Speaker Bio

Michael Garcia, PhD, is the Chief Innovation Scientist at Aireon, LLC. Garcia has the overall responsibility for the company’s strategy and execution for Space-Based ADS-B and VHF innovation, system architecture, and leadership in the industry’s technical forums. His responsibilities also include engagement with Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), standards and recommended practices (SARPs) groups, sub-contractors and investors. Some examples of international standards organizations that Garcia participates in are: Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA), EUROCAE, The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

Prior to joining Aireon, Garcia served as an Associate Principal Engineer at ITT/Exelis (currently L3Harris) and worked predominantly on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) programs. He managed a variety of projects to enhance system performance, which earned him several prestigious awards, and many of Garcia’s innovations have resulted in patents and publications.

Garcia received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Duke University and his Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering from George Mason University. In addition to his role at Aireon, he also serves as an Adjunct Professor at George Mason University.