George Raiche

Dr. George Raiche is Associate Director of the Exploration Technology Directorate at NASA Ames. His responsibilities include the development, operation, and application of high energy infrastructure for spacecraft thermal protection system testing, and the development of infrastructure management strategies to sustain these critical capabilities for the long term. The former chief of the Thermophysics Facilities Branch at Ames, he managed operations and maintenance of several infrastructure-intensive high energy facilities including the NASA Arc Jet Complex, Ballistic Range, and Electric Arc Shock Tube.

George holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Dartmouth College and began his NASA career in 1998 as a research scientist in aerothermodynamics. Before becoming a branch chief, he worked on advanced optical diagnostics and aspects of TPS testing for several spaceflight projects including Space Shuttle, Mars Science Lander, and Orion. He was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Medal in 2011 for his leadership on infrastructure planning for arc jet capability.