Bio
Colonel Sauter is the Permanent Professor and Head of the Department of Astronautics, United States Air Force Academy. He commands the Department of Astronautics with final responsibility for curriculum, personnel, research, budget, long-range planning, faculty development, and cadet instruction. The Department of Astronautics helps produce the finest Air and Space Force officers in the world who live our core values and understand space. He supervises 35 Air Force officers, NCOs, civilians and support contractors offering 19 college-level courses annually to educate over 1,300 cadets in Astronautics and Space Operations. He also manages a dynamic $6.0M+ research program funded by Air Force Space Command, AFRL, and other DoD organizations.
Colonel Sauter graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 2002 as a Distinguished Graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Astronautical Engineering. He earned his Master’s from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2004. Col Sauter later earned his PhD in 2012 from the University of Surrey, UK. He has served assignments with the Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate, and the National Reconnaissance Office, as a program manager and as a Legislative Liaison prior to his current assignment with the Department of Astronautics at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Col Sauter transferred in 2022 becoming the first Space Force Permanent Professor.
Colonel Sauter is a senior member of American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics, System Engineering Board member at USAFA, Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Gamma Tau engineering honor societies member, and holds Acquisition Professional Development Program certifications.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy degree in Electrical Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom (2012)
Air Command and Staff College, Residence & Correspondence (2012)
Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama – Distinguished Graduate (2007)
Master of Science degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2004)
Bachelor of Science degree in Astronautical Engineering, United States Air Force Academy – Distinguished Graduate (2002)
Professional Experience
Dec 2018 – Present, Permanent Professor and Head, Department of Astronautics, Headquarters United States Air Force Academy, Colorado
Jun 2017 – Jul 2018, Assistant Professor of Astronautics, Department of Astronautics, Headquarters United States Air Force Academy, Colorado
Sep 2012 – Jun 2017, Advance Payloads Branch Chief & Legislative Liaison, Imagery Intelligence Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Virginia
Sep 2009 – Sep 2012, PhD Student, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
Jun 2007 – Sep 2009, Assistant Professor of Astronautics, Department of Astronautics, Headquarters United States Air Force Academy, Colorado
Jun 2004 – Jun 2007, Space Superiority Office Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
Jul 2002 – Jun 2004, Graduate Student, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Honors & Awards
DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Award, Two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Training Ribbon
AWARDS
U.S. Air Force Academy Outstanding Academy Educator Award, 2018
William F. Clements Award, Department of Astronautics, USAFA, 2018
National Reconnaissance Office Medal of Superior Performance, Silver Medal, 2017
FGO Instructor of the Quarter, Department of Astronautics, USAFA, 2017
Intelligence Community Major System Acquisition Team Award, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 2016
Nominated by the Air Force twice to compete for an astronaut position with NASA, 2016 and 2008
Selected Below-the-Zone for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, and Schools select, 2015
Team of the Year 2015, National Reconnaissance Office
Team of the Quarter 2014 and 2015, National Reconnaissance Office
Team of the Year directorate winner for 2013, National Reconnaissance Office
Selected as a Schools Select with promotion to Major, 2011
Dean of Faculty Team of the Quarter, FalconLAUNCH, 2009
John P. Wittry Award for Top Instructor of Engineering Design 2009
Arthur S. Flemming Award 2008, Air Force Winner and National Finalist, Engineering Excellence in Applied Science, Engineering and Mathematics
Roger R. Bate Award for the Outstanding First Year Instructor of Astronautics 2008
Top Instructor, Department of Astronautics, USAFA, 3x, 2007-09
Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Fellowship at MIT – 2002 to 2004
Research and Scholarly Interests
Astrodynamics
Rendezvous and Proximity Operations
Modern Control and Optimization
Rocket Propulsion
Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics and Control
Small Spacecraft systems.
Publications
Book Contributions
- Contributing author of, “Small Satellites: Past, Present, and Future,” Chapter 7: The United States Air Force Academy FalconSAT Small Satellite Program, AIAA, Jan 2009
Referred Journal Contributions
- Primary author of “Analytic Model Predictive Controller for Collision-Free Relative Motion Reconfiguration,” AIAA Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, July-August 2012
- Primary author of ” Onboard Semianalytic Approach to Collision-Free Formation Reconfiguration,” IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electrical Systems, July 2012
- Primary author of “Path Planning for Fuel-Optimal planning and Collision-Free Formation Flying Trajectories,” Microelectronics Reliability, 2011
- Contributing author of “Formation Deployment and Separation Simulation of Multisatellite Scenarios using SatLauncher,” Microelectronics Reliability, 2011
- Primary author of “An Improved Kalman Filter for Satellite Orbit Predictions,” Journal of Astronautical Sciences, July-Sep 2005
- Contributing author of “Simulating and evaluating regolith propagation effects during drilling in low gravity environments” Advances in Computational Design, and International Journal, Volume 4 number 2, April 2019
Conference Contributions
- Contributing author of “Reaction Wheel Energy Storage in a Small Satellite,” Accepted for poster presentation at AAS Guidance Navigation and Control Conference, Breckenridge, CO 2018
- Primary author of “Path Planning for Fuel-Optimal Collision-Free Formation Flying Trajectories,” IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, 2011
- Primary author of “Finite Element Approach with Analytic Enhancement for Onboard Fuel-Optimal Collision-Free Formation Reconfiguration,” 8th International ESA Conference on Guidance, Navigation, and Control Systems, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, June 2011
- Contributing author of, Aeroelastic Analysis and Optimization of FalconLAUNCH Sounding Rocket Fins,” 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, 2009
- Presented classified paper at the AMOS Conference, Maui, HI, 2006
- Presented classified paper at the MIT/LL Space Control Conference, 2005
- Primary author of AAS 04-295, “Constellation Design for Mid-Course Ballistic Missile Intercept,” AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Conference February, Maui, HI, 2004
- Primary author of student paper, “Improving on the Extended Kalman Filter”; Presented at the Space Grant Conference, Boulder, CO, April 2002
- Primary author of AIAA-2001-4776, “Mars Surface Direct Communications”; Research completed at JPL; Presented at the AIAA Space Conference and Exposition, Albuquerque, NM, 2001
- Primary author of AIAA-2001-4774, “Learning Space by Doing Space—The USAF Academy's FalconSAT Program”; Presented at the AIAA Space Conference and Exposition, Albuquerque, NM, 2001
- Primary author of IEEE-510, “Bounding the Problem: Microsatellite Design Using Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Architecture”; Presented at the IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, March 2001
Other Contributions
- Primary author of “Collision-free Optimal Reconfiguration of Small Satellites in Relative Motion,” University of Surrey, PhD Dissertation, August 2012.
- Primary author of “Optimal Satellite Constellation Design for Mid-Course Ballistic Missile Intercept,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Master’s Thesis, June 2004.