2023 ANS WINTER CONFERENCE AND EXPO

Tabitha Dodson

Program Manager

DARPA, DRACO (Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations)

Tabitha Dodson is the Program Manager in the DARPA Tactical Technology Office for the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program. She came to DARPA to create the DRACO program in 2018 five years ago. Dr Dodson has a PhD in Applied Physics from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from George Washington University, where she did her theses in nuclear thermal rocket fuel and nuclear radiation effects. Dr Dodson also has a Masters from GW from the Space Policy Institute and a bachelors degree in Physics. She has worked as an Adjunct professor in both the US Naval Academy and the Air Force Institute of Technology teaching orbital mechanics, space power and aerospace propulsion, injecting nuclear-space technologies. She has held a variety of senior and leadership positions in previous space missions with the US Air Force and has past experience at NASA Marshall fabricating and testing nuclear thermal rocket fuel.