Dr. Joel B. Mozer, a Senior Level Executive, is the United States Space Force Director of Science, Technology and Research, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He serves as the central lead for all science and technology matters for an organization that comprises approximately 11,000 space professionals worldwide and manages a global network of satellite command and control, communications, missile warning and launch facilities. In this role, he develops long-term military requirements for the Space Force and interacts with other principals, operational commanders, combatant commands, acquisition, and international communities to address cross-organizational science and technical issues and solutions. Dr. Mozer represents U.S. Space Force science and technology on decisions, high-level planning, and policy, building coalitions and alliances throughout the U.S. government, industry, academia, the international community, and other scientific and technology organizations.
Dr. Mozer entered government service in 1992 with the U.S. Air Force. Prior to this assignment, he was Chief Space Experimentalist of the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicle Directorate, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. In that role, he was responsible for managing AFRL’s $40 million-per-year investment in research and development related to the development of experimental satellites and payloads and conducted a team of 100 engineers and scientists at Kirtland and Holloman AFB, N.M. — all working to develop cost effective ways to assemble, integrate, test and fly novel spacecraft and systems and to demonstrate new concepts for Defense Department systems and missions. His area of specialization relates to space control and remote sensing — understanding the natural and man-made space environment and developing forecast tools for warfighters, theater battle commanders and other decision-makers to mitigate risks.
Dr. Mozer has more than 30 years of space science, engineering, management, and financial experience working space and ground systems for the DoD. In addition to the Integrated Experiments Division, he served as Chief of the Battlespace Environment Division and led the laboratory’s Space Weather Center of Excellence and was a scientist at the National Solar Observatory at Sacramento Peak. Before arriving to AFRL, Dr. Mozer worked at the Air Force’s Radar Attenuation and Scattering facility at Holloman AFB, N.M. where he developed measurement and analysis techniques to study the radar cross section of low-observable aircraft and technology. Prior to that, he worked for the Army’s Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory where he developed techniques to quantify the effects of natural and man-made battlefield obscurants on electro-optical sensors.
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Science, Physics, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces
1990 Master of Science, Atmospheric Science, University of Arizona, Tucson
1992 Doctorate of Philosophy, Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson
2008 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. 1985–1989, Scientist, Army Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. 1989–1992, Data Scientist, Radar Attenuation and Scattering, Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.
3. 1992–2001, Principal Scientist, Air Force Research Laboratory Geophysics Directorate, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
4. 2001–2006, Senior Solar Astronomer, Sunspot, N.M.
5. 2006–2011, Chief, Space Weather Center of Excellence, AFRL, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
6. 2011–2013, Chief, Battlespace Environment Division, AFRL, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
7. 2013–2016, Chief, Integrated Experiments Division, AFRL, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
8. 2016–2018, Chief Experimentalist, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
9. 2018–2019, Chief Scientist of Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
10. 2019–present, Director, Science, Technology and Research, U.S. Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Senior member, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Senior member, American Geophysical Union
Senior member, American Meteorological Society
(Current as of February 2022)