Dr. Tim Crain is an American aerospace engineer, space technologist, and entrepreneur best known for co-founding Intuitive Machines, a leading commercial space exploration company based in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Crain pursued advanced training in aerospace engineering, earning his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2000. During his graduate studies he was recognized as a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow and served as an assistant instructor, reflecting early excellence in both research and teaching.
After completing his doctorate, Crain began a distinguished professional career at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. Over more than a decade as a civil servant, he worked on high-profile space programs, including:
- Navigation design for the Mars Science Lander project.
- Serving as Orbit Guidance, Navigation, and Control System Manager for NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
- Acting as Flight Dynamics Lead for Project Morpheus, a pioneering effort that developed and flight-tested advanced lander technologies with autonomous hazard avoidance and precision landing capabilities.
His work at NASA helped shape his philosophy of lean, innovation-driven engineering—an approach that would later inform his commercial ventures. Over his career at JSC he received multiple honors, including the NASA JSC Center Director’s Commendation Award, the Outstanding Young Texas Ex Award, the UT Outstanding Young Engineering Graduate Award, and the Orion Flight Dynamics Leadership Award.
In 2013, motivated by the potential for commercial space exploration and autonomous systems, Crain co-founded Intuitive Machines alongside Steve Altemus and Kam Ghaffarian. The company was established to apply advanced aerospace engineering to commercial lunar delivery, surface access, and infrastructure services, aiming to open access to the Moon for both government and private missions. At Intuitive Machines, Crain initially served as Vice President of Research & Development, where he built foundational technology and systems for the company’s lunar lander platforms.
Crain’s role at Intuitive Machines has grown over time. He was appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO), leading development of core technologies for lunar landing precision and autonomy. In 2024, he took on the dual roles of Chief Growth Officer and CTO, expanding his leadership to include business development, strategic growth initiatives, and mission direction.
In these capacities, Crain has overseen major milestones including Intuitive Machines’ historic lunar missions under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, most notably the Nova-C lander missions that marked the first U.S. lunar landings since Apollo.
Beyond his executive roles, Crain is active in professional aerospace communities. He is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the American Astronautical Society (AAS), and he participates in conferences and technical leadership groups that advance spacecraft navigation, autonomous control, and lunar exploration.
This will be the 35th presentation in the JPH Lecture Series. Former Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt passed away in early 2015. His son, John Arthur Hammerschmidt serves on the Lecture Committee and carries forward Mr. Hammerschmidt’s efforts to bring renowned speakers to the Harrison area at no charge to the public.