Dr. William Ailor has recently retired from the Aerospace Corporation. He was for many years director of the Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies (CORDS) Vehicle Systems Division, Engineering and Technology Group. He assumed this position when CORDS was formed in June, 1997 and continued in this position for many years. In this role, he was responsible for directing the corporation’s research in the areas of space debris, collision avoidance, and breakup of reentering objects. He has also served as principal director of the Network Systems and Services Subdivision and led the evolution of Aerospace’s email and network services. He helped develop Aerospace’s first corporate strategic plan; he also developed the strategic plan for The Aerospace Institute. He also worked in the new business area, where he led negotiations leading to the corporation’s first major international contract.
Ailor established and led the Space Hazards and Operations Support Directorate to prototype new capabilities for providing space situational awareness information to satellite operators. He is leading the development of the reentry breakup recorder, a small device that gathers data critical to understanding and minimizing hazards associated with reentering space hardware.
Ailor has testified before Congress, regularly appears on local and national news programs and educational channels, and is interviewed for newspapers and magazines regarding his expertise in orbital and reentry hazards.
Ailor’s educational Background includes a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, both at the North Carolina State University. He earned his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering at Purdue University.
Ailor is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics, an associate member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a fellow of the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety, and a member and chair of the Reentry and Space Debris Working Group.. Honors and Awards Ailor has received the NASA Group Achievement Award three times. He has served on numerous panels, including on the Interagency Nuclear Safety Review Panels for the Galileo, Ulysses, Cassini, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Exploration Rover, and Mars Science Laboratory missions. He has also served as chair or co-chair for eight international conferences, including four on planetary defense