Doug Kohl | Founding Chief Operating Officer
Titans Space Industries
Doug Kohl
Founding COO
- – Doug Kohl is a highly experienced senior space project leader and technical program manager with over 35 years of extensive expertise in aerospace, business, science, and technology environments.
- – Doug’s extensive career includes key positions at Blue Origin, Leidos, and Lockheed Martin, where he served in various capacities, such as Space Shuttle Test Engineer, Project Manager, and Program Analyst, contributing to the success of numerous Space Shuttle missions and major infrastructure upgrades.
Doug Kohl is a highly experienced Senior Space Project Leader and Technical Program Manager with over 35 years of extensive expertise in aerospace, business, science, and technology environments. Renowned for his operational excellence, Doug is adept at managing complex technical projects, building high-performing teams, and delivering results within budget and schedule.
Until recently, Doug served as Principal and Integrated Product Team Lead (IPT Lead) at Blue Origin, where he significantly contributed to the development, recovery, and refurbishment of reusable launch vehicles since January 2021. His leadership in operations and maintenance, as well as assembly, integration, and testing of reusable spacecraft, has been pivotal in achieving turnaround time reduction and successful vehicle recoveries.
From 2018 to 2020, Doug was with Leidos Innovations Solutions in Lihue, Hawaii, where he excelled as Range Operation Manager and Business Development Lead. He provided oversight in space and range operations, spearheaded business development efforts, and played a key role in hypersonic launch vehicle feasibility analysis.
Doug’s tenure at Ke’aki Technologies (2015-2018) as Measurement Systems Site Manager at the Pacific Missile Range Facility underscored his proficiency in managing radar and telemetry systems, leading to consistent high performance and award fee ratings from the Navy. He successfully handled budgeting, scheduling, and personnel training, ensuring mission success and equipment modernization.
Prior to these roles, Doug was a founding partner of Sierra Communications PR Inc. (1999-2015), where he managed operations and served as an instrumentation engineer. His leadership in public relations and marketing for high-tech clients, including major aerospace companies, garnered significant new business and industry recognition.
Doug also brings a wealth of experience from his tenure at Centegy Systems & Beyond Software Inc., where he served as Director of Operations from 1996 to 1999. In this role, Doug managed enterprise internet software operations and legacy system integrations. He implemented customer and technical support programs that eliminated hold times and boosted customer satisfaction ratings above 90%. He also oversaw subcontractor installations, enhancing network capacity by 300%, while delivering projects ahead of schedule and within budget.
Prior to Centegy, from 1994 to 1996, Doug was a Space Shuttle Test Engineer at Lockheed Martin, Kennedy Space Center, where he played a key role in over 45 Space Shuttle missions, maintaining a 100% safety record. His responsibilities included overseeing flight hardware and ground support equipment, implementing daily pre-work meetings to ensure safety, and leading scheduling meetings to meet all major launch milestones.
As a Program Analyst at Lockheed Space Operations Company (LSOC) from 1990 to 1994, Doug managed significant improvement programs for the Space Shuttle Atlantis, ensuring all projects were delivered ahead of schedule and under budget. His earlier experience includes serving as a Project Manager at LSOC from 1988 to 1990, where he led a $35 million modernization program for Space Shuttle infrastructure, delivering projects ahead of time and under budget.
Doug worked at Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory (LPARL) from 1986 to 1988, where he was the Lead Scientist & Project Manager responsible for Materials & Processes (M&P) projects with Lockheed company programs and technical liaison to the Air Force at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Doug founded the Intercompany Technical Support program to manage and provide technical R&D resources between Lockheed Missiles and Space and Lockheed Space Operations in support of the Air Forces Space Shuttle program. He headed up the troubleshooting and problem resolution on Material Incompatibility on Trident Missiles and the Space Shuttle program and became the onsite Project Manager for Technical Services to resolve engineering issues, testing, and applying solutions in the field at Vandenberg AFB.
Doug also served as a scientist in the Materials & Processes lab where ceramic Space Shuttle thermal tiles were developed. He was a Project Manager supplying hydrogen detonation testing to the Space Shuttle program at Vandenberg AFB, and led the team that developed a steam inerting system with a test program that validated that the launch pad could safely contain an inert of 10,000 gallons of liquid oxygen during a Space Shuttle Engine launch abort.
Doug worked as a Subcontracts Administrator at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company (LMSC) from 1984 to 1986 in Sunnyvale, California, on Trident Missile Thrust Vector Control (TVC) and Post Boost Control Systems (PBCS), managing significant subcontracts and ensuring timely delivery and resolving control system issues.
Doug holds a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Operations with an emphasis in Materials & Processes from San Jose State University. He is a certified NASA Kepner-Tregoe Problem Analysis and Decision Analysis (PA/DA) Instructor and holds a Top-Secret Security Clearance that was last updated in March 2019.
As the founder of the Artemis Sustained Lunar Development group, now with almost 12,000 members, Doug actively participates in the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium through George Washington University and NASA, demonstrating his passion for lunar economy and space exploration.
Doug Kohl’s dedication to advancing space systems, his exceptional operational management skills, and his ability to drive technical excellence make him a standout leader in the aerospace industry.
Interests: Space Launching & Exploration, Lunar Base Development & Exploration, Environmental Control, M&P/Lunar Exposure to Materials, Paddle Boarding, Camping, Fishing, Flying, Raising Labradors
Membership: USRA, Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium, AMOS, Artemis Lunar Base Camp Development & Exploration Discussion Group (Founder)
