The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) has a need for seasoned acquisition professionals who can make critical decisions affecting the space and launch technologies they are tasked to develop. Unfortunately, only a fraction of officers at SMC have degrees in technical fields, and very few of the junior officers have first-hand knowledge of the steps and pitfalls related to spacecraft design or launch. Among these efforts is the Space Engineering Academy (SEA). Since 2008, eight U.S. Air Force officers have completed SEA, gaining hands-on experience developing space hardware while earning Master's Degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The officers participate in and lead teams that cover many aspects of spacecraft development including design, assembly, integration, test, and operation. After receiving their master's degrees, the officers are assigned to SMC to technical leadership positions. This paper will describe the SEA program and its successes to date.
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