Steven G. Labbe Director, Engineering Intuitive Machines
Sessions
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AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum 2020
Mr. Steven G. Labbe is the Director of Engineering at Intuitive Machines, LLC where he serves as the Chief Engineer for their Nova-C Lunar Lander development, slated to fly IM's first mission to the lunar surface in response to NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Task Order. Mr. Labbe brings along more than 35 years of service and experience with NASA, where he advanced through increasing levels of responsibility focused on the development of NASA human space flight systems. He began his career at the Johnson Space Center in 1984 joining the Aeroscience Branch where he was responsible for development of Space Shuttle ascent aerodynamic characteristics via wind tunnel test, flight test and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and as the Space Shuttle Ascent Aerodynamic System Manager responsible for the development and certification of all launch vehicle aerodynamic environments.
Mr. Labbe served as both the Deputy Chief and Chief of the Applied Aeroscience & CFD Branch, where he was instrumental in the development of the X-38 Project Flight Dynamics and Aerodynamics and he guided the branch through critical investigation support, reconstruction and assessment of the STS-107 Columbia accident. In 2003, Mr. Labbe was assigned to the newly established NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) as the Discipline Expert for Flight Sciences, where he established an agency wide Flight Sciences Technical Discipline Team in support of a wide variety of NESC Independent Technical Assessments.
In October 2007 Mr. Labbe was named the Chief Engineer for the Constellation Program representing NASA’s engineering community as the Engineering Technical Authority for all program level activities. In January 2011, Mr. Labbe was selected as the Chief of the Aeroscience & Flight Mechanics Division where for 8 years he led the Division’s in line support of the Orion Program, oversight of the International Space Station (ISS) and independent verification analysis of the Commercial Crew Program. In 2018, Mr. Labbe was selected as the Chief Engineer for HEOMD’s Gateway Program. Mr. Labbe retired from NASA in 2019 and joined Intuitive Machines soon after. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1984.
Mr. Labbe served as both the Deputy Chief and Chief of the Applied Aeroscience & CFD Branch, where he was instrumental in the development of the X-38 Project Flight Dynamics and Aerodynamics and he guided the branch through critical investigation support, reconstruction and assessment of the STS-107 Columbia accident. In 2003, Mr. Labbe was assigned to the newly established NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) as the Discipline Expert for Flight Sciences, where he established an agency wide Flight Sciences Technical Discipline Team in support of a wide variety of NESC Independent Technical Assessments.
In October 2007 Mr. Labbe was named the Chief Engineer for the Constellation Program representing NASA’s engineering community as the Engineering Technical Authority for all program level activities. In January 2011, Mr. Labbe was selected as the Chief of the Aeroscience & Flight Mechanics Division where for 8 years he led the Division’s in line support of the Orion Program, oversight of the International Space Station (ISS) and independent verification analysis of the Commercial Crew Program. In 2018, Mr. Labbe was selected as the Chief Engineer for HEOMD’s Gateway Program. Mr. Labbe retired from NASA in 2019 and joined Intuitive Machines soon after. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1984.