Leon Alkalai

CAREER AT JET PROPULSION LABORATORY

• Dr. Alkalai started his career at JPL after receiving his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Los Angeles.
• For the first 14 years of his career, he was a leader in Advanced Avionics Systems, Micro-Systems, Micro/Nano Spacecraft, and related technologies.
• He has been at the forefront of JPL's mission project formulation as a manager and a business Capture Lead.

• He has led a new pioneering effort to formulate the next robotic mission to explore the Interstellar Medium, following the detection of the solar Heliopause by the Voyager-1 robotic spacecraft in 2013.

• He has led the Medical Engineering Forum, a pilot project to apply space technology to medical engineering.

CAREER TIMELINE AT JPL

• 1992 to 1995 - Lead for the Advanced Avionics Systems group 
  
• 1996 to 1998 - Lead for the New Millennium Program
• 1998 to 2001 - Lead for the Center for Integrated Space Microsystems, which was developing highly integrated systems on a chip and pioneering new micro and nanosatellites. 
• 2001 to 2002 - Assistant Division Manager for Avionics Systems
• 2003 to 2004 - Capture Lead for MoonLight
• 2005 - Capture Lead for MoonRise
• 2005 to 2007 - Capture Lead for GRAIL mission to the moon, awarded in 2007 and launched in 2011
  
• 2008 to 2010 - Capture Lead for MoonRise
• 2011 to 2012 - Capture Lead for INSIGHT mission to Mars, awarded in 2012, launched in May of 2018, and successfully landed on Mars in November 2018
• 2012 - JPL Fellow
• 2016 - Lead for JPL’s Discovery Proposal, to explore and map the surface of Venus using advanced radar technology.
• 2016 to 2019 - Manager of the Office of Strategic Planning, responsible for developing a long-term vision and strategic plan and innovating new pathways for the future of JPL.
• 2019 to 2021 - Manager of the Office of Strategic Partnerships, responsible for developing and managing JPL strategic partnerships both domestically and internationally.
• 2020 - Project Manager of the VITAL Ventilator Project

CURRENT APPOINTMENTS

• Co-Founder and Board Member at Verrix

• Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Continuum Space Systems

• Chief Executive Officer of Mandala Space Ventures

• General Partner at Explorer 1 Fund

• Tech Fellow at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

• Full Member of the International Academy of Astronautics

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

• In 2012, Dr. Alkalai received the NASA Individual Distinguished Achievement Medal for the successful formulation of the GRAIL mission to map the gravity field of the Moon. 

• In 2019, he received his second Individual Distinguished Achievement Medal for the successful formulation of InSight and for the successful commission of InSight on Mars. 

• In 2020, he received the JPL Magellan Award for his contributions to the VITAL project and to the JPL COVID-19 response. 

MEDIA

• Dr. Alkalai has appeared as a guest on Real Vision.