Dr. Rudy Opperman joined Momentus, a U.S. space company offering infrastructure and transportation services, in May 2021 and currently leads the company’s Systems Engineering and Configuration Management Department. He also serves as Lead Space Vehicle Systems Engineer and Mission Manager for the Vigoride-7 mission, launched in March 2026, and leads the company’s robotics and Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) development initiatives. Dr. Opperman brings more than 17 years of flight project experience to his role. Before joining Momentus, he worked at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a Fault Protection Systems Engineer, contributing to the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, Psyche, and Mars InSight Lander missions. Earlier in his career, Dr. Opperman worked at Aurora Flight Sciences, where he designed, built, tested, and supported the deployment of multiple pressurized satellite payloads operating aboard the International Space Station in Low Earth Orbit. His research and professional interests span systems engineering, orbital debris mitigation, space policy, human spaceflight physiology, space hardware mechanical design, sensor fusion and control, and, most recently, robotic space exploration and rendezvous technologies. Dr. Opperman holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, dual master’s degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics and Technology and Policy, and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Systems Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).