Will Pomerantz
Will Pomerantz | |
|---|---|
 Pomerantz speaks on space travel at TEDxPCC in 2013 | |
| Alma mater | Harvard University International Space University NASA Academy |
| Employer(s) | X Prize Foundation Virgin Galactic Virgin Orbit |
| Organization | Brooke Owens Fellowship |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
William Pomerantz is Vice President of Special Projects at Virgin Orbit. He was part of the team that created Virgin Orbit while working at Virgin Galactic. He is the co-founder of the Brooke Owens Fellowship and a trustee of the United States Students for the Exploration and Development of Space organisation.
Early life and education
[edit]Pomerantz was born in 1980 in Buffalo, New York. His parents are Sandra Pomerantz, a social worker and lawyer, and James Pomerantz, a cognitive psychologist.[1][2] His step-mother is Mary McIntire, Dean of Continuing Studies at Rice University.[1] Pomerantz studied Earth and planetary sciences at Harvard University. During his undergraduate degree he studied at the NASA Academy.[3] He completed a master's degree at the International Space University, working in the Information, Communication and Space Technology group at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.[1] Pomerantz co-founded the website SpaceAlumni with Nicholas Skytland in 2004, a social media platform for young space professionals, acting as chief editor until 2007.[3][4] He worked at Brown University as a planetary scientist, identifying surface features on Mars.[5]
Career
[edit]After graduate school Pomerantz joined Futron, an aerospace consultancy that eventually became acquired by Avascent.[6]
In 2005 Pomerantz joined X Prize Foundation, acting as Director of Space Prizes.[3] He was promoted to Senior Director of Space Projects and helped to create both the Google Lunar X Prize and Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge.[7]
In 2010, Pomerantz contributed a chapter to the textbook Space Commerce.[8] He joined Virgin Galactic in 2011 and was appointed vice president.[9][10] He was determined to use the SpaceShipTwo to support educational and research payloads as well as space tourism.[10][11]
He spoke at the 2013 TEDxPCC at the Expanding Horizons of Understanding event, where he discussed why humans explore space.[12] Pomerantz led the effort to launch the LauncherOne, which allows people to launch small satellites from an air-launched system.[13] He was the first employee of Virgin Orbit, which will 3D print rockets and engines for satellite launches.[14]
His wife is the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer Diana Trujillo.[3]
Public service and advocacy
[edit]He has advised the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and Federal Aviation Administration.[3][15] He was a judge at the inaugural Mayor of Los Angeles Cup, an entrepreneurship challenge to improve Los Abgeles for citizens.[16] He has written for HuffPost.[17] Pomerantz is the chair of the Board of Advisors for the American organisation Students for the Exploration and Development of Space and on the advisory board for the Waypaver Foundation.[18] He is on the editorial board of Room, the space journal.[19]
In 2016, Pomerantz established the Brooke Owens Fellowship, a mentoring scheme which champions women in aerospace. The fellowships offer undergraduate women positions in the space sector and assigns them a personal mentor working in industry.[20] He co-founded the fellowship with Lori Garver and Cassie Kloberdanz Lee.[21]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "James R. Pomerantz". Owlnet. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ "Miscellaneous pictures, information". Will Pomerantz. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "NewSpace 2010 Space Conference". Space Frontier Foundation. Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ "SpaceAlumni.com Launches Social Networking Website for Space Industry". spaceref.com. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- "William Pomerantz". Science Policy Conference 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2018. [dead link] - ^ W J Pomerantz, Data; Head, James (10 July 2018). Thumbprint Terrain and Sinuous Troughs with Medial Ridges in the Northern Lowlands of Mars: Assessment of the Glacial Hypothesis Using New Spacecraft … (Report).
- ^ "WILL POMERANTZ - Waypaver Foundation". Waypaver Foundation. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
- ^ "Will Pomerantz talks Google Lunar X Prize Landing Details". Youtube. Mahalodotcom. 26 August 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- "Wikinews interviews William Pomerantz, Senior Director of Space Prizes at the X PRIZE Foundation". Wikinews. 28 August 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2018. [unreliable source?] - ^ Morris, Langdon (2010). "SPACE COMMERCE: The Inside Story" (PDF). Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ^ "A thought about the X PRIZE Foundation as Pomerantz exits". Evadot. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- "Will Pomerantz: A Final Q&A". Google Lunar XPRIZE. 21 February 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- "NewSpace 2011 Space Conference". newspace2011.spacefrontier.org. Retrieved 29 June 2018. - ^ a b "How Virgin Galactic Private SpaceShipTwo Will Launch Science Flights". Space.com. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ "Will Pomerantz « Dent:Space". space.dentthefuture.com. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ "Event: TEDx PCC: "Expanding Horizons of Understanding"". Southern California Public Radio. 23 November 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- "Will Pomerantz TEDx Talk: Why We Go to Space". Parabolic Arc. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- "TEDxPCC". TED. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- "Why We Go -- Leaving Our Beautiful Home and Exploring Outer Space: Will Pomerantz at TEDxPCC". TEDx Talks. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2018. - ^ "Meet Will Pomerantz, Virgin Galactic's LauncherOne Point Man". SpaceNews.com. 2015-02-17. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ "With a simple and cheap rocket, Virgin Orbit aims for the extraordinary". Ars Technica. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ "William Pomerantz – Vice President, Special Projects Virgin Galactic". Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ Cup, Mayor Garcetti announces winner of 2016 Mayor’s (9 December 2016). "Mayor Garcetti announces winner of 2016 Mayor's Cup". Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "William Pomerantz". HuffPost. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ "SEDS Space Talks featuring William Pomerantz". Youtube. SEDS USA. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- "Advisors". SEDS. Retrieved 29 June 2018. - ^ "Board". Room. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
- ^ "Brooke Owens Fellowships will boost women in aerospace (and we're helping)". GeekWire. 8 October 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ "Cassie Kloberdanz Lee". World Science Festival. Retrieved 10 July 2018.