posted 10-02-2018 05:01 PM               

Astronaut Tim Kopra Leaves NASA

After 20 years and two spaceflights, astronaut Tim Kopra is leaving NASA. His last day was Oct. 1, 2018.

Kopra, born in Austin, Texas, and a retired colonel in the U.S. Army, was selected as an astronaut in 2000. He flew on two space shuttles and was a member of two International Space Station expeditions.

"I had the pleasure of flying with Tim during STS-128," said Pat Forrester, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center. "It was an honor to serve with him in space and on the ground. He has a tremendous work ethic and a breadth of knowledge and experience. We wish him the best in his future endeavors."

Kopra was assigned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston in September 1998 as a vehicle integration test engineer. In that position, he served as an engineering liaison for space shuttle launch operations and space station hardware testing.

After his selection and initial astronaut training, Kopra served in the Space Station Branch of the Astronaut Office, where he was involved in the testing of crew interfaces for two space station modules as well as the implementation of support computers and operational Local Area Network on the station.

On July 15, 2009, Kopra launched on the space shuttle Endeavour with the STS-127 crew to the space station. He served as a flight engineer on Expedition 20, where he performed one spacewalk totaling 5 hours and 32 minutes, executed tasks with the space station and Japanese robotic arms, and conducted numerous science experiments. He returned to Earth with the STS-128 crew aboard the space shuttle Discovery on Sept. 11, 2009.

Kopra flew to the space station again as a flight engineer for Soyuz-19M and Expedition 46 and was commander of Expedition 47 from December 2015 to June 2016. During 186 days onboard, Kopra and his crewmates completed human research studies in ocular health, cognition, salivary markers and microbiome. The crew also welcomed four cargo spacecraft, including one that delivered the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, an expandable habitat technology demonstration. Kopra ventured outside for two spacewalks, totaling 7 hours 59 minutes. The objective of the first spacewalk was to move the station's mobile transporter rail car to a secure position. On the second spacewalk, Kopra helped replace a failed voltage regulator to restore power to one of the station's eight power channels. He returned to Earth on June 18, 2016.

In total, he logged a total of 244 days in space on two spaceflights, and 13 hours and 31 minutes on three spacewalks.

Kopra earned a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a master's degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, a master's degree in strategic studies from U.S. Army College, and a master's of business administration degree from Columbia Business School and London Business School.

posted 10-08-2018 02:18 PM               

Tim is a Partner of Blue Bear and oversees the operational performance of portfolio companies.

posted 06-02-2020 09:04 AM               

MDA appoints astronaut Tim Kopra to serve as Vice President, Robotics and Space Operations

MDA is pleased to announce that retired astronaut Tim Kopra will join its leadership team as Vice President of Robotics and Space Operations, effective immediately. As the leader for this business area, he will be responsible for the work of the robotics and space operations teams at MDA sites in Brampton, Ottawa, Saint-Hubert and Houston.

"We are thrilled to have Tim join our executive leadership team," said Mike Greenley, Chief Executive Officer of MDA. "As we embark on the next decade of space exploration, with the Artemis lunar program, commercial on-orbit servicing and on-orbit manufacturing, as well increasing activity on Mars, MDA has a large role to play and I believe Tim's operational experience and leadership skills will be essential to our continued growth and success."

Mr. Kopra's impressive career spans the US military, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as well as the private equity and venture capital landscape.

Mr. Kopra served in the US Army from 1985 to 2010 as an Army Aviator, attaining the rank of Colonel. His extensive and varied military service includes deployments in aviation operations during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm within Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq, as well as in Germany where he led an attack helicopter company. He also served as an experimental test pilot on various projects and as the developmental test director for the Comanche helicopter program.

In 1998, he was assigned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston as a vehicle integration test engineer. Selected as an astronaut in 2000, he served in multiple technical and leadership assignments relating to International Space Station (ISS) hardware and aviation safety. As part of his preparation for a long-duration space mission, he trained in the US, Russia, Japan, Germany and Canada on ISS hardware and systems, ISS assembly and scientific experiments. He flew on two spaceflights, serving as Space Shuttle Mission Specialist on STS-127/128 and ISS Expedition 20 Flight Engineer from July-September 2009, and later as ISS Expedition 46 Flight Engineer, Expedition 47 Commander, and Soyuz 19M Spacecraft co-pilot from December 2015-June 2016. Logging a total of 244 days in space, he executed assembly tasks using Canadarm2 and clocked 13 hours and 31 minutes on three spacewalks. He also served on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Aquarius underwater laboratory as part of NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 11, testing space suit design concepts, communication protocols, construction techniques, and the use of robotic devices. He formally retired from NASA in October 2018.

From 2016 to the present, Mr. Kopra has been a partner and advisor at Blue Bear Capital, a private equity firm that invests in high-growth technology companies and start-ups across the energy, infrastructure and climate industries. He also served in advisory roles in other private equity and venture capital firms.

Mr. Kopra earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the US Military Academy at West Point (1985), a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology (1995), graduated from the US Navy Test Pilot School (1996), received a Master of Strategic Studies from US Army War College (2006), and Master of Business Administration degrees from Columbia Business School and London Business School (2013).

Born and raised in Texas, Mr. Kopra is married with two children, and is actively involved in local community, business, academic, military and veterans' organizations.

Founded in 1969, MDA is one of Canada's most successful technology companies and an internationally recognized leader in space robotics and sensors, radar satellites and ground systems, communication satellite payloads, antennas and subsystems, surveillance and intelligence systems, defence and maritime systems and geospatial imagery products and analytics. With a deep and diverse technology base, MDA's global reach and heritage serving government and commercial space and defence markets with innovative and iconic solutions is unparalleled. MDA operates from locations in Brampton, Richmond, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Houston and the United Kingdom.

posted 03-11-2022 09:03 AM               

Former Astronaut Tim Kopra Joins OneWeb Technologies as New President

OneWeb Technologies, the premier provider of innovative and secure commercial satellite communications (SATCOM) application solutions, has named former astronaut Tim Kopra as President. In his new role, Tim will be responsible for leading the company's growth as it continues to expand its partnerships and solve secure, mission-critical real-time connectivity challenges for the U.S. government, its allies, and global enterprise customers.

A dedicated leader with a passion for space innovation, Kopra was Vice President for Robotics and Space Operations at MDA immediately prior to joining OneWeb Technologies. Before that, he held various leadership and operational roles as an engineer and astronaut at NASA. Kopra lived and worked on board the International Space Station (ISS) during two spaceflights and served as ISS Commander during one of its missions. During his time with NASA, Kopra completed three spacewalks and spent 244 days in space.

"We are very happy to have Tim aboard," said Bob Roe, Chief Executive Officer, OneWeb Technologies. "Our company is built by experienced engineers who are dedicated to developing secure networks and setting industry standards. Tim's background in space and robotic operations, along with his vast leadership experience, make him a valuable addition to the OneWeb Technologies team."

A graduate of the United States Military Academy, Kopra served in the U.S. Army for 25 years as an aviator and remains active in military affairs as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for the East Texas Region. Kopra also earned a Master of Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, Master of Strategic Studies from the Army War College, and Masters of Business Administration from Columbia and London Business Schools.

"I'm excited to be taking on this new role as OneWeb Technologies enters this next phase of growth. The company has a reputation for delivering excellent secure, reliable satellite communications solutions, globally, and we look forward to building new opportunities and further developing partnerships with our customers here in the U.S. and with our allies." said Kopra.

posted 11-09-2022 09:17 AM               

Voyager Space Names Retired NASA Astronaut, Tim Kopra as Chief Executive Officer of Nanoracks

Voyager Space, a global leader in space exploration, and its operating company Nanoracks, today (Nov. 9) announced the appointment of Tim Kopra as Chief Executive Officer of Nanoracks. Kopra, a retired NASA astronaut and former president of OneWeb Technologies, will oversee Nanoracks' continued growth as a global leader in providing commercial space services, including the development of Starlab, the companies' proposed commercial space station.

"Nanoracks is paving the way for what's possible in space," said Matthew Kuta, President and COO, Voyager. "Tim is a one-of-a-kind leader with a level of experience that is unmatched in this industry. As an astronaut who served on the International Space Station, he understands the unique needs, challenges, and opportunities for commercial space services and will provide invaluable insight as we continue down our development path on Starlab. We couldn't be more excited to have Tim on the Voyager team and look forward to seeing him take Nanoracks to new heights."

A seasoned executive and leader, Kopra served as the President of OneWeb Technologies and as Vice President, Robotics and Space Operations for MDA. Prior to his work in the private sector, Kopra spent 18 years as an astronaut for NASA, including his role as a flight engineer on Expedition 46 and commander of Expedition 47. Kopra is a retired U.S. Army Colonel and served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He earned his BS from the United States Military Academy, a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, an MS in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, and MBAs from Columbia Business School and London Business School.

"This is a very critical and exciting time to join Nanoracks. I am looking forward to applying my skill set and experience as a former astronaut as well as a space industry executive to further our technologies and capabilities powering the space revolution, forging the next generation of space infrastructure and technology," added Kopra.

Kopra's appointment comes among other exciting announcements for Voyager and Nanoracks. The companies announced a historic partnership with Hilton to design crew lodging and hospitality suites aboard Starlab in September. Voyager and Nanoracks also announced The Ohio State University will host the George Washington Carver Science Park's terrestrial lab and signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with five Latin American space agencies.

posted 04-09-2025 08:58 AM               

NASA astronaut and Starlab Space CEO Tim Kopra appointed as Solar Foods' advisor for space applications

Solar Foods has appointed former NASA astronaut and Starlab Space CEO Tim Kopra as the company's space advisor. As an advisor, Tim Kopra will bring invaluable knowledge to steer the development of Solar Foods' space food production technology and the business opportunities in the space industry. The predominant focus of commercial human spaceflight and space station development is currently in the United States. Starlab Space is a leading commercial LEO (low Earth orbit) Destinations company developing a commercial replacement for the ISS (International Space Station), which will be deorbited by the end of 2030.

"We are so excited to have Tim on board on Solar Foods' journey. Not only is he the CEO of a leading commercial space station company, but he has also previously spent 244 days in space. Therefore, he brings in incredible amount of insight about what it takes to develop flight certified space technology and concrete experience about consuming food in space", says Arttu Luukanen, Senior Vice President Space & Defence at Solar Foods.

Kopra will be working closely with the Solar Foods Space & Defence team. The aim is to integrate Solar Foods' Solein fermentation technology with the onboard life support systems of future commercial space stations. As part of the collaboration, a technology development roadmap will be created, strategic collaboration and funding platforms will be identified, and the business plan and earnings model will be reviewed during the autumn 2025.

"Solar Foods' innovative technology for food production has direct implications for successful space missions in LEO and beyond. I'm excited to work with such a professional team and their advancements that have implications for long-duration space flight," says Tim Kopra, Starlab Space CEO.

"We are determined to help take humanity deeper into space, while at the same time scaling Solein production here on Earth. Solar Foods is a new entrant to space exploration, and we believe that having Tim as an advisor will help us to enter and become a part of the Commercial LEO destinations industry cluster", Luukanen says.

Growing food in space: How Solein can feed the astronauts of tomorrow

As space missions extend further from Earth, traditional methods of supplying food become unfeasible, due to for example the high costs. It already costs tens of thousands of dollars to send just a kilogram of food to low Earth orbit. Sending food to Mars not only becomes prohibitively expensive, but food can also go bad during the multi-year mission to the Red Planet. With human presence on the Moon being planned through NASA's Artemis program and ambitions to send astronauts to Mars, food production in space becomes not just important but mission critical.

Solar Foods was selected as the international category winner of NASA's and CSA's (Canadian Space Agency) Deep Space Food Challenge, which brought the company to the centre of the stage as a promising solution provider for future space explorers. The win has accelerated the company's development of space food production technology. To date, Solar Foods has constructed a purpose-built technology demonstrator and is currently developing bioreactor architectures suitable for zero-gravity operations. The company has also successfully completed their initial technology development project with ESA (European Space Agency) and anticipates further collaboration with ESA and industry partners.

Solar Foods' technology allows the production of protein in space: Solein is produced through gas fermentation, using carbon dioxide and hydrogen as its main feedstock. The technology can also help close critical water loops in space. In space habitats, oxygen is generated by splitting water molecules. While the oxygen is used by the crew, the hydrogen is typically vented into space, wasting valuable water. By feeding this hydrogen and the CO2 exhaled by astronauts on the spacecraft into Solar Foods' process, the water can be recovered while producing Solein at the same time.

"The annual savings of the Solein solution can reach tens of millions of dollars. Considering a planned lunar base sometime in the future, the annual cost savings might be in the hundreds of millions. The value of a reliable food solution on a mission to Mars is ten, maybe even a hundred times that of those in LEO or on the Moon", Luukanen says.

Read more about Solar Foods' space technology here.