Dustin Martin
Gig Harbor,WA
Summary
Accomplished Director and Element Lead for New Shepard Ground Systems with over 15 years in aerospace and automotive sectors, including 5 years in technical authority and program execution of human-flight certified systems. Expertise in system architecture, integration, and operational readiness for launch and maintenance infrastructure. Managed a $60M ground system upgrade portfolio while leading cross-disciplinary teams through CONOPS development, design reviews, and certification, ensuring alignment of technical and programmatic objectives.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
DIRECTOR NEW SHEPARD GROUND SYSTEMS
Blue Origin
Kent, WA
04.2022 - Current
- Led a 24-person, multi-disciplinary engineering organization (Structural/Mechanical, Fluids, Electrical, Systems) through IPT managers, delivering simultaneous ground system development and sustained human spaceflight operations at a single active facility.
- Owned end-to-end Ground System program execution as technical authority, managing $60M CAPEX budget while driving $5.5M in cost avoidance and optimization over 3.5 years, meeting system requirements and schedule commitments.
- Accountable risk owner for all Ground Systems engineering, including safety, hardware, software, operational, and programmatic risks, ensuring compliant, flight-ready systems for human spaceflight.
- Defined Ground System architecture and CONOPS, deriving system design from ~10 Most Important Requirements (MIRs) and operational functions to facilitate increased flight cadence and long-term scalability.
- Developed and decomposed system, element, sub-system, component, and software requirements, aligning design increments to cost targets, operational, and human-rating objectives.
- Led and presented SRR, PDR, CDR, and chaired 30+ Final Design Reviews, ensuring design compliance with requirements and safety standards while adhering to budget and schedule constraints.
- Led, prepared, and presented certification reviews for two additional human spaceflight approvals, including first-time certification of a new vehicle and return-to-flight following a ground system anomaly, securing approval from internal and external independent review boards.
- Prepared and certified readiness for 17 human spaceflight missions plus payload flights, integrated flight vehicle ground tests, and operational readiness reviews.
- Led anomaly investigations and Root Cause Assessments across mechanical and electrical systems, including supporting a fleet-grounding event (~15 months), driving corrective actions to safely return vehicles to flight.
- Reviewed and dispositioned over 100 Engineering Change Requests, assessing technical, safety, cost, and schedule impacts to maintain configuration control and system integrity.
- Delivered $11.7M flight vehicle maintenance facility from concept through commissioning in 18 months, enabling simultaneous processing of three crew capsules.
SR MANAGER, GROUND SYSTEMS OPS & MAINT.
Blue Origin
Kent, WA
04.2018 - 04.2022
- Led a team and owned multi-disciplinary Ground Systems engineering and operations (Structural/Mechanical, Electrical, Fluids, RF, Communications), delivering integrated systems supporting launch, landing, recovery, and test operations for New Shepard human spaceflight.
- Owned and led Blue Origin’s first commercial human-flight certification effort, defining the certification basis, preparing and presenting compliance evidence, and securing approval for operational human spaceflight.
- Owned full lifecycle scope, schedule, and readiness for Ground Support Equipment (GSE)—design, test, integration, maintenance, and operations—ensuring availability and compliance for human-rated launch and recovery operations.
- Directed configuration control and system integration, reviewing and approving engineering, operational, programmatic, and software change requests while balancing performance, schedule, cost, and operational risk.
- Led operational hazard and failure analyses (FMECA, FHA, JHA, HAZOP) for ground systems, identifying and mitigating safety-critical risks to protect crew, astronauts, and the public in compliance with human-flight requirements.
- Planned and executed ground system configuration and integration across structures, power, networks, and facilities to support solid rocket motor and integrated system testing, enabling safe, repeatable test environments.
- Developed, reviewed, and approved ground and integrated test plans and procedures, ensuring alignment between hazards, readiness criteria, and execution discipline.
- Presented GSE readiness and execution plans at Mission Scope, Mission Readiness, Flight Readiness, and Test Readiness Reviews to 75+ internal and external stakeholders, including FAA representatives.
- Served as lead technical project manager for a $2.1M, 16-month Transporter-Erector upgrade, enabling parallel vehicle processing, eliminating crane operations, and reducing 50+ labor hours per launch.
- Authored and owned pre-launch, launch-day, recovery, and post-launch procedures, serving as a certified Propulsion Module Recovery Pad Leader directing 10+ technicians during recovery operations.
STRUCTURAL DESIGN ENGINEER
Blue Origin
Kent, WA
12.2016 - 04.2018
- Served as lead structural engineer on $150K+ design projects, owning technical execution and schedule from initial concept, analysis, procurement, fabrication, and field installation.
- Designed 1,800+ sq ft multi-level personnel access structures, applying ASCE-7, AISC, and internal structural assessment standards to ensure compliance with civil, seismic, and safety requirements.
- Designed and delivered structural and mechanical ground support equipment using conventional structural methods, 3D CAD, FEM analysis, and hand calculations, providing flight-support hardware from concept through installation.
- Authored and released 70+ page engineering drawing and analysis packages, including fabrication and installation drawings, detailed part layouts, and structural analyses (stress, deflection, seismic, bolted joint, and tip-over).
- Owned supplier technical interfaces and procurement documentation, authoring RFQs, Statements of Work, and Purchase Orders to ensure on-time delivery and on- or under-budget execution across multiple vendors.
- Collaborated directly with technicians across multiple sites to design custom manufacturing tooling, lifting fixtures, and installation equipment supporting critical aerospace components and integrated vehicles.
- Developed manufacturing tooling to improve accuracy and repeatability of refurbishment processes, reducing labor hours and improving quality, including precision profile templates for setting critical aerodynamic surfaces.
- Partnered with infrared technology specialists to develop novel thermal data acquisition solutions during vehicle landing, enabling improved engineering insight and refinement of future system requirements.
MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEER
Art Morrison Enterprises
Fife, WA
06.2010 - 12.2016
- Led full lifecycle chassis development for 1959–1964 Chevrolet passenger cars, taking an $18K retail assembly from concept to production in 12 months, including fabrication strategy and vendor coordination.
- Engineered independent suspension systems using WinGeo, optimizing camber gain, toe curves, roll centers, motion ratios, and spring/anti-roll bar rates for handling and performance.
- Designed and delivered lightweight, high-performance welded chassis and suspension systems for street, race, and show vehicles using SolidWorks and FEA, integrating front and rear suspension architectures.
- Developed innovative suspension retrofit solutions for Ford pickup frame in collaboration with Custom Classic Trucks, resulting in industry publication and technical recognition.
- Enhanced design and drafting efficiency by ~50% through creation of modular SolidWorks assemblies with Excel-driven design tables, facilitating rapid configuration across platforms.
- Accelerated prototyping and validation using additive manufacturing and 3D scanning, reducing iteration cycles and ensuring accurate integration with vehicle body geometries.
- Designed and operated in-house test equipment (hydraulic rack-and-pinion bench, tensile/compression rigs, shock dynamometer) to validate chassis and suspension performance against design targets.
- Coordinated external manufacturing partners (laser cutting, CNC tube bending, anti-roll bar fabrication) to deliver on-time, on-spec components.
Education
B.S. - Mechanical Engineering
GONZAGA UNIVERSITY
Spokane, WA05.2011
Skills
- Mission planning
- Recovery system design
- Infrastructure development
- Ground support equipment
- Systems engineering
- Verification validation
- Flight certification
- Risk strategies
- Mission support
- Program management
- Cross-discipline leadership
- Review chair
Leadership Experience
- FIRST Robotics, Mentor, Mentor for Federal Way High School's FIRST Robotics team providing engineering, fabrication, and life mentoring. Qualified and competed at the International FIRST Robotics Championship in St. Louis, MO.
- NHRA, Participant, Engine/transmission building, driving, fabrication, tuning, and chassis adjustments.
Certification
PM Recovery Pad Leader
Timeline
DIRECTOR NEW SHEPARD GROUND SYSTEMS
Blue Origin
04.2022 - Current
SR MANAGER, GROUND SYSTEMS OPS & MAINT.
Blue Origin
04.2018 - 04.2022
STRUCTURAL DESIGN ENGINEER
Blue Origin
12.2016 - 04.2018
MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEER
Art Morrison Enterprises
06.2010 - 12.2016
B.S. - Mechanical Engineering
GONZAGA UNIVERSITY