Bill Todd | |
|---|---|
 Bill Todd in the Shuttle Simulator. | |
| Born | William Laurence Todd 1958/1959 |
| Education | Geology,University of Houston |
| Employer | Sea and Space Consultant |
| Known for | Aquanaut, NEEMO Project Director, Explorer, Public Speaker |
| Title | Project Manager for Exploration Analogs |
William Laurence Todd is a Project Manager for Exploration Analogs at NASA'sJohnson Space Center (JSC) inHouston, Texas.[1][2][3] He has also served as aNASA Undersea Research Team Project Lead and Spaceflight Training Simulation Supervisor at NASA JSC.[4][5][6] Todd is a veteran Aquanaut of 5 missions. In 2001, he commanded the first NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) mission, a joint NASA-NOAA program to study human survival in theAquariusunderwater laboratory in preparation for futurespace exploration.[7]
Todd has also spent many years helping to develop the futuristic undersea exploration vesselSeaOrbiter, which was inspired by French architectJacques Rougerie.[8]
Todd grew up watching theApollo launches from his beachfront hometown ofCocoa Beach, Florida, where his father was also employed in the space program. It was there, at a young age, that he was immersed in and captivated by bothsea andspace environments. Todd graduated from theUniversity of Houston with a degree ingeology in 1982. He has worked in severalunderwater habitats, piloted manysubmersibles, and has conducted myriad expeditions on the parallels between living and working in outer space and "inner space".[4][5][6]
Todd works as a subsea and space operations consultant as well as for Booz Allen at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, as the NEEMO, NEEMO NXT and SEATEST Project Manager.[9] As a Simulation Supervisor in Spaceflight Training, Todd was responsible for developing and executing multi-nationalsimulations used for trainingastronauts and flight control teams. He has also worked as an Operations Lead at the Mission Control Center inMoscow,Russia.[1][4][5][6]
In 2000, Todd developed the NASA Undersea Research Team "NEEMO" (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations). This program utilizes theAquarius laboratory as a research facility for space missions such as long-term space habitation. Todd served as anaquanaut on the 2000 "NASA SEATEST" mission, NASA SEATEST 3 in 2016, SEATEST 4 in 2017, and as the commander of the October 2001 NASANEEMO 1 mission.[1][4][5][7] He subsequently managed the "topside" teams for NASA missions,[5] and was the Mission Director forNEEMO 7,[10]NEEMO 8[11] andNEEMO 14.[12] As of 2016, Todd remains the project manager for NEEMO thru NEEMO 21.[13][14][15] In June 2012, Todd piloted aDeepWorker 2000submersible as part of theNEEMO 16 mission.[16]
Todd was involved in the training for many spaceflights, including the first two flights to build the International Space Station, crew training for the deployment mission of theItalian-madeTethered Satellite System and for the first flight to rendezvous with theMirSpace Station. Earlier in his career, Todd worked as aSpace Shuttle systems astronaut instructor for many missions includingSTS-31, the flight which deployed theHubble Space Telescope. Todd also led the international training activities forSTS-97/ISS 4A, which flew in November 2000.[4][6]
Todd's wife, Karen, and their two daughters, Kristen and Kari, reside inNassau Bay, Texas and Beaver Creek, Colorado. Todd is aProfessional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)Divemaster who has made over 2000 dives. He is also a submersible pilot, an instrument-ratedpilot,seaplane pilot andExplorers Club Fellow. Todd is a member of the SeaSpace Symposium and of the advisory board for theInternational Association for Handicapped Divers. Todd also playsguitar in hisrock band, The Rockit Scientists.[1][4][5][6]
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration.
