Dr. Robert D. Braun is head of the Space Exploration Sector at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, with responsibilities that span all civil and national security space activities at the Lab. He is also a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. He has contributed to the formulation, development, and operation of multiple spaceflight missions and is a recognized authority in hypersonics technology and the development of entry, descent, and landing systems. Dr. Braun previously served as a faculty member at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the California Institute of Technology. He earned a B.S. in aerospace engineering from Pennsylvania State University, an M.S. in astronautics from George Washington University, and a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American Astronomical Society, and the author or coauthor of over 300 technical publications.