Glenn Dougherty
Vice President – Engineering, Space Operations, Parsons Corp.
Glenn Dougherty’s biggest recent achievement was leading the implementation of the Traffic Coordination System for Space. After Parsons was awarded the TraCSS System Integrator contract, he led the effort to assemble the company’s Space Operations engineering team tasked with establishing the platform to provide space situational awareness services to civil and commercial space operators in support of spaceflight safety.
Under the guidance of the Office of Space Commerce, his team successfully built and deployed the initial TraCSS release that calculates and distributes potential spaceflight collisions in the form of conjunction data messages.
“I am extremely proud to be a part of the Space Operations TraCSS team that mobilized in short order to successfully deliver the first release last fall,” he said. “Many stakeholders wondered if it were possible, and it has been an honor to lead and support this talented team that proved it could be done.”
Why Watch
In 2025, Dougherty and his team are focused on developing TraCSS to carry out President Donald Trump’s Space Policy Directive 3, which tasks the Commerce Department with providing space traffic safety data and services. They are directly supporting the mission’s shift from the Defense Department to OSC. The team is evolving TraCSS to use commercial components, aiming to be fully operational by fall 2025. With the rapid growth of space objects, they’re also investing in AI and machine learning to deliver critical space situational awareness to the broader space community.
“Glenn is leading his team at the forefront of developing the Traffic Coordination System for Space, a critical initiative to ensure safe and sustainable operations in our ever-expanding space environment,” said Christopher Brewster, senior vice president of the Cyber and National Operations Sector for Parsons Corp. “This work not only demonstrates technical excellence but also highlights the collaborative spirit necessary to navigate the complexities of space commerce. Glenn’s commitment to innovation will shape the future of our industry and inspire others to reach for new heights.”
Fun fact: A former athlete, Dougherty coached all his children in various sports. For many years, he served as offensive coordinator for their high school football team, which included a post-season playoff run for the Colorado state championship.