# James Reuther > Chief Engineer at Aeva, Inc Location: San Francisco, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/jamesreuther Aerospace Engineer, Systems Engineer, Project Manager, Technologist and Policy Director with broad experience in research, engineering and technology fields. Expert knowledge and widely published in the technical research fields of computational fluid dynamics, aerodynamic shape optimization, supercomputing, aerothermodynamics, thermal protection systems (TPS) and entry descent and landing (EDL) systems. Deep experience in the following areas: Autonomous systems, active and passive sensor technologies, aircraft and spacecraft design and development, engineering and technology project and program management, systems engineering, senior government agency management and national space and technology policy development. Specialties: Aerospace Engineering Autonomous Systems Active and Passive Sensors Project Management Space and Technology Policy Development Systems Engineering Computational Fluid Dynamics Aerodynamic Shape Optimization Aerodynamics – subsonic, transonic, supersonic and hypersonic flows Aircraft Conceptual Design Massively Parallel Computing Aerothermodynamics Thermal Protection Systems Atmospheric Entry Vehicle Design and Development ## Work Experience ### Chief Engineer @ Aeva Jan 2025 – Present ### VP of Technology @ Aeva Jan 2021 – Jan 2025 | San Francisco Bay Area ### Technologist @ Apple Jan 2015 – Jan 2021 ### Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs; Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) @ NASA Jan 2012 – Jan 2015 | NASA HQ, 300 E street SW, Washington DC • Provide executive leadership and management of the Space Technology Programs within STMD holding an annual investment value of $600 million: • Serve as the final decisional authority for program and project content within the Space Technology Programs. • Develop fiscal year budget planning and allocate Space Technology resources and workforce; establish business rhythms; perform day-to-day program management; and serve as the supervisor to the Program Executives. • Ensure technology investment alignment with the NASA Strategic Plan, and the NASA Space Technology Roadmaps; maintain a portfolio balance between both near-term mission-driven, and long-range transformative, technologies. • Direct strategic product development and technology due diligence studies; oversee competitive investments including: solicitations, awards, recommendation panels and source selections. • Develop and mature broadly applicable technologies in areas including in-space propulsion, robotics, space power systems, space communications, small spacecraft, space structures, life support, space resource utilization, space observatories / instruments, and space destination and return systems. • Advance revolutionary concepts and capabilities, lowering development costs and improving space mission capabilities while engaging NASA Centers, small businesses, academia, industry, other Government agencies, and international partners. • Develop new business models to develop technologies and expands the aerospace enterprise. • Support and serve as an agent/delegate for the STMD Associate Administrator both within and external to the Agency; deliver or support presentations, and advocate and represent STMD at meetings within NASA, with NASA stakeholders including White House officials and Congressional members and staff, and the larger aerospace community. ### Deputy Director; Space Technology Program, Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT): @ NASA Jan 2012 – Jan 2013 | NASA HQ, 300 E street SW, Washington DC • Provided leadership and management for the Space Technology Programs within OCT: • Ensured the planning, resource allocation, and execution of programmatic content of the nine Space Technology Programs. • Provided budget planning and execution support; established business rhythms and supported decision making; performed day-to-day program management; and served as the supervisor to the Program Executives. • Aligned the technology portfolio with the NASA Strategic Plan, NASA Space Technology Roadmaps and National Research Council (NRC) report. • Allocated the fiscal year budget and workforce. • Developed and oversaw competitive investments including: solicitations, awards, recommendation panels, selection letters, and press releases. • Ensured a portfolio of both near-term mission-driven, and long-range transformative, technologies required to meet our Nation’s far-reaching science and exploration goals. • Supported and served as an agent/delegate for both the Space Technology Program Director and the NASA Chief Technologist; delivered or supported presentations, and advocated and represented OCT at meetings within NASA, with NASA stakeholders, and the larger aerospace community. ### Director; Crosscutting Capability Demonstrations Division, Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) @ NASA Jan 2011 – Jan 2012 | NASA HQ, 300 E street SW, Washington DC • Managed formulation and execution of three space technology programs: Technology Demonstration Missions (TDM) Program, Edison Small Satellite Demonstration Missions (Edison) Program, and Flight Opportunities (FO) Program. • Provided leadership for: the TDM Program responsible for performing in-space flight demonstrations of major technology advancements prior to mission infusion; the FO Program responsible for creating flight opportunities and technology development for reusable sub-orbital vehicles; and the Edison Program responsible for performing flight demonstrations of emerging small spacecraft technologies. • Responsibilities for all three programs included content decision making, day-to-day management, alignment with the NASA Space Technology Roadmaps, allocation of the fiscal year budget and workforce, and oversight of competitive investments. • Served as the supervisor to the Program Executives; handled resource planning, advocacy, and coordination of TDM, Edison, and FO Programs. • Represented OCT in public engagement and partnership activities; served on Space Technology recommendation boards and as a member of OCT senior staff. ### Director; Strategic Integration, Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) @ NASA Jan 2010 – Jan 2011 | NASA HQ, 300 E street SW, Washington DC • Served as the senior technical advisor to the NASA Chief Technologist. • Created and administered the NASA Technology Executive Council (NTEC) - chaired by the Chief Technologist and serving as the executive governing body for strategic technology investments across NASA. • Developed NASA Space Technology Roadmaps - created in collaboration with the National Research Council, the roadmaps recommended a prioritized list of NASA technology investments, establishing internally credible and externally defensible national space technology policy. • Created the Space Technology Grand Challenges - inspiring innovators and technologist inside and outside the Agency by examining needs beyond immediate NASA missions, promoting the development of transformative ideas that broadly extended U.S. capabilities to perform space exploration as well as Earth and space science, and contributing to national needs. • Sponsored Center Chief Technologists at each of the ten NASA Centers - responsible for technology advocacy and a culture of innovation at the Centers, together they formed a Center Technology Council (CTC), providing Center perspectives for strategic technology planning. • Created an Agency technology portfolio tracking system, developed quarterly and yearly technology reports documenting the Agency’s technology development progress. • Performed special technology trade and systems studies. • Recruited a diverse team to staff the Office of Chief Technology, with individuals from NASA HQ, NASA Centers, other government agencies and industry experience. ### Test and Verification Manager; Orion, Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) @ NASA Jan 2009 – Jan 2010 | NASA JSC, Houston, TX • Developed and implemented a comprehensive test and verification (T&V) plan for the Orion spacecraft; defined the test facilities, test articles, and qualification strategies; addressed component, sub-system, systems and vehicle verifications. • Served as the direct supervisor of a diverse team of 30 civil servants and support service contractors. • Performed direct cost account manager functions for the Orion T&V Office, including all program planning, scheduling, and budgeting. ### Project Manager; Thermal Protection System (TPS), Advanced Development Project (ADP) @ NASA Ames Research Center Jan 2005 – Jan 2009 | NASA ARC, Moffett Field, CA • Managed a three-year, $150 million project, with a staff of 110 civil servants and support service contractors, involving eight NASA Centers. • Served as project manager responsible for milestones, budget, procurements, personnel, schedules, risk assessments, and reporting. • Delivered a complete heat shield design and material system, with all supporting engineering analysis and test data, on budget and on schedule. • Provided overall technical and programmatic leadership; performed thermal, structural, environmental and material properties testing; created preliminary designs and manufacturing facilities, advancing the technology maturity of multiple TPS materials. • Identified a potentially catastrophic failure mechanism on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) heat shield, and provided an alternate TPS material and heat shield system that avoided Project cancellation. • Provided TPS material performance data and heat shield design information supporting the development of the SpaceX Dragon heat shield. • Earned the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal. ### Core Team Member; Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS) @ NASA HQ Jan 2005 – Jan 2005 | NASA HQ, Washington DC • Served as 1 of 15 ESAS Core Team members, a multi-Center team of hundreds of engineers and scientists commissioned by NASA Administrator Michael Griffin to develop a new national space exploration architecture. • Planned the ESAS technology roadmap to support the technology needs for NASA-s Exploration Architecture. • Managed Agency technology experts; hosted workshops; solicited and prioritized technology needs vs. funding and schedule constraints, and assessed technology proposals. • Earned the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. ### Aerothermal Sub-Team Lead; Columbia Accident Investigation Board and Shuttle Return to Flight @ NASA Ames Research Center Jan 2003 – Jan 2005 | NASA ARC, Moffett Field, CA • Contributed to the identification and determination of the root-cause for the Columbia Space Shuttle tragedy. • Developed rapid on-orbit computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based damage assessment capability; realized a 100-fold improvement in CFD aerothermal analyses turn-around time. • Identified and recommended remedies for a potentially catastrophic failure mode for a Space Shuttle flight (STS-114) due to the presence of two protruding gap-fillers; solution involved sending astronauts on a spacewalk to remove the protruding gap-fillers. • Standardized the approach used to survey and assess the integrity of the Space Shuttle thermal protection system while on orbit. • Earned the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal and NASA Silver Snoopy Award. ### Project Technical Lead; NASA Advanced Engineering Environment (AEE) Project @ NASA Ames Research Center Jan 2000 – Jan 2005 | NASA ARC, Moffett Field, CA • Performed technical leadership of a team 50 NASA staff members, developing and executing independent systems analysis for launch architectures. • Developed project requirements; created the software system architecture; implemented and managed the software development strategy. • Provided technical task development for a distributed team across six NASA Centers. • Earned the NASA Turning Goals into Reality 2002 Pioneering Technology Award. The work on the AEE Project earned the team a NASA Turning Goals into Reality – 2002 Pioneering Technology Award. ### Project Lead; Highly Maneuverable Crew Transfer Vehicle (CTV) Project @ NASA Ames Research Center Jan 2000 – Jan 2001 • Assembled the analysis and design team; established a strategic approach for validating the possible performance benefits of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics (UHTCs). • Developed the project milestones, schedules and plans; developed the sharp CTV design process, including the creation of a new trajectory optimization methodology and setting up a wind tunnel test plan. The work on Sharp CTV Project earned the team a NASA Turning Goals into Reality – 2001 Mission Safety Objective Award. ### Senior Research Scientist @ MCAT Inc., NASA Ames Research Center Jan 1998 – Jan 1999 | NASA ARC, Moffett Field, CA • Performed breakthrough theoretical and algorithmic developments in control theory based aerodynamic shape optimization. • Developed revolutionary, high-fidelity, multi-disciplinary optimization using both vector and parallel supercomputing. • Applied advanced aerodynamic shape optimization software to both transonic and supersonic aircraft design applications. • Designed the aerodynamic contours of supersonic transports in support of NASA's High Speed Research (HSR) Project. • Provided aerodynamic wing design support for Mars airplane project. • Developed a control theory based trajectory optimization for space shuttle glide back boosters. ### Post-Doctoral Research Scientist @ Research Institute of Advanced Computer Science (RIACS), NASA Ames Research Center Jan 1995 – Jan 1998 | NASA ARC, Moffett Field, CA • Investigated theoretical and computational approaches to aerodynamic shape optimization. • Performed research on three-dimensional, control theory based aerodynamic shape optimization software. • Developed practical aerodynamic shape optimization software for transonic and supersonic aircraft. • Designed supersonic transport shapes in support of the NASA High Speed Research (HSR) Project. • Defined and conducted supersonic performance wind tunnel tests using NASA large-scale facilities at Ames Research Center and Langley Research Center. ### Software Developer and Consultant @ Intelligent Aerodynamics Inc Jan 1995 – Jan 1998 | Palo Alto, CA • Designed and developed production level computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and aerodynamic shape optimization (ASO) software. • Applied CFD and ASO software to commercial and business jet aircraft design and development programs. • Provided on-site software installation and training. ## Education ### Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering University of California, Davis ### Aerospace Engineering Princeton University ### M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering University of California, Davis ### B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering University of California, Davis ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/james-reuther-847725 - Website: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/ - Website: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/about_us/bios/oct_reuther_bio.html --- Source: https://flows.cv/jamesreuther JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/jamesreuther/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-05