Affiliates
Mr. Derek Webber
Mr. Derek Webber is an affiliate and technical advisor to SpaceWorks Commercial, a division of SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. (SEI). Mr. Webber is currently Director of Spaceport Associates, a space tourism consultancy based in Washington, D.C. Over the last several years, he has directed three landmark studies in commercial space business planning: the ASCENT Study of Space Markets, for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the Futron/Zogby Study of Space Tourism Demand, and the Adventurers' Survey which he completed jointly with Incredible Adventures.
Mr. Webber's career began as a launch vehicle and satellite engineer in what is now EADS/Astrium Space Systems. He worked on thermal control system design for a number of satellites, including the Skynet satellite, and on kinetic heating analyses for launch vehicles, including post-flight analyses of telemetry from the Europa vehicle firings from the Woomera range. He became Head of Procurement at Inmarsat, (responsible for contracting over a billion dollars worth of communications satellites, their launch vehicles and ground segment), and Managing Director of Tachyon Europe (providing satellite broadband and Internet access across the continent). Mr. Webber operated a consulting and training company based in San Diego with clients including Comsat Corporation and the then Hughes Space and Satellite Systems. Consulting assignments included PDR, CDR Design Review Board membership, international negotiation skills training, and systems engineering tasks.
Mr. Webber holds a B.Sc. Honors Degree in Physics and Mathematics from Newcastle University (UK), and postgraduate qualifications in Space Science (from University College London, UK) and Management (from the University of Westminster, UK). He is a Senior Member of AIAA, and a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society. Mr. Webber has been a member of the Adjunct Faculty of the International Space University, and at the US International University in San Diego, where he provided courses on international management. Mr. Webber is an active member of the Reusable Launch Vehicles Working Group and the Launch Operations Support Working Group of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-AST COMSTAC Committee.
Mr. Dennis Poulos
Mr Poulos is an affiliate and technical advisor to SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. (SEI). He has over thirty five years experience in military air operations, National Security Space, and Civil Space programs. Since Retiring from the Navy, he has worked with both small high tech aerospace firms and large aerospace prime contractors with a primary focus on the development and advocacy for advanced concepts and programs.
Mr Poulos worked at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems from 2003 to 2010 in the Advanced Concepts group where he was responsible for military space business development and program management. He captured, and managed, the Air Force Research Lab Future (reusable) Access to Space Technology and Reusable Access to Space Technology programs; the Air Force Space and Missile Center Hybrid Launch Vehicle Studies and Analysis program; and the DARPA Force Application and Launch from CONUS (FALCON) contract. He worked with the Northrop Grumman Technology Development group to capture technology development programs including the Adaptive Guidance Navigation and Control for Reusable Launch Vehicle Ascent, Integrated Flight Control Actuator Health Management, Advanced Development of Integrated Warm Structure, Full Envelope Adaptive Guidance Navigation and Control for Reusable Launch Vehicles, and Rapid Mission Planning technology development contracts. Additionally, Mr Poulos served as the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle IPT Lead on the NASA Concept Exploration and Refinement (CER) Contract where he was responsible for system level trades and analyses, working with NASA to refine system requirements, and developing a Preferred System Concept.
Mr Poulos was the General Manager of the Schafer Corporation Colorado Springs Office from 1996 to 2003. As the GM, he provided technical support to Air Force Space Command and Air Force Research Lab on Military Spaceplane, Common Aero Vehicle, Prompt Global Strike, and Operationally Responsive Spacelift programs; as well as various command and control system, directed energy, and defensive counterspace programs. He represented the Military Spaceplane program office as a participant in three Global Engagement wargames.
Mr Poulos served in both the US Marine Corps and US Navy as a combat pilot where he accumulated more than 3,500 flight hours in the F-14, F-5, A-4 and A-6, as well as several other fixed and rotary wing aircraft. His last tour, before retiring from the Navy, was in Cheyenne Mountain as a Space Defense Operations Center (SPADOC) Commander for US Space Command. Shortly after retiring from the Navy, he joined General Atomics as a Predator and GNAT UAV Deployment Team leader.
Mr Poulos earned a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering as part of the Space Systems Engineering curriculum at the US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California, in 1986. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Physics at the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, in 1975. He has also completed upper level graduate courses at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs between 1995 and 1997 as a Controls Engineer in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
