Mark J. Mueller is a Technical Fellow in the Engineering and Technology Group of The Aerospace Corporation, where he applies his technical depth and experience working on propulsion units and systems to assist the government’s national security space interests.

Mr. Mueller holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Aeronautical and Astronautical (now Aerospace) Engineering, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

Mr. Mueller’s career at Aerospace has spanned over 30 years, starting within the Propulsion Department in 1991 with increasing job levels and responsibilities until becoming a Technical Fellow in 2022 and reporting at the subdivision level. He has worked on over 40 different propulsion systems for satellites, launch vehicles, and missile systems for the United States Air Force (now Space Force), Department of Defense, NASA, and commercial programs. His work includes performance analyses and system engineering for source selection, component operation, manufacturing and integration processes, and advanced propulsion technologies for all U.S. national security satellite propulsion systems and, occasionally, for launch and missile systems. He has also provided support during ground and on-orbit operations including component testing, spacecraft propellant servicing, satellite early-orbit test and operations, as well as satellite end of life estimations. He has consulted on commercial projects including component anomaly investigations and a source selection for a European commercial direct-broadcast communications satellite. Mr. Mueller’s expertise has been utilized for inputs to an International Standards Organization specification on estimating the mass of remaining usable propellant (ISO WD 23339) and as an expert witness in two contract disputes involving on-orbit anomalies. He has authored sections of handbook and standards documents related to propulsion system usage. He continues to participate in independent reviews and assessments for NASA and United States national security satellites. Mr. Mueller’s primary technical focus has been and remains conducting anomaly investigations and, if possible, providing guidance on how to avoid repeating those issues. 

Mr. Mueller was co-chair of two Aerospace-sponsored workshops on pyrotechnic valves, a former member of the AIAA Electric Propulsion Technical Committee (1996 – 2003), and vice chairman of the AIAA Liquid Propellant Committee on Standards (1999 – 2003). He is currently an AIAA Associate Fellow. He has been a member of the JANNAF Spacecraft Propulsion Subcommittee Technical Steering Group since 2005 and he has been a member of the NASA Engineering Safety Council Propulsion Technical Discipline Team since 2017. Mr. Mueller is a mentor and occasional instructor for internal Aerospace courses related to propulsion.