Larry Fineberg brings more than 35 years of aerospace industry experience to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, with much of his career based at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Fineberg spent 20 years with Boeing, where he served on a team of engineering center representatives supporting the design, development, qualification, manufacturing, processing and post-flight data analysis of the Space Shuttle orbiter’s main propulsion system.
In 2004, he joined NASA as a civil servant with the Launch Services Program. In this role, Fineberg provided oversight of mechanical systems for the Atlas V and Delta II launch complexes before becoming a senior integration engineer for expendable launch vehicle missions. His mission experience includes the InSight Mars Lander, Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission, Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), Space Tracking and Surveillance System Demonstration for the Missile Defense Agency and Educational Launch of Nanosatellites missions conducted in coordination with NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative.
Fineberg’s research and development work includes a patented approach to orbital debris remediation. The technology uses a passive, propellant-less device attached to a spacecraft to enable controlled deorbit of spacecraft with masses up to 180 kilograms. His work resulted in U.S. Patent 11,267,589 B2, “Drag-Based Propellant-Less Small Satellite Attitude Orbit and Deorbit Control System.”
At Embry-Riddle, Fineberg teaches Spacecraft Design, the capstone course for undergraduate Aerospace Engineering students. Over two semesters, students work in multidisciplinary design teams representing spacecraft subsystems to develop solutions to real-world engineering challenges through a comprehensive mission assignment.
The capstone experience incorporates the full spacecraft lifecycle, including project and product requirements development, implementation and verification as well as preliminary and critical design reviews. Students also produce engineering drawings and spacecraft build and installation procedures before completing a professional-level project proposal based on industry standards.
Fineberg is also developing a Small Satellite Design-Build-Test-Fly curriculum designed to give students additional hands-on experience with the complete spacecraft development process.
His Embry-Riddle capstone mission assignments have included studying tardigrade microorganisms in orbit, measuring drag in low Earth orbit, developing a Lunar Occultation Spectroscopic Telescope Array, designing a mission to rendezvous with asteroid Apophis for scientific study and developing a lunar prospecting mission.
Fineberg has also contributed to spacecraft design projects at the University of Florida, including an Atlas V cryogenic slosh rideshare experiment and the development of mission and design requirements for Gamma Ray Observatory and Orbiting Aerosol Observatory CubeSats.
M.S. - Master of Science in Industrial Engineering: Engineering Management, University of Central Florida
Senior Systems and Integration Engineer (NASA Retired)
NASA Launch Services Program
Served as technical project manager in the NASA Launch Services Program for expendable launch vehicle missions, including: InSight Mars Lander, Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission, NuSTAR, STSS Demo (Missile Defense Agency) and Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa).
• Utilized a disciplined system engineering approach to formulating NASA mission goals into a series of inter-related requirements. Developed, implemented, and verified requirements in each engineering discipline.
• Developed integration requirements for NASA mission’s Launch Service Statements of Work and participated in the evaluation of contract proposals from commercial providers. Developed Statements Of Work to Launch Service Contractors to ensure spacecraft and mission requirements were met. Performed Contractor evaluations at the completion of the contract effort.
• Actively managed mission specific analyses within the following engineering disciplines: navigation, guidance, and control of launch vehicle elements and spacecraft; launch vehicle loads and dynamic environments; thermal and aerodynamic environments, electromagnetic environments, mechanical and electrical systems of launch vehicle to spacecraft interfaces and separation systems; communications between ground and flight systems, contamination control and planetary protection; launch vehicle fairing air environment.
• Coordinated with NASA Launch Site Integration Managers to ensure spacecraft customer needs were met at the launch site, including insight/oversight of sub-contractors and vendors to ensure contract requirements were adequately satisfied.
• Lead project manager for several LSP Special Studies designed to infuse new technology through collaboration between NASA centers, academia, and industry. Relevant research includes De-Orbit Drag Device (D3) for demise of small spacecraft. US Patent 11,267,589 B2.
• Provided technical leadership for crafting LSP policy and systems engineering approach to implement ELaNa CubeSats on variety of rockets.
Lead Ground Support Equipment Engineer
NASA Launch Services Program
Nov 2004 - Jun 2007Responsible for oversight of Atlas V and Delta II launch complex mechanical systems in the NASA Launch Services Program. Responsibilities included:
• Assessed ground operations and maintenance during launch vehicle system processing for flight, requiring in-depth, diversified expertise of launch vehicle design and operation.
• Launch support activities included vehicle roll-out to launch pad, GO/NOGO decisions for flight readiness of Mechanical GSE systems to the NASA Chief Engineer.
• Managed NASA Launch Complex certification activities for the Atlas V launch vehicle.
• Areas of insight and oversight activities included: rocket liquid propulsion systems (cryogenic and gaseous hydrogen, oxygen, RP1, hypergolic), pressurization systems (helium, nitrogen), water deluge sound suppression systems, umbilical and boom connections, launch vehicle and spacecraft environmental control systems.
Space Shuttle Orbiter Main Propulsion Systems Engineer
Design, development, qualification, manufacturing, processing, and post-flight data analysis of orbiter main propulsion system hardware.
• Design and Operations Engineer for all space shuttle orbiter Main Propulsion System cryogenic liquid propulsion systems (ground and flight hardware).
• Actively participated in space shuttle orbiter checkout, propellant loading, and launch/landing of 90 space shuttle missions.
• Served as technical leader for the development and implementation of several research and technology development projects: Smart Valve Technology (University of Florida, Dr. Norman Fitz-Coy); knowledge based expert systems to diagnose complex flow systems; flight demonstration of a device to measure propellant line vacuum insulation.
• Duties included propellant loading test operations and readiness-for-flight decisions.