Qwaltec | Customers

Peter Vedder

Director of Commercial & Secure Programs

Peter Vedder is the Director of Commercial and Defense Programs for Qwaltec. In this role, he is responsible for the program execution, strategy formulation and growth implementation these program areas. Prior to joining Qwaltec in 2019, he spent five years as Director of Strategic Programs for KinetX and 14 years with General Dynamics C4 Systems, serving in various senior management roles.

Peter has an extensive background of over 30 years in strategic planning, project management, space science, space systems and satellite operations. He has spent time at the University of Maryland, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the University of California at Berkeley. Peter holds both a B.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Rob Meyerson

Rob Meyerson

Board Member

Rob Meyerson is the founder and CEO of Delalune Space, a management consulting company focused on the aerospace, mobility, technology and investment sectors. Rob is the former President of Blue Origin.

Rob oversaw the steady growth of Blue Origin from 2003 to 2018, building the company from its founding into a more than 1500-person organization. Under Rob’s leadership, Blue Origin developed the New Shepard system for suborbital human and research flights, the BE-3 LOX/LH2 rocket engine, the BE-4 LOX/LNG rocket engine, the New Glenn launch vehicle and its vision for humanity in space; including the Blue Moon lunar lander, human spacecraft, habitats and in-space tugs. During this time, Rob oversaw Blue’s growth in staff (10 to 1500+), budget ($10M to $1B) and facilities (one location to six, 50K to 1M+ sq ft).

On November 23rd, 2015, New Shepard became the first rocket to successfully fly to space and then return to Earth for a controlled, vertical landing. This same rocket was flown four more times in 2016, demonstrating launch vehicle reusability. For this accomplishment, the Blue Origin team was awarded the Robert J. Collier Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association, and the Space Laureate Award by Aviation Week.

Prior to joining Blue, Rob was a Senior Program Manager at Kistler Aerospace, where was a member of the leadership team developing a two-stage reusable launch vehicle. Rob began his career as an aerodynamicist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC).

Rob earned a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Houston. He is an AIAA Fellow, a Trustee of the Museum of Flight in Seattle and a member of the University of Michigan College of Engineering Leadership Advisory Board.

Rob was presented with the Silver Snoopy by the NASA Astronaut Corp for his work on the Space Shuttle. He was awarded the Space Flight Award by the American Astronautical Society in 2017 for his accomplishments at Blue Origin.

Jesus (Sonny) Garza

Board Member

Sonny Garza is one of the founders and a board member of Qwaltec. He is responsible for the leadership and direction for all of Qwaltec’s daily operations and managing all major activities associated with operation of the company. Prior to Qwaltec, Sonny worked as an Engineer at NASA and Scitor Corporation. He has over 30 years’ experience in government and commercial space systems operations and began his career as a Space Shuttle flight crew instructor at the NASA Johnson Space Center.

Sonny holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&I University and is a member of Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu engineering honor societies. He has also established a scholarship endowment fund to help minority and underprivileged engineering and science students achieve their educational goals.

Shawn Linam

Chief Executive Officer

Shawn Linam is the President and CEO and a founder of Qwaltec. She is responsible for the development, direction, and management of the company. Prior to Qwaltec, Shawn worked as an Engineer at Scitor Corporation, NASA, and Barrios Technology. She has extensive experience in space systems operations and has designed and implemented training systems for numerous government and commercial space programs. Shawn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Mississippi State University.

In addition to her professional responsibilities, she is active in promoting engineering and science for young women and minorities. She has served as a Girl Scout leader, the STEM director for the Girls Rule Foundation and created an Engineering Scholarship Fund to encourage young minorities and women in South Texas to pursue engineering and science degrees.

Control Center Development

Qwaltec has vast experience working with various command and control centers in high-tempo and dynamic programs within commercial, NASA and DoD organizations. We build confidence and contribute to the success of our customers’ control centers through our thorough understanding of their needs. We provide consulting and implementation services for developing and integrating a fully functioning Mission Control Center. We install, integrate, configure and test control center workstations including display systems, video controls and mission clock needs. Once configured and operational, we perform testing and validation to verify network data flows, satellite communication flows, voice communications and critical commanding capabilities. Qwaltec will also generate any required user documentation and procedures.

Operation Assessments

How do you prove to your team and your stakeholders that you are ready for launch? How can you optimize your limited resources to improve operations and training? Are you managing your software assets efficiently?

Qwaltec can help you answer these questions with our Operations Assessments. We will perform a Mission Readiness, O&M Efficiency, Training Needs, Software Asset Management, or custom assessment to meet your unique needs. Our assessment gives you the confidence you need to ensure your ground system and your team are performing at maximum efficiency.

Based on our broad experience with NASA, DoD and commercial programs, we are able to evaluate all aspects of your operations and give you actionable steps to achieve overall readiness. Our assessments are used to verify readiness for our customers’ internal management as well as investors, partners and insurance companies. Our goal is to help you improve the overall performance of your operations team and your system.

Technical Documentation

A thorough understanding of our customers’ complex system or satellite is critical to the development of accurate and effective documentation. Our documentation personnel are experienced engineers who write and maintain operations, technical and maintenance manuals for operations centers and complex systems. We also generate any necessary documentation specific to a mission such as operations procedures which are validated and tested prior to real world execution. Qwaltec’s engineers also produce training materials for operator and systems engineer training and simulations critical to mission success.

Training Curriculum

Qwaltec develops complete learning packages designed to achieve the objectives of your training program. We use an established systematic process for the assessment and development of your training solution. To deliver training effectiveness and value, we identify who will be taught, validate what will be taught, and define how it will be taught. Our training curriculum packages are customized to meet your unique needs and include a Task Analysis, Training Plan, Certification Guides as well as classroom lessons, computer based training lessons and e-learning. We use best practices gained from our extensive experience with NASA, DoD, and commercial customers to provide streamlined content designed for actionable and verifiable results. Our ability to transform highly complex technical information into easy to understand training products is both proven and unparalleled.

Technical Training

Utilizing industry-proven instructional design principles in our customized training programs, Qwaltec works closely with you to develop training solutions that meet your business goals, achieve measurable results, and maximize your return on investment.

Our highly-diversified teams create tailored and efficient training solutions leveraging a staff of skilled engineers who have the ability to break down traditionally complicated systems into manageable elements. Based on our extensive experience in developing quality custom training programs for complex manned and unmanned space programs, data processing and exploitation facilities, deployable operations centers, enterprise systems, and software applications, we are proud to be regarded as one of the world’s leading training providers for highly dynamic and technical programs. We combine technology, subject matter expertise, and multimedia creativity to provide training solutions that meet the demands of your organization.

Software Engineering

Our software engineers develop application software requiring knowledge and familiarity in several areas including command and control, real-time operations, mission planning, touch-based user interfaces, heads-up displays and data links.

Qwaltec’s software expertise allows for tuning and optimization of our customers’ applications. We work intimately with our customers to define and understand their functional requirements and provide software development services for new capabilities and extensions to their current system. Qwaltec expertly manages software releases to ensure the releases deliver required enhancements and resolve software bugs.

Systems Engineering

Qwaltec provides systems engineering support for complex technical programs. Our engineers develop a deep understanding of your system in order to deliver solutions that meet both budget and schedule requirements. Our foundational, real-world experience in engineering and operations provide valuable, one-of-a-kind expertise for our customers. From requirements development and management to system development and implementation, our engineers seamlessly integrate with your team while applying systems thinking and disciplined engineering practices.

Mission Readiness

Qwaltec engineers ensure ground systems are ready and mission operations personnel are properly trained and certified for satellite launch and on-orbit operations. Our engineers have extensive mission readiness experience on NASA, DoD, NOAA, and commercial programs.

Our mission readiness services include operations concept development; simulation and rehearsal planning, execution and evaluation; procedure and documentation design, development and verification; and transition planning.

Ground Systems Operations & Engineering

Qwaltec provides satellite operations & maintenance services including ground systems operations, maintenance, and management involving multiple sites both within and outside the contiguous United States (CONUS and OCONUS).

We also provide on-orbit engineering for multi-satellite constellations. Our responsibilities include supplying expertise in the design and function of the satellites and maintaining an in-depth understanding of assigned subsystems. Other services include on-console engineering support, anomaly troubleshooting and resolution support, mission planning support, training, and telemetry trending and analysis.

Qwaltec provides mission operations management and flight readiness management roles for the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP)/Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) program.

Qwaltec provides mission readiness support to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Flight Projects Directorate. Qwaltec develops simulation programs, serves as the simulation/rehearsal director, provides launch preparation support to mission managers, develops mission implementation plans, supports integration and test activities, and develops launch documentation. Programs include JPSS, NPP, GLORY, GLAST, LDCM, and STEREO.

Qwaltec provides systems engineering, operations preparedness, mission implementation, and I&T for the Space Environment Testbed (SET). Qwaltec documents customer requirements and coordinates engineering evaluations for the Instrument Synthesis & Analysis Laboratory (ISAL). Qwaltec developed a task analysis and training development plan for NASA Johnson Space Center’s Biomedical Systems Division Project Development Branch.

Qwaltec is the prime contractor for the US Navy Naval Satellite Operations Center (NAVSOC) Spacecraft Operations and Maintenance Services (SOMS) contract supporting the US Navy communications satellite constellations that include the Fleet Satellite (FLTSAT) constellation, the UHF Follow-On (UFO) constellation, the Polar EHF communication payloads, and the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) constellation. Qwaltec provides NAVSOC Telemetry, Tracking & Commanding (TT&C) operations conducted from two Satellite Operations Centers (SOCs) located within the continental United States (CONUS) at the NAVSOC Headquarters Facility (HQ) in Point Mugu, CA and an alternate SOC in Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, CO.

Qwaltec supports Alcyon Technical Services Joint Venture (ATS) as a team member on the NASA Systems Engineering Advanced Services (SEAS) contract which provides mission and instrument systems engineering support to NASA. Support to NASA’s next series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) includes pre- and post- launch requirements verification as well as risk management activities. Qwaltec supports the Instrument Design Lab (IDL) by performing detailed focus studies for defining instruments and observatory requirements based on investigator’s science requirements.

Qwaltec provides training design, development, and instruction to the Space Network Ground Segment Sustainment (SGSS) project for upgrading ground-based portions of NASA’s Space Network (SN). In this role, Qwaltec develops the training plan, course framework, and lesson objectives to span across the entire system and train both operational and support positions. Qwaltec also develops classroom and online lessons, as well as performance based hands-on scenarios taught in a simulated environment.

Qwaltec provides engineering support to the Navy Satellite Operations Center (NAVSOC) On-Orbit Engineering Satellite Services (OOESS) contract supporting the US Navy Fleet Satellite (FLTSAT), UHF Follow-On (UFO), Polar EHF and Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite constellations. Qwaltec provides engineering support for these constellations supporting the Navy satellite communication (SATCOM) system. Qwaltec provides services including on-console engineering support, anomaly troubleshooting and resolution support, mission planning support, training, and telemetry trending and analysis.

Qwaltec is a team member on the Ground System and Mission Operations 2 (GSMO-2) contract primarily supporting Mission Readiness for Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) missions. Qwaltec provides mission readiness for the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) to ensure its ground system meets launch requirements. Qwaltec also defined the Mission Rehearsal program ensuring the launch team is prepared for the ICESat-2 launch and provides Mission Readiness, Operations and Engineering support for a GSFC instrument to be flown on the Air Force Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) satellite. Qwaltec will ensure processes are in place for delivering instrument data to investigators.

Qwaltec support to OneWeb’s Fleet Management Segment (FMS) includes providing simulations and rehearsals (S&R) for their initial launch as well as developing the Training Program for satellite operators and ground system maintainers. Qwaltec developed a S&R plan and is executing a 12-month series of S&R events to exercise the satellite operations team, ground software, processes, procedures, tools and interfaces. Qwaltec also generated a Training Plan and, after completing a Task Analysis for each operational position and course catalog, is creating training lessons and preparing the training program to support the new operations personnel who will operate and manage the OneWeb constellation of almost 900 satellites.

Qwaltec provides operations, testing, and engineering support for the NASA Space Communications and Network Services (SCNS) O&M contractor. Qwaltec engineers command lead roles in the planning of the NASA Space Network (SN) transition from legacy operations to digital operations including training program design and development, subsystem testing, procedure and process mapping, and concept of operations development. Qwaltec also performed an analysis, trade study, and planning to be used in an O&M environment undergoing a major ground system change.

Qwaltec also supported the integration and test of Tracking, Telemetry, and Control (TT&C) modem subsystems and provided subject matter expertise for the NASA SN Automated Data Processing Equipment (ADPE) subsystems and derivatives. Qwaltec supported the User Services Subsystem Component Replacement (USS-CR) project including installation, check-out and functional and operational performance testing of its hardware and software subsystems.

Qwaltec develops computer-based training lessons in support of SeaTec’s work with American Airlines (AA) as AA transitions its current aircraft maintenance computer system to a SCEPTRE-based system. Qwaltec also developed a multimedia outreach video targeted to American Airlines executives and managers.

Qwaltec software engineers develop both user interfaces and back-end services to include software development, onsite software integration, installation and checkout and analysis, implementation and review of software changes. Ground station application software is developed, HMI’s and GUI’s providing for control and display of vehicle status are designed and coded and complex real-time client/server software for Windows and Linux operating systems is designed and developed. Qwaltec also manages software releases and coordinates with customer integrators to ensure software releases incorporate required enhancements and bug fixes.

Qwaltec engineers also provide support for operations training, technical user documentation, requirements management and integration and formal testing. Ground station user documentation is developed and maintained and integration and test activities for final acceptance of ground control centers are supported. Qwaltec develops test procedures and performs formal qualification testing of system requirements. Qwaltec engineers coordinate and perform formal training ranging from 4 to 80 hours at factory, lab and customer locations.

Qwaltec provides systems engineering, ground system integration and testing, and mission operations support for the Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper (LunaH-Map) CubeSat currently under development at ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration. Slated to launch on NASA’s SLS rocket in late 2019, LunaH-Map will take more than a year of low-thrust electric propulsion maneuvering to place itself into a lunar orbit flying within 10 kilometers of the lunar south pole. LunaH-Map maps hydrogen content in the moon’s permanently shadowed craters to indicate concentrated pockets of water ice.

Qwaltec provided systems engineering support for the design and implementation of a new Mojave Control Center (MCC) project. The MCC was constructed for test and eventual mission support of the Stratolaunch aircraft, an air-launch platform to make access to space more convenient, reliable, and routine. Qwaltec developed initial documentation for mission operations, and system configuration management.

Qwaltec provides ongoing systems engineering support for an on-orbit satellite program as well as mission analysis, orbit maneuver analysis and planning, and on-call spacecraft anomaly and mission operations support. Qwaltec develops software requirements and test documentation, and conducts the command and control software testing.

Qwaltec has also provided mission readiness support for multiple satellite programs including operations concept development, on-orbit procedures and documentation, training plans, simulation planning and coordination, and integration and test support.

Terry Petrzelka

Board Member

As the CEO of Tectura (retired), Terry established Tectura as a global consulting leader by delivering business and technology strategies designed to help clients achieve their business performance goals. Terry’s commitment to delivering solutions that bring value and competitive advantage to clients is a cornerstone of the Advectus commitment to deliver The Better DMS Experience. Located in Arizona, US, Terry is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy and is currently a director on several boards.

Stuart O. Witt

Board Member

Stuart O. Witt has been providing professional services to the commercial space industry since 2016. Prior to his consulting work, Witt was CEO of the Mojave Air & Space Port, where he was the force behind the nascent space industry. In June 2004 the FAA AST designated Mojave Air & Space Port the nation’s first inland spaceport where it played host to the world as Scaled Composites qualified and won the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE.

Witt paved the way for Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Company, Stratolaunch Systems, XCOR Aerospace and Masten Space Systems to establish businesses in Mojave. The desert and the spaceport have witnessed scores of spaceflight successes along with numerous educational failures. During his tenure at Mojave Air & Space Port Witt was instrumental with drafting both state and federal legislation to move the industry forward.

Witt is a founding member of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) and served as its Chairman from 2012 – 2014. The CSF promotes the development of commercial spaceflight, pursues ever-higher levels of safety and shares best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The CSF’s member companies, which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers, and service providers, are creating thousands of high-tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering.

In addition to his prominent work in the commercial space industry, Witt is a 47-year aviation professional with extensive experience in operational, research and developmental test flying, engineering management and airport leadership. His military career took him to sea as an F-14 Tomcat pilot based on U.S.S. John F. Kennedy and as an FA-18A project pilot at the Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake, CA. After the Navy, Witt joined what was then Westinghouse Electric Corporation for nearly nine years as an engineering test pilot on the B-1B, F-16C and F-23 testbeds. In 1993 he joined Computer Technology Associates, where he managed a $100-million contract as Executive Vice President.

Witt earned a bachelor’s degree from Cal State Northridge and is a graduate of the Naval Aviation Schools Command, the Naval Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) and the University of Maryland’s Center for Creative Leadership.

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Peter Vedder

Rob Meyerson

Jesus (Sonny) Garza

Shawn Linam

Control Center Development

Operation Assessments

Technical Documentation

Training Curriculum

Technical Training

Software Engineering

Systems Engineering

Mission Readiness

Ground Systems Operations & Engineering

Terry Petrzelka

Stuart O. Witt