Each year, the American Astronautical Society and aerospace industry reach new heights with the multitude of inspiring achievements taking place every day. As we excel in advancing all space, AAS recognizes the individuals that make significant contributions to our society and to the greater space community with the AAS Fellow distinction. Our honored Fellows are impressive leaders who motivate their networks into furthering our developments in space exploration. We are delighted to announce and honor our chosen AAS Fellows for 2025: Ossama Abdelkhalik, Tim Crain, Belinda Marchand, Jay McMahon, Shane Ross, and Jim Woodburn.
Ossama Abdelkhalik
Dr. Ossama Abdelkhalik, a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University, is recognized for outstanding contributions to astrodynamics and trajectory design, including the development of efficient optimization methods and algorithms, distinguished service to the American Astronautical Society through publications and conference leadership, and exceptional mentorship of future aerospace engineers.
Tim Crain
Dr. Tim Crain, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Intuitive Machines, is recognized for significant technical contributions to onboard navigation, hazard detection and avoidance for autonomous landers, and for leading the first ever successful moon landing mission by a private commercial entity. He is also a major contributor to AAS, both through participation at AAS led conferences, and through leadership for technical committees and conference organizational matters.
Belinda Marchand
Dr. Belinda Marchand, the Chief Science Officer at Slingshot Aerosapce, is recognized for significant contributions to space domain awareness and artificial intelligence powered space operations, as well as contributions in AAS technical committee leadership, and regularly presenting research results at AAS led conferences.
Jay McMahon
Dr. Jay McMahon, an associate professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, is recognized for advancing autonomous guidance and navigation technology in support of deep space exploration, for excellence in educating the next generation of aerospace engineers, and for holding numerous leadership roles within the AAS technical conferences.
Shane Ross
Dr. Shane Ross, a professor of Aerospace & Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech, is recognized for pioneering contributions to multi-body orbital dynamics and space mission design, for transformative educational outreach, and for influential contributions to the American Astronautical Society through leadership, scholarship, and mentorship.
James Woodburn
Dr. James Woodburn, Chief Orbital Scientist at Ansys Government Initiatives (AGI), is recognized for outstanding technical leadership and sustained service to the astronautics community, particularly in advancing the science and practice of spaceflight mechanics, orbit determination, and mission analysis, and for his mentorship, collaboration, and enduring contributions to national and international efforts that strengthen the practice and impact of astronautics. Dr. Woodburn is also recognized for being one of the Society’s most respected and effective contributors, through leadership, dedication, and professional integrity.
AAS congratulates and thanks all of our new AAS Fellows for their exemplary service to the Society and the space industry. They will be recognized at future AAS events.