CURRICULUM VITAE

Summary of EXPERTISE:
 

Nearly 20 years of practical experience in space science projects, space science education, astronomical research, computer technology and project administration, including:
 

Extensive knowledge of satellite tracking with electro-optical equipment, celestial coordinate systems, orbital mechanics, orbit propagation and astronomy software.

Independently detected, catalogued and tracked nearly 4,200 individual orbiting satellites using independently designed satellite tracking facility from 2007 to 2011. This accomplishment is a first for any professional science institution in Canada and the first for any single individual in the world.

Extensive knowledge of satellite physics, deriving and analytically solving mathematical equations related to astronomy and spherical coordinate systems.

Extensive knowledge of astronomy, including authoring professional astronomy research papers and coordinating astronomy education programs.

Extensive experience in teaching the subject of astronomy to novices and advanced students.

Excellent knowledge of satellite dynamics and orbit modelling and astrodynamics software, especially AGI’s “Satellite Tool Kit” (STK).

Extensive experience with PC computer maintenance, both hardware and software, desktops and laptops.

Extensive experience with website construction, maintenance, administration and management.

Extensive knowledge of all Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, FrontPage and SharePoint Designer.

Extensive knowledge of Windows-based computers, operating systems and networking.

Extensive knowledge of Database Management, Requirements Management, Configuration Management and Change Management.

Extensive knowledge of Telelogic’s “Dynamic Object-Oriented Requirements Suite” (DOORS).

Knowledge of amateur radio (call sign: VE3HEO). Regularly uses the VE3RMC amateur radio station at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMCC).

Extensive knowledge of using amateur radio transponders aboard cubesats, such as Oscar 7 (AO-7), Saudisat 1C (SO-50) and JAS 2 (FO-29) with base stations and hand-held transceivers.

Familiarity with Unix-based systems, especially Sun Solaris OS and Ubuntu.

Familiarity with MATLAB coding, especially for CCD image analysis.

Some familiarity with Space Law.

Marked lab write-ups and tests for PHE104 (laboratory portion).
 

Wrote in-house MATLAB software that extracted the photometric data from thousands of images of satellites to generate light curves for apparent spin period determination.
 

Marked assignments and tests for PHE260B (introductory astronomy) and marked lab write-ups and tests for PHE104 (laboratory portion).
 

Coordinated and conducted a high-calibre 10-week astronomy course for 20 students in the Port Dover and Simcoe area.

Constructed and presented PowerPoint presentations at every class describing, in detail, the specific concepts being taught.

Designed, constructed and managed a CASTOR Astronomy Course website.
 

Coordinated and conducted a 10-week basic computer course for students in the Port Dover and Simcoe area.

Constructed and presented PowerPoint presentations at every class describing, in detail, the specific concepts being taught.
 

Servicing computers owned by private individuals and businesses.

In one month, serviced computers with problems ranging from slow performance, to bad hard drive sectors, to removing high risk viruses, spyware, malware and ransomware.

Currently assisting customers with basic and advanced computer setup, file organization and wireless networking.

For every visit, a detailed report is written documenting the exact technical details.

At the present time, every computer has been satisfactorily repaired with 100% customer satisfaction.
 

Coordinated and conducted a high-calibre 10-week astronomy course for 25 students, ages 10 and up. 

Constructed and presented PowerPoint presentations at every class describing, in detail, the specific concepts being taught.

Designed, constructed and managed the CASTOR Astronomy Course website.
 

Proposed the Night Sky Conservation (NSC) program to consolidate existing Mississippi Valley Conservation public astronomy and light pollution abatement programs.

Coordinated all NSC program components, including all astronomy courses and night sky tours.

Conceived, engineered, constructed and maintained the original Night Sky Conservation web site.
 

Created, set up and managed the DOORS ERS database for the Joint Support Ship (JSS) project requirements.

Authored a DOORS user guide with special emphasis on the JSS specific requirements of the software.
 

Founded CASTOR in 2007 as a privately owned satellite tracking business, focused on introducing the science of satellite tracking to the private satellite industry.

Initiated a privately funded research project that detected and tracked nearly 2,053 individual satellites over the 2007 year to celebrate Sputnik’s 50^th anniversary and to raise awareness of the emerging science of satellite tracking.

Continued a privately funded research project that detected and tracked an additional 1,100 satellites to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) in 2009 and to raise awareness of the emerging science of satellite tracking.

Continued a privately funded research project that detected and tracked an additional 400 satellites in 2010.

Concluded a privately funded research project that detected and tracked over 4,000 satellites from January 1, 2007 to August 31, 2011.

Authored technical and research papers concerning the emerging science of satellite tracking, including the February 10, 2009 collision of Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251. One of these papers were internally distributed to senior leaders within the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) and acknowledged by General Kevin P. Chilton, Commander of USSTRATCOM.

Conceived, engineered, and maintains the Canadian Astronomy, Satellite Tracking and Optical Research (CASTOR) website: www.castor2.ca.
 

Subcontractor for Bristol Aerospace (Ottawa);

Derived and delivered a geodetic correction quaternion for the design of the SWIFT satellite.
 

Lead Engineer – AEGIS Project;

One of several lead engineers who offered their assistance, guidance and expertise to 4^th year Aerospace Engineering students in the Aegis remote sensing satellite project.
 

Contractor: Observatory Upgrade;

                                    Engineered, constructed, integrated and tested remote control circuitry for Mr. Paul G. Comision’s personal astronomical observatory.

Responsible for remote control electronics maintenance, observatory upkeep and computer maintenance.
 

Requirements Manager and Intermediate Engineering Specialist: DND Surveillance of Space Project (SofSP);

Installed, configured, coordinated, and managed the DOORS database for the SofSP.

Imported all existing SofSP requirements documents into the SofSP DOORS database.

Managed all SofSP technical requirements using DOORS, including recording all rationale for each specific requirement and how they relate to other critical requirements.

Authored several DOORS user guides with special emphasis on the SofSP specific requirements of the software.

Provided DOORS technical support and training for all SofSP team members.

Installed, configured and utilized Telelogic’s “Proposal Evaluation Solutions” (PES) for SofSP evaluation of proposed Sapphire satellite designs.

Tracked and provided tracking data for several lost satellites to the U.S. 1^st Command and Control Squadron (1CACS) (Cheyenne Mountain) using own equipment based on the original CASTOR design.
 

Junior Engineering Specialist: DND Surveillance of Space Project (SofSP);

Participated in the definition of the Sapphire Satellite Mission Requirements by using satellite tracking expertise gained while employed at the SSRAL at RMC.

Provided assistance in the optical astronomy aspects of satellite tracking for the SofSP.

Provided planning and performed the calibration and alignment of the Canadian Automated Small Telescope for Orbital Research in Valcartier (CASTOR V) satellite tracking facility at the Defence Research and Development Centre in Valcartier (DRDC Valcartier) in Val Belair, Quebec.

Acquired knowledge of Database Management, Requirements Management, Configuration Management, and use of the Telelogic DOORS ERS software.
 

Senior Technician - Space Surveillance Research and Analysis Laboratory (SSRAL): Royal Military College of Canada - Kingston, Ontario;

Engineered, supervised construction, tested, calibrated, operated and maintained the Canadian Automated Small Telescope for Orbital Research (CASTOR) ground-based optical satellite tracking facility.

Engineered, and maintained specialized in-house software for automated satellite tracking.

Derived orbital mechanics, coordinate transformation and coordinate translation equations specifically for use with the CASTOR facility.

Initiated and performed thorough searches for lost and missing satellites for the American 1^st Command and Control Squadron (1CACS) (Cheyenne Mountain).

Facilitated public relations activities for CASTOR and the SSRAL.

Initiated and performed tumble period analysis of inactive Russian Molniya satellites.

Created and maintained an orbit element database of nearly 10,000 artificial satellites.

Communicated regularly with representatives of the U.S. Space Surveillance community.

Performed periodic orbit determination using CASTOR observations of satellites.

Provided satellite tracking and astronomy expertise in several RMC Space Science graduate level theses.
 

Webmaster;

Critical management of the Ottawa RASC website, including the creation of new pages to accommodate RASC Members’ suggestions and requests.

Reorganized the entire Ottawa RASC website structure to maximize its efficiency.
 

Vice-President;

Assisted the President of the Ottawa RASC with planning of the 2006 RASC General Assembly.
 

Artificial Satellites Coordinator;

Periodically presented lectures concerning observations of artificial satellites at monthly Ottawa RASC meetings.

A key point of contact within the Ottawa RASC concerning the observation of artificial satellites by astronomers.
 

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Ottawa Centre, Ottawa, Ontario

Ottawa Centre Meeting Chair;

Organized all speakers for the monthly meetings.

Organized and chaired monthly meetings.

Managed all RASC Observing Coordinators.
 

SMARTScope Member and Technical Assistant;

Engineered and constructed a daylight sensor that would automatically close SMARTScope’s observatory dome shutter at dawn and prevent any user from opening the dome shutter during daylight hours.

Provided technical assistance to the SMARTScope team, especially in the areas of remote control observatory troubleshooting, reliability testing and routine maintenance.
 

Observations of the Spin Period Variations of Inactive Box-wing Geosynchronous Satellites. March 2015. Published in the AIAA Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, volume 52, issue 3, pp. 968-977.

Observations and Analysis of the Apparent Spin Period Variations of Inactive Geosynchronous Box-wing Resident Space Objects. Co-authored by Dr. Gregg A. Wade. Presented at the 65th Annual International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Toronto, Ontario Canada, 1 October 2014.

Observation and Analysis of the Spin Period Variations of Inactive Box-wing Telecommunications Satellites in Geosynchronous Orbit. Master's thesis. Completed April 2013.

The Iridium 33 - Cosmos 2251 Collision / Creating Liability Awareness for Space Property and the Future of Space Surveillance. May 2009. Internally distributed to Senior Leaders within the United States Strategic Command and acknowledged by General Kevin P. Chilton: Commander of USSTRATCOM.

The CASTOR "Sputnik 50th Anniversary Satellite Tracking Bonanza": Project Overview and Preliminary Analysis: The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, August 2008.

Determining the Orbit Height of a Low-Earth Orbiting Artificial Satellite Observed near the Local Zenith. The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, October 2006.

Determining the Range of an Artificial Satellite Using its Observed Trigonometric Parallax. The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, April 2005.

Coincidental Supernovae in Spiral Galaxy NGC 772. The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, April 2004.

The Space Surveillance Research and Analysis Laboratory.  The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, December 2000.

Progress in Research and Development on the CASTOR K Satellite Tracking Facility:  Co-authored by Dr. Thomas J. Racey. Presented at the Canadian Aeronautic and Space Institute (CASI) Astro2000 Conference, Ottawa, Ontario Canada, 9 November 2000.

Progress Report for the Canadian Automated Small Telescope for Orbital Research (CASTOR) Satellite Tracking Facility: Co-authored by Dr. Thomas J. Racey. Presented at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory 2000 Space Control Conference, Boston, Massachusetts U.S.A., 13 April 2000.

The Canadian Automated Small Telescope for Orbital Research (CASTOR) - A RAVEN System in Canada: Co-authored by Dr. Thomas J. Racey. Presented at the Air Force Maui Optical Station (AMOS) Conference, Kihei, Hawaii U.S.A., 3 September 1999.
 

Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251: A Historic Collision. Ottawa RASC AstroNotes March 2009.

Hickson 50 and the Question of Magnitude. Ottawa RASC AstroNotes July 2008 - Winner of the 2008 Ottawa RASC AstroNotes Article of the Year.

CASTOR's "Sputnik 50th Anniversary Satellite Tracking Bonanza". Ottawa RASC AstroNotes April 2008.

The Astro Power Cube. Ottawa RASC AstroNotes, March 2006.

Finding the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Ottawa RASC AstroNotes, January/February 2006.

A Sea of Satellite Dishes. Ottawa RASC Website, January 10, 2006.

Tracking Telesat’s Past from Rideau Ferry. Ottawa RASC Website, November 25, 2005.

Why Amateur Astronomers would make Excellent Satellite Trackers. Ottawa RASC Website, October 4, 2005.

Coincidental Supernovae in Spiral Galaxy NGC 772. The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, April 2004.
 

MSc, Physics, 2013, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario

PhD (Doctoral) Candidate, 2013 to Present, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario