Bernard Kelm

Acting Director, Naval Center for Space Technology
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

Mr. Bernard Kelm serves as the Acting Director for the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) Naval Center for Space Technology (NCST) in Washington, D.C. In his role, he leads a comprehensive team of government engineers and scientists that design, build and operate national security spacecraft, and develop related technologies and systems for terrestrial and maritime activities.

Alongside his duties as Acting Director of NCST, Mr. Kelm is the Superintendent of the Spacecraft Engineering Division (SED), where he leads the focus for the Navy’s ability to design and build spacecraft from concept and feasibility planning to on-orbit operations for NRL’s space systems. The SED provides spacecraft bus expertise for the Navy, maintains an active in-house capability to develop satellites, and manages Navy space programs through engineering support and technical direction.

Mr. Kelm has worked at NRL since 1991, developing spacecraft satellite servicing technology since 2002. He has extensive program management experience with satellite servicing programs, as both program manager, deputy program manager, and now director. He has served in leadership roles in the R&D work that has led to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites program (RSGS) since 2005.

The breadth of Mr. Kelm’s expertise of space topics ranges from small spacecraft payloads, such as 10-centimeter cubesats, to large space station modules, with topics ranging from orbital debris research, cislunar mission design, and national security flight operations.

Earlier in his career at NRL, Mr. Kelm held the position of Head of the Dynamics and Controls Systems Branch, leading all SED Space robotics, astrodynamics, spacecraft propulsion and spacecraft control systems development before being promoted to lead the SED.

Mr. Kelm’s expertise in satellite servicing has seen him support the White House Office of Scientific Policy’s Interagency Working Group on In-Space Servicing Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) as the Navy’s sole representative since 2021. He also has extensive experience in space mission concept of operations development, space mission astrodynamics, space domain awareness, and cislunar missions and national security topics.

Mr. Kelm received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1991 from the University of Maryland, College Park.

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Related Sessions

Building the Backbone: The Infrastructure Behind Space Logistics

Thursday, April 16, 2026

9:35 am - 10:20 am

Track: Symposium Program

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