Keith Coste

Keith Coste serves as the Chief Architect for the National Security Program Office (NSPO), Astronomy Physics and Space Technology Directorate, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). In this role, he is responsible for leading efforts to develop architectures and technology to solve national security hard problems. As a part of this effort, he has established the Segmented Telescope Testbed Laboratory in which a wide array of key technologies are being advanced to enable future affordable large aperture space telescopes and in-space assembly of optical systems. Previously, he established and served as the Deputy Program Manager for the Island Technology Program Office in which he was responsible for the development and qualification of a wide range of technology elements for the Department of Defense (DOD) customers. The Island Program Office served as the focal point for significant DOD customer hardware development programs at JPL. Prior to establishing the Island Program Office, he was a task manager for several DOD developments and provided leadership for DOD and NASA system architecture and program system engineering activities. Before coming to JPL in 2004, he was with the Engineering and Technology Group, Aerospace Corporation, supporting air force and IC programs. He started his career at Hughes Space and Communications in 1994 as the responsible engineer for satellite control thrusters. He is currently focused on optical systems and their enabling technologies. He has patents in micro laser communication, actuation, and propulsion technologies, and has authored papers ranging from alternative space system architectures to laser metrology systems and hardware qualification methods. EOD