Odyssey Team Makes Their Great Escape

David Strack is a co-founder of Odyssey and a key technical contributor, serving in various roles, including Chief Technical Officer, Program Manager, and strategic advisor. He grew up in Calgary, Canada and moved to the U.S. to attend Texas A&M University where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. Dave’s passion for Human Spaceflight immediately drew him to the NASA Johnson Space Center where he devoted his skills to GN&C and to a specialization in the intricacies of rendezvous and proximity operations for crewed and automated spacecraft. He served in technical leadership roles supporting both large and small subcontractors before starting Odyssey. He helped build Odyssey through its early years and transitioned to a focus on technical advancement of the company and development of various spacecraft and technology programs. Dave has contributed to numerous NASA, international, and commercial spacecraft programs and, in the process, has become a leader in human rated spacecraft GN&C, proximity operations, piloting and docking. He was instrumental in helping NASA and commercial companies safely succeed on the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program and, more recently, is working to support the success of both the Orion Program and the Commercial Crew Program. In his spare time, David enjoys planning and taking trips to interesting international locations with his family, as well as supporting several organizations that work with underprivileged children in developing countries.

Wade Johnson is the Vice President, South for Odyssey. After graduating from North Dakota State University with a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering (BSEE), Wade started working on Software/Hardware Integration and Verification on the International Space Station (ISS). This work expanded to testing the interfaces between both Russian and US Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) segments on ISS. Wade helped drive the Russian-US GNC testing for the US Lab, supporting real-time in Moscow during US Lab Activation. Wade eventually became the ISS GNC Flight Software lead and helped ISS GNC obtain a CMMI Level 5 certification. Wade led the GNC Checkpointing functionality (Primary GNC Failure and Recovery) from requirements to software implementation to integration and testing, winning various awards along the way. At Johnson Space Center, he supported ISS GNC operations in the Mission Evaluation Room (MER). At Odyssey, Wade continues to work on ISS but with a focus on the Visiting Vehicles that Rendezvous Capture/Dock with ISS. Wade continues his engineering and leadership roles on the Artemis program and several commercial projects. Over the years, he has participated in Washington DC lobbying efforts and has supported New Business activities including proposal development to grow Odyssey’s impact in the exciting world of human spaceflight. Wade also manages the recruiting activities at Odyssey. Outside of work, Wade enjoys spending time with his family and friends, traveling, and watching science fiction movies.

James Pogemiller is the Vice President, Midwest for Odyssey based in Boulder, CO. In this position, Jim supports continued and growing operations in the Midwest while also providing managerial and leadership across the company. Throughout his professional career, Jim has taken on leadership roles as a GN&C engineer (specializing in GPS and navigation), flight software test engineer (fulfilling the role of test architect), and several engineering related positions, as well as having co-authored a few publications. His previous work includes precision guided weapons, communications satellites, and several human-rated spacecraft at various stages of development. Jim holds a US Patent. Outside of work, Jim volunteers his time to a dog rescue organization and has sat on several non-profit boards and commissions for education and local politics. In his free time, Jim enjoys mountain biking in the Rockies, practicing martial arts, and playing guitar, as well as spending time with his family. Jim received a Bachelor of Physics and a Master of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics from the University of Minnesota.

Bryan is the COO of Odyssey. Bryan grew up in Houston in the shadow of Johnson Space Center with strong family ties to Human Spaceflight. He became passionate about making his own contributions during a summer internship working at the JSC Mission Control Center. After his internship, he completed his studies for a BS in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University and immediately started working at NASA for the Propulsion Systems Group supporting Space Shuttle missions as a flight controller. Bryan was both a Space Shuttle flight controller and an International Space Station (ISS) flight controller, ultimately supporting over 40 missions in all phases of flight. He was advanced to leadership positions for both Space Shuttle and ISS before being selected to be a Flight Director in 2000. In the Flight Director role, he supported ISS Expedition and Joint operations for several years before shifting his focus back to the Shuttle program, supporting over a dozen Shuttle missions. Bryan was awarded NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal and NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal for his leadership on ISS and Space Shuttle missions. At the conclusion of the Shuttle program, Bryan dabbled with a startup rocket propulsion company and also spent time working in Houston’s oil and gas industry. However, Bryan heeded the call of spaceflight once again, and returned to his original passion. He is thrilled to be part of the Odyssey Space Research leadership team where he has the opportunity to continue contributing to America’s Human and uncrewed spaceflight programs. When not participating in our space program, Bryan enjoys spending time with his family, traveling and supporting various community and church activities.

As President of Odyssey for the last 10+yrs, Jana Rebmann has contributed her 25+yrs of Aerospace Engineering experience to the business side of Odyssey, supporting the cadre of exciting space vehicles and projects that NASA and commercial companies have, and are, creating. Jana chose Aerospace Engineering because, since childhood, she wanted to be a part of an adventure, to discover new things and to be on the cutting edge of exploration. Aerospace fit all those desires and more. Once Jana graduated from the University of Texas, with a BS in Aerospace Engineering, she began her career working on Space Shuttle proximity operations analysis. Since then, Jana has worked on an impressive list of space vehicles and systems, including ISS, HTV, X38 CRV, CEV, ESA’s Hermes, Orbital Space Plane, Shuttle-ISS docking system, Shuttle-Mir docking operations, Iridium spacecraft constellation, and both ISS and Shuttle Remote Manipulator System analysis, and was Principal Investigator on JSC’s Hand-Held Laser On-orbit demonstration project. She has also worked abroad in the Netherlands and France, and completed the International Space University Space Studies Program in Toronto, Canada. At Odyssey, Jana has helped pursue, capture and manage several other exciting projects, including the Rendezvous Proximity and Capture prime contract, Commercial Crew and Cargo Transportation, and JSC Flight Control real-time support and Training simulations. Jana and Odyssey are now looking ahead to Moon and Mars exploration opportunities. Jana is honored to be a part of this continually growing, vibrant company and is looking forward to adding more exciting, cutting-edge projects as well as helping Odyssey shape the future of space exploration. Jana’s other job is a mother of 3 wonderful children. In her spare time, Jana loves traveling with her husband and kids, supporting theater arts, education and wildlife preservation.

Brian is a co-founder and CEO of Odyssey. He has been committed to spaceflight since his earliest memories watching people set foot on the Moon for the first time on a grainy, black-and-white TV. Brian holds a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and a Master of Science in Space Physics from the University of Houston (Clear Lake). He earned his undergraduate degree at McGill University in Montréal, Canada in Mechanical Engineering with an Aeronautics option, and completed the International Space University Space Studies Program in Toronto. Brian’s technical career was focused on Guidance, Navigation and Control, trajectory optimization, and aerospace software development, working on projects such as the Iridium spacecraft constellation, the Automated Transfer Vehicle Program (with NASA), Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Program, Commercial Cargo Program, the Orion Program, and many others. He has been recognized for this work with the Silver Snoopy, the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, and the NASA Space Flight Awareness Flight Safety Award. Brian has been an invited speaker at the 2011 Apple World Wide Developer Conference for flying the first “Space App” and iPhone to the ISS, the 2012 TEDxISU at the Florida Institute of Technology, NASA JSC Leadership professional development program, the International Space University, and the University of Michigan Aerospace Engineering department, among others. At Odyssey, Brian is part of the collaborative leadership team managing diverse projects, and guiding strategy, new business, and hiring, making sure all team members are happy, effective, and engaged – and having the time of his life. Outside of work, Brian loves spending time with his family, traveling, supporting STE(A)M education, and “paying forward” the help, support, and counseling he received throughout his career.