Bio
Lt Col Wyatt Harris is Assistant Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Astronautics, U.S. Air Force Academy. In this role, he serves as the principal assistant to the department head for a 22-member academic department, supervising civilian faculty and managing budget, resources, and academic programs. He directs and teaches courses in astronautics and space systems engineering, advises cadets, and mentors undergraduate research. He also leads capstone design teams and serves as an instructor pilot in the T-53A for the Academy’s Powered Flight Program.
Lt Col Harris graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 2009 as a Distinguished Graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering. He earned a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University and later a Doctor of Philosophy in Astronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. His career includes operational, test, and academic assignments, with experience as an MQ-9 instructor pilot, MC-12W aircraft commander, and developmental flight test pilot. He has served in leadership roles at the squadron and group level. Lt Col Harris is a senior pilot and has accumulated more than 1,400 combat hours supporting overseas contingency operations.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy, Astronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio (2021)
Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence (2021)
Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. (2016)
Master of Science, Rice University, Houston, Texas (2011)
Bachelor of Science, Astronautical Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. (2009)
Professional Experience
Deputy Head, Assistant Professor, and T-53A Instructor Pilot, Department of Astronautics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. (September 2024 – Present)
Deputy Commander and C-12J pilot, 704th Test Group, Holloman AFB, N.M. (June 2024 – September 2024)
Director of Operations and C-12J pilot, 746th Test Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M. (June 2023 – June 2024)
Director of Staff and MQ-9 Instructor Pilot, 49th Operations Group, Holloman AFB, N.M. (May 2022 – June 2023)
Assistant Director of Operations and MQ-9 Instructor Pilot, 9th Attack Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M. (September 2021 – May 2022)
Ph.D. Candidate, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (August 2018 – September 2021)
Director of Training and MQ-9 Instructor Pilot, 732d Operations Group, Creech AFB, Nev. (April 2017 – August 2018)
Flight Commander and MQ-9 Instructor Pilot, 867th Attack Squadron, Creech AFB, Nev. (May 2015 – April 2017)
Director of Staff and MC-12W Aircraft Commander, 427th Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif. (September 2012 – April 2015)
Student Pilot, Euro-North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas (June 2011 – September 2012)
Master’s Student, Rice University, Houston, Texas (June 2009 – August 2009)
Honors & Awards
John P. Wittry Award for Outstanding Instructor in Engineering Design
Roger R. Bate Award for Outstanding First Year Instructor
Arnold Engineering and Development Complex Technical Achievement Award
432d Wg Flight Commander of the Year
Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School
Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force Academy
Research and Scholarly Interests
Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) for spacecraft and rockets
Spacecraft Rendezvous and Proximity Operations
Computer vision for navigation
Mechatronics and embedded systems
Digital manufacturing
Solid rocket propulsion
Publications
Harris, Wyatt J. “Visual Navigation and Control for Spacecraft Proximity Operations with Unknown Targets.” 2021, Air Force Institute of Technology, PhD Dissertation.
Harris, Wyatt J., Richard Cobb, Clark Taylor, and Costantinos Zagaris. “Visual Servoing for Spacecraft Proximity Operations with Unknown Targets.” Journal of DoD Research and Engineering, 2021.
Harris, Wyatt J., Richard Cobb, and Costantinos Zagaris. “Visual Servoing Using Predominant Surface Normals for Spacecraft Final Approach.” In 2020 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, pages 4067–4084, Lake Tahoe, CA, 2020.
Harris, Wyatt J., Richard G. Cobb, and Clark N. Taylor. “Visual Servoing for Final Approach Phase of Spacecraft Proximity Operations with Unknown Targets.” 2020 IEEE/ION Position, Location and Navigation Symposium (PLANS). 2020.
Harris, Wyatt, et al. “Development of GNC for Optimal Relative Spacecraft Trajectories.” 2020 IEEE/ION Position, Location and Navigation Symposium (PLANS). 2020.