Stephen Armstrong

Background

About Stephen Armstrong

I lead engineering efforts at Continuum Space Systems, a Space as a Service SAAS start up. In my previous role as a Space Systems Engineer at Planet Labs, I supported daily operations of the SkySat fleet. My responsibilities included, anomaly investigation and recovery; satellite commissioning and maintenance; procedure, script and policy development; and on-call anomaly response. My major accomplishments included: program management of payload commissioning for SkySats C6-C11, and leadership of a space weather team. As payload commissioning program manager, I organized a large multi-team effort involving coordination of efforts by: satellite operations; image tasking; image processing; camera and image chain calibration; and image quality control teams. I have negotiated process agreements between group directors with strong and differing opinions. As space weather team lead, I developed a solar storm response procedure; set up and maintained alerting for the Dove satellite fleet; negotiated 24 hour solar weather coverage involving a multinational team; and developed a tool for alerting on predicted solar weather events. Before this role, I was a satellite controller with the SkySat fleet of earth imaging satellites at Planet. I often worked as shift lead at which times, I was responsible for all operations in our mission operation center. These include: maintenance activities, commissioning activities; anomaly response; and continued imaging. I also developed software and procedures to improve the operating efficiency of our fleet. Before Terra Bella (previously Skybox Imaging) was acquired by Planet, I worked in this same role for one year for Adecco Staffing as a contractor at Terra Bella (a branch of Google). For three years before becoming a satellite controller, I was a patent examiner at the US Patent and Trademark Office. I examined patent applications about magnetic angle and proximity sensors; capacitive and inductive sensors including capacitive touch sensors; and test methods and test fixtures for RF, millimeter-wave and microwave devices.