Paul Lockhart; Director of Engineering

Paul Lockhart served 26 years in the Air Force as a fighter pilot and test pilot before selection as a NASA astronaut. At NASA, Paul worked in the development of cutting edge technology avionics, and in 2002 piloted two Space Shuttle missions to the International Space Station, directing six space walks and logging 26 days in space.

Paul Lockhart is Director of Engineering for PEMDAS® Technologies and Innovations, a woman-owned (WOSB), service-disabled veteran-owned Small Business (SDVOSB) dedicated to improving atmospheric sensing and decision tools for American military warfighters and their support personnel. Previously, Paul was Senior Vice President for Space Systems and Services, Vencore. Paul came to Vencore in October 2008 from the Federal Government where his last position was as an Astronaut and Special Assistant for Program Management at Headquarters for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). As the SVP at Vencore, he oversaw Vencore’s extensive range of operations supporting NASA and other agencies including the Department of Defense.

Commissioned in the Air Force in 1981, Paul served 26 years on active duty before retiring in 2007 from his last assignment with the Air Staff at the Pentagon. During his service with the Air Force, he served as a fighter pilot with the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and as an F-16 test pilot in Florida. As the Operations Officer for the 39th Flight Test Squadron in Florida, he directed testing for much of America’s current state-of-the-art weaponry. In 1996, Paul was selected by NASA to become an astronaut. Reporting to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas in August 1996, he completed initial astronaut training in 1998. Paul was then assigned to the Astronaut Office Spacecraft Systems/Operations Branch where he worked various technical issues for the Space Shuttle Main Engine and a redesign of the Shuttle’s flight display. In 2002, Paul Lockhart flew as pilot on two Space Shuttle missions to the International Space Station (ISS), STS-111 and STS-113. During these missions he directed six space walks in repair and construction of the ISS. He accumulated over 26 days in space in support of these missions.

Post the Shuttle Columbia disaster, Lockhart returned to the Air Force by attending the Royal College of Defence Studies in London, England as an exchange officer. At RCDS, The Ministry of Defence’s premier institution for grooming senior leaders in the UK military and civil fields, he completed a year of Studies in International Conflict Resolution with 84 other fellow members representing 44 nations from around the world. After graduation, he was assigned to the Air Staff, Headquarters USAF, Pentagon, where he held the position of Director, Future Capabilities at the Air Forces Directorate of Studies and Analysis, Assessments, and Lessons Learned. Retiring from the Air Force at this position, Paul then spent two years supporting NASA and the Constellation program, America’s return to the moon and beyond. He also served as NASA’s liaison to federal agencies such as the DoD and the National Reconnaissance Office.

Originally from Texas, Paul has a B.A. in Mathematics from Texas Tech University and a M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas. With over 5,000 hours in more than 30 different aircraft and the Space Shuttle, Paul has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and numerous other awards.

In his free time, Paul is working on a new concept for children’s adventure novel called Virtus Adventures.