Robert Lightfoot

Robert Lightfoot is the current Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for Space at Lockheed Martin. Robert has also served as President of LSINC from May of 2018 to May of 2019, and as Deputy Center Director at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center from October of 2005 to August of 2009. From August of 2009 to May of 2018, Lightfoot served as Associate Administrator for NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration. In this role, they were responsible for developing Agency strategic direction, budget planning and daily execution of NASA’s $19.3 billion annual budget. Robert also oversaw 5 mission areas and 10 geographically dispersed field centers.

Some key accomplishments during their time at NASA include developing a new operating model for integrating Agency long term mission area plans, securing full funding for NASA’s commercial space program, life extension of the International Space Station, the adoption of a budget initiative to develop next generation “X-planes”, and groundbreaking science missions to other planets such as Jupiter and Mars. Robert also instituted an Enterprise Risk Management integrated risk environment and shifted NASA’s Acquisition Strategy approach to optimize around corporate level strategy.

Under their leadership, NASA was named the best place to work in government for 5 years in a row.

Their manager is Timothy Cahill, SVP, Global Business Development. Some of their coworkers include Ken Kota - VP, Strategy & Business Development - Missiles & Fire Control (MFC), Mike Smith - VP, Strategic Planning, and Doug Laurendeau - VP, Strategy & Business Development - Rotary & Mission Systems (RMS).