Mr. Meade is currently the Director of a portfolio of classified programs at Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Aerospace Systems sector in El Segundo, California.  Immediately prior to this assignment, he was the Director of Space Exploration Systems at Northrop Grumman.  In this capacity, he and his team were responsible for the execution of various government programs relating to crewed space flight and non-payload military space vehicles.  He was previously employed at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company (aka “Skunk Works”) in Palmdale, California where he was responsible for the development of a portfolio of advanced aerospace vehicles.  While at Lockheed Martin, he also held numerous positions on the X-33 program—first as Flight Assurance Manager, then as Operations Manager, and finally as the Program Director.  Immediately prior to his arrival at Lockheed Martin, Carl was an Air Force officer on astronaut duty with NASA.

Carl began his aerospace career as a Hughes Fellow at the California Institute of Technology.  After completing his graduate degree, Carl continued employment at Hughes Aircraft Company as an electronics design engineer.  He was then called to active military duty and flew tactical fighter aircraft in the US Air Force.  He was selected for test pilot training in 1980 and graduated first in his class at the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB.

While assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center, Carl tested various fighter aircraft and instructed at the USAF Test Pilot School.  Selected as an astronaut in June 1985, Carl was assigned to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston where he held a variety of technical and leadership assignments.  He flew as an astronaut on Space Shuttle missions STS-38, STS-50 and STS-64.  During an untethered space walk on STS-64, he performed the first flight-test of a rescue jet-pack and was consequently awarded the U. S. Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross.

Carl has authored several publications and is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the Association of Space Explorers.  He has chaired the National Research Council’s committee assessing NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and also served as a member of the committee evaluating the National Aerospace Initiative.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Science degree in the same field from the California Institute of Technology.  During most weekends, you can find Carl teamed with his wife, Celyna, in a futile attempt to contain the chaos surrounding their youngest sons, Jacob, Michael and Joseph.  Carl finds that the experimental aircraft currently under construction in his shop provides ample opportunity to consume all remaining free time.

Additional information can be obtained at the following web site: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/meade.html