Management
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CEO / Justin Pearson
Mr. Pearson holds a BA in Business with Specialization in Aerospace Studies. He is a proficient team builder who excels at establishing domestic partnerships and growing international aerospace interests. Through his outreach, Mr. Pearson was awarded a distinction by the El Salvadorian Aerospace Institute for Business Excellence in 2024.
Along with directing the company, Mr. Pearson oversees the firm’s capitalization strategy. In 2024, he successfully secured the necessary funding to move the RDMS X-Jet platform from a theoretical design to a commissioned TRL 6 asset. His ability to align private investment with technical milestones has helped ensure Baldwin Aerospace's fiscal resilience and long-term commercial viability.
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COO / Dr. Doug Codron
Dr. Codron earned his Ph.D. in Astronautical Engineering from the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering in 2012. His foundational expertise in arc jet testing and plasma diagnostics was established at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) where he held a combined role as a Materials Scientist/Engineer II in the Thermo-Physics Facilities (TSF) and the Thermo-Physics Branch (TSA). During his time at ARC, he served as the principal investigator on multiple technical papers and presentations characterizing the mARC arc jet plasma environment and specifically focused on diagnosing TPS ablation characteristics and developing techniques leading to more precise flow diagnostics.
Dr. Codron has extensive experience teaching mechanical engineering courses and laboratories across the California State University system, is a former Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) Assistant Director, and has worked at Space Systems Loral (SSL) contributing to the development of both commercial and government satellites. Alongside managing Baldwin Aerospace, Dr. Codron currently teaches in the Physics Department at California State University, East Bay.
Engineering Team
Lead Design and Test Engineer / Ryan Thelen
Mr. Thelen directs the mechanical design and development of the CAD architecture of the firm’s test hardware and provides the team with extensive expertise in production-level mechanical design, having served as a Senior Design Engineer at Collins Aerospace and a Senior Product Design Engineer at Zurn Elkay Water Solutions.
Mr. Thelen’s background is rooted in high-fidelity mechanical assembly and manufacturing. As the lead CAD architect for the RDMS X-Jet, Mr. Thelen translates conceptual plasma physics requirements into fully realized mechanical systems. He also manages the structural design of the RDMS X-Jet torch head integration, constrictor discs, and nozzle assemblies. In addition to his other responsibilities, he leads the mechanical integration of the RDMS X-Jet’s diagnostic suite, ensuring the structural integrity of the facility during testing campaigns.
Lead Simulations Engineer / Gage Gardinier
Mr. Gardinier focuses on high-speed aerothermodynamics, plasma physics, and computational modeling, with supporting experience in experimental research and propulsion systems. His combined expertise in plasma-assisted propulsion, high-speed flow simulation, and experimental system development supports his role in arc jet facility modeling and diagnostic development.
Prior at Purdue University, he supported plasma-assisted propulsion research, including the design of experimental setups for plasma-assisted detonation systems and diagnostics for flow visualization. He also contributed to other experimental and modeling efforts in prior research roles, including support of SIMP-based structural design for high-energy physics experiments at Fermilab.
Simulations Engineer and Data Analyst / Ryan Kennedy
Mr. Kennedy also contributes to the development of the RDMS X-Jet arc jet facility through computational modeling efforts via high-fidelity simulations characterizing arc jet flow properties including static enthalpy, velocity, pressure, and temperature distributions, as well as heat flux within the arc heater itself. These efforts support facility design, operating condition definition, and interpretation of experimental test environments for thermal protection system (TPS) material evaluation.
Mr. Kennedy gained additional practical engineering experience at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, where he served as a Student Technical Assistant and Mechanical/Aero Engineer Co-op in rapid prototyping. In these roles, he contributed to the design, fabrication, and integration of mechanical systems, supporting fast-paced research and development efforts. His prior work involved iterative design, component testing, and hands-on problem solving in laboratory environments.
Design and Test Engineer / Kaleb Wagar
Mr. Wagar is an Aerospace Engineer specializing in propulsion, hypersonics, and structural design. He serves as a Design and Test Engineer at Baldwin Aerospace where he focuses on R&D for Mach 4+ hypersonic flows, fluid dynamics, and arc jet system requirements.
As a Virginia Tech Physics graduate, Mr. Wagar has a background spanning mechanical detailing, structural drafting (FEA), and IT systems support and uses this experience to play a key role in advising Baldwin Aerospace's development efforts.