Tom Percy, the manager of systems engineering and integration for NASA’s Human Landing System Program, is currently tasked with coordinating the development of lunar landers for the Artemis missions. In his role, Percy serves as a primary liaison between NASA and commercial partners SpaceX and Blue Origin, ensuring that their respective landing systems meet safety and operational requirements for integration with other agency assets.
Percy’s career path to NASA began during his undergraduate studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he participated in the Human Exploration Rover Challenge—then known as the Great Moonbuggy Race—at the Marshall Space Flight Center. This experience introduced him to the agency's work and motivated him to pursue a career in aerospace. He later earned a master’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a doctorate in aerospace systems engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Since joining the Marshall Space Flight Center in 2003, Percy has contributed to deep space exploration projects, including research into advanced propulsion, trajectory analysis, and mission concept development. Reflecting on the current trajectory of the Artemis program, Percy noted that the agency and its commercial partners are preparing for increasingly sophisticated missions following the success of Artemis II.
The Artemis program aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, providing a foundation for future crewed missions to Mars while fostering scientific and economic growth. Regarding his current responsibilities, Percy stated, “You might say that all human landing system integration work lands on my desk.”
Source: NASA
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