Session 1

John Dankanich is currently the Center Chief Technologist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight in Huntsville, Alabama, helping to prioritize NASA investments in technologies to support future needs of NASA and the US space sector. He also serves as the lead for Small Spacecraft Technology Partnership Investments at Marshall.

Dankanich is a recognized subject matter expert in propulsion technology development, propulsion testing, the economic optimization of propulsion technology selection and mission design. He has taught mission design courses throughout the agency and as a guest professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Dankanich has also served as the project manager for both technology development and flight projects including the Mars Ascent Vehicle for the robotic sample return mission and the Iodine Satellite.

He serves as the chair of the AIAA Committee on Standards for Electric Propulsion Testing and as a member of the AIAA Executive Council on Standards. Dankanich remains actively engaged with technology development and/or prioritization efforts within NASA, DOD, industry and academia.