Pete Michalakos

About Pete Michalakos

I build things that have to work in the most unforgiving environments on earth — and above it. My technical work spans thermal protection systems for orbital launch vehicles, hypersonic platform development, life support for tactical fighters and the International Space Station, advanced materials, and defense programs including return-to-flight of the F-22 fleet. I hold a PhD in chemical engineering from Northwestern and over 30 patented inventions worldwide. I\'ve built and led high-performing engineering organizations across Blue Origin and Honeywell — from standing up new programs and facilities from scratch to mentoring teams that have earned corporate-wide recognition for technical excellence and innovation. On the business side, I\'ve secured competitive government funding, managed large advanced technology portfolios, and driven programs from pursuit through execution and delivery — including earned value management, customer interface, and strategic roadmapping at the enterprise level. What drives me is technically ambitious work at real scale — programs where the science is hard, the stakes are high, and the team has to be exceptional to succeed. If you\'re working on something like that, let\'s connect!

Experience

1. Director, Thermal Protection Systems

   Blue Origin

   Jan 2022 — Present

   Led TPS engineering and program management for the reusable upper stage of New Glenn, with the goal of reducing the cost of access to space by making the vehicle fully reusable. Responsible for technical strategy, design authority, and cross-functional execution.Built the enterprise team from scratch, directed the stand-up of a new production facility now producing flight hardware, and executed hardware-rich testing programs at NASA and external test sites. Advanced the program through PDR. Authored the technical strategy for reusable upper stage TPS, securing executive approval and architecting a multi-center NASA collaboration at Ames and Langley to accelerate materials development.Resolved 25+ critical non-conformances through data-driven dispositions, preventing costly rework and schedule impacts. Served as technical evaluator on corporate-wide review committees for Lunar Lander, Reusable Fairing, and Zero Boil-Off CryoRing programs.

Education

• Northwestern University

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Chemical Engineering

• University of Illinois Chicago

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Chemical Engineering