Bill “BK” Kelley
Vice President & Division Manager of Air Force/Space Management, ManTech
In 2023, ManTech’s Air Force and Space Division took on a significant role in national security space launches for Space Force. BK Kelley’s team was crucial in maintaining the certification of the United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, as well as Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket.
Additionally, the team assured operational mission success for several vital USSF missions. A prime example is the team’s support for Victus Nox. With only 60 hours of advance notice, the team had to ship, encapsulate and mate the payload to the rocket, then roll the vehicle stack to the launch pad, successfully launching the vehicle with less than 24 hours of notice.
“‘If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail’ — Benjamin Franklin,” Kelley said. “I think this quote is applicable in our personal lives, our work lives, and especially applicable to our continued exploration of space.”
Why Watch
In 2024, Kelley’s team continues to adapt to the increased launch tempo from Vandenberg Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. In 2023, there were over 100 launches from those locations, and that number could reach over 150 in 2024. The team is focused on using intelligent systems engineering to cut the time it takes to plan for launches and to optimize the tempo and flexibility of the launch.
Kelley has been around space his entire career, first working Titan IV with McDonnell Douglas in the early 1990s. After over 30 years, he said he still loves space as much as he did on day one.