David Y. Oh
{{Short description|American spacecraft systems engineer}}
{{Infobox scientist
| honorific_prefix =
| name = David Y. Oh
| honorific_suffix = Sc.D.
| image = David-oh.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| fields = Aerospace engineering;
Systems engineering;
Electric propulsion
| workplaces = Jet Propulsion Laboratory;
Space Systems Loral
| education = Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sc.D. Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1997; M.S. Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1993; B.S. Aeronautics and Astronautics, B.S. Music, 1991); Indian Springs School (High school diploma, 1987)
| thesis_title = Computational modeling of expanding plasma plumes in space using a PIC-DSMC algorithm
| thesis_url = https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/10756
| thesis_year = 1997
| doctoral_advisor = Daniel E. Hastings
| known_for = Psyche (spacecraft);
Living on Mars time;
Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity rover)
| influences =
| influenced =
| awards =
| spouse = Bryn Oh
| children =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
David Y. Oh is an American spacecraft systems engineer and expert in electric propulsion. Dr. Oh currently works at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) as the NASA Psyche mission chief engineer. Prior to this role he served as the Project Systems Engineering Manager for Psyche. He was also the cross-cutting phase lead and lead flight director for the NASA Mars Science Laboratory mission (Curiosity Mars rover) and was recognized in popular media for living on Mars time with his family during the month following the landing of the Curiosity rover.
Early life and education
David Oh was raised in Birmingham, Alabama and graduated from Indian Springs School in 1987.{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiansprings.org/notable-alumni|title=Indian Springs Notable Alumni|publisher=Indian Springs School}}
He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he earned Bachelors of Science degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics (1991) and in Humanities, Music (1991).{{Cite web|url=https://eapsweb.mit.edu/exploring-red-planets-and-metal-worlds-how-jpl-turns-dreams-reality|title=MIT EAPS Exploring Red Planets and Metal Worlds: How JPL Turns Dreams into Reality|publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences}} He went on to earn both a master's degree (1993) and a Doctor of Science degree (1997) in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT.{{Cite web|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2013/01/02/17543/destination-mars/|title=MIT Technology Review Destination: Mars|publisher=MIT Technology Review}} For his doctoral thesis, Dr. Oh developed the first Particle-In-Cell Direct Simulation Monte-Carlo (PIC-DSMC) model to simulate the plasma plume ejected by a Hall-effect thruster.{{Cite thesis|url=https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/10756|title=Computational modeling of expanding plasma plumes in space using a PIC-DSMC algorithm|year=1996 |publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics|hdl=1721.1/10756 |type=Thesis }}
He married his wife, Bryn, in 1995. They have three children: Braden, Ashlyn, and Devyn.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Family/Modern-Parenthood/2012/0820/Mars-time-One-family-lives-by-the-Martian-clock|title=Mars time: One family lives by the Martian clock|journal=The Christian Science Monitor|date=20 August 2012 }}
Career
From 1996 to 2003, Oh worked for Space Systems/Loral (SS/L). He served as an electrical systems engineer on commercial communications satellite programs including IPSTAR, Europe*star, and Multi-Media Asia.{{Cite web|url=https://eapsweb.mit.edu/exploring-red-planets-and-metal-worlds-how-jpl-turns-dreams-reality|title=MIT EAPS Exploring Red Planets and Metal Worlds: How JPL Turns Dreams into Reality|publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences}} While at SS/L, Oh led the systems engineering efforts for both the SPT-100 and SPT-140 Hall effect thrusters, pioneering the adoption of Hall thrusters in commercial satellites by being the first to show analytically that Hall thrusters offer optimum specific impulse for chemical-electric orbit raising to geostationary orbit.{{Cite journal|url=https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/1.13096|title=End-to-End Optimization of Chemical-Electric Orbit-Raising Missions|year=2004 |publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|doi=10.2514/1.13096 |last1=Oh |first1=David Y. |last2=Randolph |first2=Thomas |last3=Kimbrel |first3=Scott |last4=Martinez-Sanchez |first4=Manuel |journal=Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets |volume=41 |issue=5 |pages=831–839 |bibcode=2004JSpRo..41..831O }}{{Cite journal|url=http://electricrocket.org/IEPC/IEPC-2007-018.pdf|doi=10.2514/1.13096|bibcode=2004JSpRo..41..831O |last1=Oh |first1=David Y. |last2=Randolph |first2=Thomas |last3=Kimbrel |first3=Scott |last4=Martinez-Sanchez |first4=Manuel |title=End-to-End Optimization of Chemical-Electric Orbit-Raising Missions |journal=Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets |year=2004 |volume=41 |issue=5 |pages=831–839 }}
In 2003, Oh moved to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In JPL's Deep Space Mission Architectures Group he was the lead systems engineer for the GRAIL step 1 Discovery proposal and the ST9 Aerocapture{{Cite journal|url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20060047563|title=Overview of a Proposed Flight Validation of Aerocapture System Technology for Planetary Missions|date=January 2006 |publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|journal=42nd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit}} Phase A study for the New Millennium Program. GRAIL went on to become a flight project in NASA's Discovery Program.
In 2006, Oh joined the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity Rover) team. As the cross-cutting comain lead he led two multidisciplinary teams through the design, testing, and delivery of the core avionics, thermal, and communications systems flying on MSL.{{Cite web|url=https://sa2018.siggraph.org/en/attendees/keynotes/session/1.htm|title=SIGGRAPH Asia 2018 Keynote "Exploring Red Planets and Metal Worlds: How JPL Turns Dreams into Reality"|publisher=Association for Computing Machinery SIGGRAPH}}
In 2011, Oh became MSL's Lead Flight Director.{{Cite web|url=https://sa2018.siggraph.org/en/attendees/keynotes/session/1.htm|title=SIGGRAPH Asia 2018 Keynote 'Exploring Red Planets and Metal Worlds: How JPL Turns Dreams into Reality'|publisher=Association for Computing Machinery SIGGRAPH}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/mars-science-laboratory-lead-flight-director-david-oh-news-photo/149718427|title=Getty Images Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Lead Flight Director|publisher=Getty Images}} When Curiosity landed in August 2012, Dr. Oh's wife and three school-aged children joined him when he lived on Mars time for the month following Curiosity's landing.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/08/21/159579181/jet-lagged-nasa-engineer-and-his-family-are-living-on-mars-time|title=Jet-Lagged: NASA Engineer And His Family Are Living On Mars Time|website=NPR.org |publisher=NPR Public Radio}} Their adventures garnered worldwide media attention.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0105_201208290608592567|title=한인과학자, 화성탐사 로봇 조종|date=29 August 2012 |publisher=YTN News}}
After Curiosity's early surface operations, Oh moved back into mission formulation as the Planetary Missions Portfolio Systems Engineer where he managed new mission development for JPL's Discovery and New Frontiers portfolios. Most notably, he served as Capture Lead for the mission [https://psyche.asu.edu Psyche: Journey to a Metal World], successfully leading a JPL proposal team from initial concept through NASA's Discovery program step 1. During step 2 he served the dual role of Capture Lead and Project Systems Engineer,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDLmqQXk3Zs&feature=youtu.be|title=Psyche Mission and Solar Systems Exploration - How JPL Turns Dreams into Reality - EmTech Asia 2017|publisher=EmTech Asia 2017, via YouTube}} leading his team to winning step 2 and moving Psyche from a proposed project to a flight project.
From 2017 to 2022, Oh served as the Project Systems Engineering Manager for Psyche,{{Cite web|url=https://psyche.asu.edu/mission/the-team/full-psyche-team/|title=ASU/NASA Psyche The Full Psyche Team|publisher=Arizona State University}} leading the systems engineering team and acting as Engineering Technical Authority. In 2022, Oh became Psyche's chief engineer. Psyche is currently a $900M Discovery Class deep space science exploration mission and will be the first space mission to use Hall-effect thrusters beyond lunar orbit, using two SPT-140 thrusters to explore the asteroid belt.{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7943771/footnotes#footnotes|author=P. Lord|title=2017 IEEE Aerospace Conference |chapter=Psyche: Journey to a metal world|year=2017 |pages=1–11 |publisher=2017 IEEE Aerospace Conference|doi=10.1109/AERO.2017.7943771|isbn=978-1-5090-1613-6 |s2cid=45190228 }}
Awards
In addition to receiving a variety of NASA and JPL awards, Oh received a NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2013 for the design, testing, and delivery of the core flight system functionality as the Cross-Cutting Domain Lead for MSL,{{Cite web|url=https://searchpub.nssc.nasa.gov/servlet/sm.web.Fetch/2013_Agency_Honor_Awards_Brochure.pdf?rhid=1000&did=1626944&type=released|title=2013 NASA Agency Honor Awards|publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration.}} and the Korean Economic Institute's Recognition for Outstanding Contributions to the United States and Korean American community in science and technology in 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://keia.org/news/korean-american-day-2017-honoring-korean-american-leaders-in-science-technology/|title=Korean American Day 2017: Honoring Korean American Leaders in Science & Technology|publisher=Korean Economic Institute of America}}
Patents
- US 6,332,590: Photoemission based spacecraft charging sensor{{cite patent
| country = US
| number = 6332590
| title = Photoemission based spacecraft charging sensor
| gdate = 2001-12-25
| invent1 = David Oh
| assign1 = Space Systems Loral LLC
| url = https://patents.google.com/patent/US6332590B1/en?oq=us+6%2c332%2c590
}}
- US 6,478,257: Phase change material thermal control for electric propulsion{{cite patent
| country = US
| number = 6478257
| title = Phase change material thermal control for electric propulsion
| gdate = 2002-11-12
| invent1 = David Oh
| invent2 = Lenny Low
| assign1 = Space Systems Loral LLC
| url = https://patents.google.com/patent/US6478257B1/en?oq=us+6%2c478%2c257
}}
- US 6,543,723: Electric orbit raising with variable thrust{{cite patent
| country = US
| number = 6543723
| title = Electric orbit raising with variable thrust
| gdate = 2003-04-08
| invent1 = David Oh
| assign1 = Space Systems Loral LLC
| url = https://patents.google.com/patent/US6543723B1/en?oq=6%2c543%2c723
}}
- US 6,581,880: Energy managed electric propulsion methods & systems for stationkeeping satellites{{cite patent
| country = US
| number = 6581880
| title = Energy managed electric propulsion methods and systems for stationkeeping satellites
| gdate = 2003-06-24
| invent1 = Thomas Randolph
| invent2 = David Oh
| invent3 = Fischer Guenter
| assign1 = Space Systems Loral LLC
| url = https://patents.google.com/patent/US6581880B2/en?oq=6%2c581%2c880
}}
- US 10,954,005 B1: Power train for deep space solar electric propulsion{{cite patent
| country = US
| number = 10954005
| title = Power train for deep space solar electric propulsion
| gdate = 2021-03-23
| invent1 = Peter Lord
| invent2 = Gregory Carr
| invent3 = Jorge Delgado
| invent4 = Dan Goebel, Bao Hoang, David Oh
| assign1 = Space Systems/Loral, LLC
| url = https://www.patentguru.com/US10954005B1
}}