Dr. Harold Sonny White

Dr. White has accumulated over 19 years of experience working in the aerospace industry with Boeing,
Lockheed Martin, NASA, and now with the Limitless Space Institute.
He currently serves as the Director of Advanced Research and Development at LSI. In this role, he leads
all research and development work for LSI, establishes priorities and recommendations for investigations
and expenditures. Dr. White obtains grants and other resources in support of R&D efforts, markets LSI to
major benefactors to increase resources and related R&D efforts, and conducts, arranges, and schedules
events and ensures appropriately related well-known individuals are involved.
NASA Experience
Formerly at NASA, Dr. White served as the Advanced Propulsion Theme Lead for the NASA
Engineering Directorate and was the JSC representative to the Nuclear Systems Working Group. In his
role, Dr. White served to help the Agency incorporate high TRL advanced power and propulsion
technologies into near and mid-term human exploration architectures. He also pursued theoretical and
laboratory research on developing lower TRL advanced propulsion and power technologies in the
advanced propulsion physics laboratory known as Eagleworks that is located at the Johnson Space Center.
Over the past 19 years, Dr. White has worked with members of academia, industry, and government to
further grow this area of research resulting in many published papers, presentations, development and
study of physics models, engineering tools, and the implementation and execution of multiple high
fidelity experimental efforts.
Dr. White has been recognized many times over the span of his career for his excellent work ethic,
exceptional technical skills, abilities as a project manager, and dedication to the pursuit of human space
flight. While serving as the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System Manager during Return to Flight, he was
awarded the NASA Medal For Excellence in Achievement by the Administrator for his role in getting the
Thermal Protection System robotic inspection tools built, delivered and certified to support the STS-114
mission. He was recognized by the crew office with a Silver Snoopy Award for his unwavering
commitment to safety and mission success demonstrated by his actions in the discovery and disposition of
critical damage to the robotic arm prior to the STS-121 mission. He has also received the Spaceflight
Awareness Honoree award for the STS-122 mission, one of the highest, most prestigious awards available
to employees of NASA.