Charles Adams, better known by friends and colleagues as Charlie is a Program Manager for Alion Science & Technology and the Mission Manager for the On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM-2) mission, as well as two other technology development projects. Charlie was the 2020 recipient of the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal given by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for dedicated service and exemplary performance at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL.
Charlie provides system engineering support to the Technology Demonstration Missions Program Office at NASA’S MSFC. He consistently demonstrates technical and programmatic excellence in his role. Using his expertise in Program/Project Management principles and comprehensive, end-to -end knowledge of space flight hardware development and space flight orbital mechanics, Charlie provided exceptional leadership and oversight while guiding his projects through critical technical and programmatic challenges.
As a member if the technical evaluation panel for the In-Space Robotic Manufacturing and Assembly (IRMA) Phase 2 flight demonstration proposals, Charlie identified an issue with a proposer’s orbital mechanics design, the result of which led to the proposer pursuing negotiations with an alternate launch provider, facilitating orbit delivery, and greater assurance of mission success. Charlie’s exceptional accomplishments in supporting the maturing and ground demonstrating state of the art robotic manufacturing and assembly advancements will allow future spaceflight NASA missions to pursue bolder science, revolutionize in- depth space exploration, and enable entirely new approaches to U.S. space operations.