Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
Generic

Tom Charara

Long Beach,CA

Overview

40
40
years of professional experience

Work History

Flight Director

Boeing
11.2000 - 02.2024
  • Prepare and execute Flight Operations procedures for satellite programs, orbit raising and on orbit testing for various satellite programs.
  • Rehearse and update procedures for the execution of satellite operations to ensure successful outcome and first pass success.
  • lead satellite Count Down Launch Procedures (CLP) rehearsal and executions to achieve successful satellite launch, separation, and Acquisition.
  • Lead successful execution for satellite orbit raising and insertion into final orbital slot.
  • Lead execution of satellite subsystems' deployments/acquisition and testing.
  • Lead testing and verification of satellite on orbit bus, and payload operation.
  • Lead handover procedure execution and successful delivery to customer.
  • Built and executed Sequence of Events (SOE) template for satellite launch operations, transfer orbit and delivery.
  • Factory Satellite test, executed test procedures and documented results in order to verify system/subsystem/elements Specifications to meet operational requirements.
  • Trained new and existing spacecraft engineers to qualify for Flight operations.
  • Held many lead positions: Mission, Bus IOT, Flight operations, Test, CLP.
  • Manged and executed security operations procedures and applied strict protocols to fulfill requirements (personnel/hardware/software) for various programs.
  • Lead shift handover daily meetings to ensure seamless successful and smooth operations of daily activities.


Constellation Design and Battle Management SBIRS

Logican/Northrop Grumman
01.1999 - 11.2000
  • Constellation design for the Space Based Infrared Surveillance program (SBIRS).
  • Battle management design/operations for SBIRS.
  • Provided options/recommendation for space based vs earth based battle management for SBIRS.
  • Earth coverage analysis for different satellite constellations and orbits' selection to ensure required acquisition and tracking of launched missiles/objects.


Space Based Surviellance Programs Lead

Pacer Info Tach
08.1996 - 01.1999
  • Identification and management of all US Space to/from Ground communications/space management under the Network Integration Contract for space based assets and its interfaces.
  • asset allocation and management under the automated Resource Management System (RMS)
  • Briefed and updated new Air Force officers on Space capabilities and asset allocations.



Space Systems Analyst

Rockwell International
01.1991 - 04.1996
  • Optimization of constellation to meet space surveillance requirements, Brilliant Eyes (BE), Space Surveillance and Tracking System (SSTS), Boost Surveillance and Tracking System (BSTS).
  • Designed and wrote software for quick turnaround of satellite design using Javelin language to optimize performance vs weight and cost of satellites, and space survivability capabilities.
  • Characterization of all major Soviet missiles and their coverage and reach into United States for the Strategic Defense initiative.

Space Systems Analyst

Science Applications International Corporation
03.1986 - 06.1991
  • Produce coverage analysis and constellation design for earth surveillance coverage (SSTS), (BSTS), and other programs
  • Survivability vs weight study for Satellite programs
  • Wrote various orbital mechanics tools for Space based surveillance and tracking systems

Member of Technical Staff

Rockwell International
01.1984 - 03.1986
  • Characterizations of Space based constellation for surveillance requirements
  • Wrote orbital mechanics tools and programs for an End game DARPA project to intercept satellites.
  • Developed software for space based defense systems under the Space Defense Initiative (SDI).

Education

Bachelor of Science - Electrical, Electronics And Communications Engineering

California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
06.1980

Skills

  • Software languages: Fortran, Basic, C, Javellin, ADA
  • langauges: Fluent in Arabic, Some French

Timeline

Flight Director

Boeing
11.2000 - 02.2024

Constellation Design and Battle Management SBIRS

Logican/Northrop Grumman
01.1999 - 11.2000

Space Based Surviellance Programs Lead

Pacer Info Tach
08.1996 - 01.1999

Space Systems Analyst

Rockwell International
01.1991 - 04.1996

Space Systems Analyst

Science Applications International Corporation
03.1986 - 06.1991

Member of Technical Staff

Rockwell International
01.1984 - 03.1986

Bachelor of Science - Electrical, Electronics And Communications Engineering

California State University - Long Beach
Tom Charara