Tom La Fave

Tom La Fave has worked in the aerospace industry since 1999. From 1999 to 2005, they worked for VEGA GmbH as an Earth Resource Satellite Platform Engineer, where they performed maintenance on spacecraft bus, represented ESOC when meeting with spacecraft manufacturer, other agencies to discuss performance, design, contingencies, and tested, corrected, and uplinked the first gyroless attitude control software ever to control a LEO 3-axis satellite. From 2005 to 2007, they worked for GEO-Ring as a Proposal Preparation for ESA. From 2007 to 2009, they worked for SGT Inc. as a GOES-15 Spacecraft Bus Systems Engineer, where they were responsible for S/C Platform (EPS, TCS, Comm) and participated in Pre-launch S/C - Ground Testing. From 2009 to 2011, they worked for RKM GmbH as a Consultant to Astrium GmbH/Spacecraft Platform Specialist, where they were responsible for the mating of the correct spacecraft and correct mission to the proper ESA Space Weather Segment Instrument. From 2011 to 2012, they worked for Science Systems (SCISYS) as an AOCS/EPS/TCS Spacecraft Ops Engineer for the Galileo project, where they were involved in Pre-launch test campaigns for FOC spacecraft, launch and early orbit support, and In Orbit Verification of AOCS, EPS, and Thermal Control Subsystem. From 2012 to 2018, they worked for TERMA Group as an AIT/EGSE Systems Engineer, where they were a Technical Representative for Terma NA to Airbus and provided a \"Central Check-out Station\" (CCS) to validate Spacecraft (S/C) subsystem functionality. From 2018 to 2019, they worked for Terma North America as an EWS Test Engineer, where they translated customers requirements from ICD and software specs into verification tests to prove functionality of EWS equipment. Since 2019, they have worked for Sidus Space as a Mission Operations Flight Specialist, where they are part of a team that is choosing suitable components for the Lizziesat S/C, modelling the operations of the S/C and it's operations, building the control room to perform seamless operations of the Lizziesat S/C as the constellation grows, and training a team of engineers to do this routinely.

Tom La Fave obtained their Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University at Albany, SUNY.