NSS Space Elevator

Team Bios

Learn About Our Engineers

Here you will find valuable information about the members of the NSS Space Elevator Team. Feel free to contact any of the individuals for more information.

Bert Murray - Team Lead

System Staff Engineer - Lockheed Martin
30 years experience with Aerospace and Transportation; Project Management

Matthew Abrams - Technical Lead

DOD Aberdeen Proving Grounds
10+ years experience Materials Science; 2005 & 2006 Star Climber Team

Matthew Abrams coordinates the technical side of the team, integrating systems into the overall design of the climber. In spare time, he works at the Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground, and teaches physics at Towson University. He received his doctorate from Penn State, studying the fracture of high-strength materials. He led the Starclimber team in the NASA Space Elevator competition in 2005 and 2006, and enjoys experimental robotics, building with Legos with his three-year-old daughter, and giving science talks to student and community groups.

AJ Burke - Control System

Project Manager, Keane, BSCS/EE, IEEE Senior Member
Simulation and Modeling; Robotics; Automation; Project Management

Design and implementation of automation for high volume robotic assembly/test and embedded applications. Simulation and modeling of various discrete and continuous systems. Software architecture and engineering development on a wide variety of systems. Technology project management in defense, aerospace, automotive, plastics, government, healthcare and consulting.

Stephen LaRoche - Climber Design

System Staff Engineer - Lockheed Martin
Fabrication; Electrical; Metalwork

Aaron Bakos - Power Beaming/Lasers

Laser Specialist - BSHG
Fabrication; Lasers; Machining

Trevor Stone - Climber Design

Materials Engineer - Jack Stone Signs
Fabrication; Electrical; Metalwork

Galen Mullens - Control System

Mechanical Engineer - Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Thermal Analysis and Computational and Numerical Methods

Galen Mullins is a Mechanical Engineer at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory working in Air and Missile defense. He received a dual bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University and is currently working on a Master's degree in Applied Physics from Johns Hopkins University. His specialties are in Thermal Analysis and Computational and Numerical methods. Along with the space elevator project he enjoys blacksmithing and building robots.

Ashoo Oberoi- Control System

Software Engineer - Lockheed Martin
Aerospace & Air Traffic Control