LIBRATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Chief Executive Officer
• President

Charles "Lee" Thienel is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Libration Systems. He has a broad business background with over 35 years combined experience in satellite and payload integration and test, space technology development, and project management. He has held senior roles in corporate and division management over the last 20 years. He earned his BS in Physics from Lafayette College in 1981, his MBA - Technology Management at the University of Phoenix in 2007, and his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in 2008. He has authored or co-authored many technical papers/journal articles on satellite systems, photonics for space, and heat transfer components and experiments. Mr. Thienel provides corporate management, business development employee development, and project management for Libration Systems. As a principal engineer he performed system engineering and integration and test on the AFRL Communication/Navigation Outage Forecast System (CNOFS), and the NASA Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. Mr. Thienel's experience includes project manager for: Bright Light photonics qualification protocol development effort, Cryogenic Heat Pipe Flight Experiment (CryoHP), Cryogenic Two Phase Flight Experiment (CryoTP), Cryogenic Flexible Diode Heat Pipe Flight Experiment (CryoFD), and the Missile Alternative Range Target Instrument (MARTI). He served as the Project Engineer for prototype and spaceflight heat pipes (CCHP, VCHP, and LTD). Mr. Thienel performed a Systems engineering role on the AFRL Innovated Space-Based Radar Antenna Technology (ISAT). He performed integration and test on Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO). Mr. Thienel was responsible for GSACE component development on Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) and Tropical Rainfall Monitoring Mission (TRMM).

Job Titles:

• Senior Scientist
• Expert in Lightning

Dr. Rhodes joined the Libration team as the Senior Scientist in the summer of 2007. He graduated with a PhD in physics from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in 1989. At Libration he supported the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope from payload integration through launch. Currently he is the Principal Investigator on a Fiber Laser Combiner SBIR. He recently developed a high-gain antenna array for commercial customer. From 1990 to 2005 Dr. Rhodes worked as a Technical Staff Member at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). While at LANL he worked on several national security programs culminating as the project leader for a program to develop the next generation Nuclear EMP detection system for the US Air Forces Nuclear Detection System. Dr. Rhodes is an expert in Lightning physics and RF generation mechanisms including Nuclear EMP. He has significant and relevant experience in the design, modeling and testing of antennas and antenna systems. Dr. Rhodes has managed several projects from small experiments to multi-million dollar spaceflight projects.

Job Titles:

• Director of Engineering

Mr. Robinson is the Director of Engineering for Libration Systems. He received his BSEE from the University of Texas. In his 28 years working in the Aerospace industry Mr. Robinson has worked on or contributed to more than 20 satellite programs for DoD, NASA, and commercial communities. His experience includes system engineering to design of subsystems, from managing integration teams to designing components and payloads used on multiple experiment satellites and ground systems. His work encompasses conceptual design through spacecraft development and integration to launch and operations. At Libration Systems, Mr. Robinson's role includes systems engineer, design, and assembly, integration and test (AI&T) for several AFRL projects including TacSat II, and COOP. He provided expertise to the Plug and Play project and is currently supporting the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) ExPRESS Logistics Carrier (ELC) electrical ground system which includies high voltage International Space Station (ISS) bus simulation. Mr. Robinson was part of the Libration team supporting Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope system AI&T through launch activities. He is leading several technology development efforts including IR&D projects as well as government funded activities. Mr. Robinson has extensive experience in power, communication, command and data handling (C&DH), embedded microprocessor applications, attitude control system (ACS), component development, system integration, environmental and system testing, and ground system design and implementation. He has been instrumental in supporting the development and integration of several payloads including optical telescopes, RF sensors, space weather, and bus experiments. He has received the National Service Medal for his work on the Hubble Space Telescope, and received more than 18 awards associated with his work on numerous programs.

Job Titles:

• Vice President Mid - Atlantic Operations