Robert P. Mueller, MBA, MSSE

Robert P. Mueller, MBA, MSSE is Human Robotic Systems Technology Development Lead at NASA, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
 
Rob is a Senior Technologist in the Surface Systems Office at Kennedy Space Center and the Lunar Destination Co-Lead on the NASA Human Spaceflight Architecture Team (HAT). Technical expertise includes Mechanical Systems Design, In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), Lunar Outpost Construction, Surface Operations, Conceptual Systems Design, and Mission Architecture Design. He has worked on the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, X-33, Atlas V, Orbital Space Plane, 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicles, Mars Exploration Studies, and Lunar Exploration programs. More recently, he has been leading the development of technologies required for Lunar Surface Systems including developing the specifics of Lunar Regolith Excavation and other Surface Support Equipment. He has worked for NASA at Johnson Space Center, the Jet Propulsion Lab, and Kennedy Space Center.
 
Rob graduated from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in June of 1988. Three days later he was working for Bertram Yacht, Inc. off the Miami River, designing mechanical parts for Sport Fishing yachts of fiberglass construction. That was fun, but when he heard that NASA was hiring at the Cape — it was an easy choice. He left the boating industry and went to work on the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) as a Mechanical Systems Engineer. This was during the “return to flight” days after the Challenger accident, and it was an exciting area to work in as he worked hard to implement the “fix” on the Redesigned SRBs.
 
Four years later he transferred to his present job, still at Kennedy Space Center. During that time he also earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida. He has been involved in several test and design programs on complex equipment involving people and companies all over the United States and the world and is looking forward to the continuing challenges.
 
Rob coauthored Dust Tolerant EVA-Compatible Connectors and 2011 NASA Lunabotics Mining Competition for Universities: Results and Lessons Learned.
 
He earned his BSME in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Miami in 1988. He earned his MBA in Business Administration at the Florida Institute of Technology in 1994. He earned his MSSE in Space Systems Engineering at Technische Universiteit Delft in 2006.
 
Read his LinkedIn profile.