REV 1, JSC-CN-31432. 5. Redifer, Matthew E. (2011). Crew Module Overview. Report/Patent Number: DFRC-E-DAA-TN2566 6. Redifer, Matthew & Lin, Yohan & Amos, Courtney & Barklow, Carole. (2007). The Hyper-X Flight Systems Validation Program. 7. Redifer, Matthew. (1995). Mission planning for the Lidar in Space Technology Experiment. 10.2514/6.1995-3707.
Leadership Activities: Supported the NASA Avionics Community of Practice (CoP) and NASA Programming Logic Device (PLD) working groups. AFRC center representative on the NASA Avionics Steering Committee. Participated in the development of the NASA PLD Handbook NASA-HDBK-4008. Co-authored the agency Avionics Roadmap (See ref. #4). Presented HiPEP and FPGA work conducted on quadrotor to the PLD working group. Developed and taught Armstrong University course on Avionics Development.
Major Awards: NASA Honor Award Exceptional Achievement Medal 05/05/2023 NASA Honor Award Exceptional Service Medal 07/21/2013
