Michael NORD

Firefly Aerospace • Mission Architect for Lunar and Martian Programs

Dr. Michael Nord is a Mission Architect for Lunar and Martian Programs at Firefly Aerospace, where he develops advanced exploration architectures and commercial space solutions supporting humanity’s return to the Moon and eventual expansion to Mars. He brings more than 20 years of experience spanning spacecraft mission design, remote sensing, synthetic aperture radar, space systems engineering, and program leadership across both civil and national security space sectors.

Prior to joining Firefly, Dr. Nord served as a Program Manager and Remote Sensing Scientist at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), where he led multidisciplinary teams executing complex space and defense programs. His work included the development of advanced sensing technologies, machine learning algorithms for intelligence and surveillance applications, and innovative spacecraft concepts for government sponsors Dr. Nord has also been a leader in NASA’s lunar technology community, serving as the Oxygen from Regolith Lead for the Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative. In this role, he coordinated more than 200 participants from over 100 organizations to advance in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies critical to sustained lunar exploration. His technical contributions include a patented method for detecting small maritime vessels in synthetic aperture radar imagery and numerous publications in remote sensing, planetary science, and space systems engineering.

He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Physics and a B.S. in Astrophysics from the University of New Mexico.

Events

77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026)

5 - 9 October 2026

Antalya, Türkiye

Participation: