Colonel MAX W. YATES, PHD Col Max W. “Rowdy” Yates is Commander, Phillips Research Site, and Deputy Technology Executive Officer for Space at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. He leads a team of 1,871 military, civilian, and contractors who comprise the nation’s center of excellence for military space science and technology research and development, as well as advanced technologies integration and demonstration. His organization develops enduring space capabilities for the U.S. Space Force, including communications, positioning, navigation and timing, missile warning, space domain awareness, and space control. He provides oversight of all space-focused research across the entirety of Air Force Research Laboratory, advising the DAF Technology Executive Officer as the senior Guardian in AFRL. Colonel Yates was commissioned in 2006 as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. During his career, Colonel Yates has led technology development for the Air Force, Space Force, and NASA through all stages of maturation from basic and applied research at AFRL to flight testing at the Air Force Test Center and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. Recognized for his work in rapid innovation with a PhD in space systems engineering from MIT, he has led multiple programs at AFRL & Space Rapid Capabilities Office to develop & deploy operational capabilities that solve urgent multi-domain warfighter needs. He previously served as the System Program Director for Starfire Optical Range, Satellite Assessment Center, and the Air Force Maui Optical & Supercomputing Site (AMOS), leading research in space domain awareness & directed energy applications. Beyond acquisitions, he has served as senior policy advisor to the Assistant Secretary of War for Space Policy and an operational squadron commander at the Air Force Technical Applications Center, where he was responsible for monitoring nuclear weapon test ban treaties using the Air Force’s largest sensing network of more than 300 space-based, seismic, and hydroacoustic sensors. EDUCATION 2006 Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y. 2006 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2011 Master of Science degree in Astronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 2013 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2017 Doctor of Philosophy in Space Systems Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. 2018 Master of Arts degree in Defense and Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I. 2023 Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. ASSIGNMENTS 1. July 2006–July 2008, RQ-4 Global Hawk Flight Test Engineer (Performance, Flight Stability, and Propulsion), 773rd Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif. 2. July 2008–August 2009, Orion Launch Abort Flight Test Engineer (Controls and Dynamics), NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Calif. 3. August 2009–April 2011, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio 4. April 2011–March 2013, Deputy Program Manager, Strategic Systems and Launch Technologies, Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 5. March 2013–August 2014, Program Manager, Center for Rapid Innovation, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 6. August 2014–July 2017, Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. 7. July 2017–June 2018, Student, College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College, Newport, R.I. 8. July 2018–May 2019, Chief Engineer, Space Resiliency Division, Space Rapid Capability Office, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 9. May 2019–May 2020, Chief, Space Dominance Division, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 10. June 2020–July 2022, Commander, 23rd Analysis Squadron, Air Force Technical Applications Center, Patrick SFB, Fla. 11. July 2022–June 2023, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C. 12. June 2023–June 2025, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Space Policy; Office of the Under Secretary of War for Policy, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 13. June 2025–July 2026, System Program Director and Chief, Ground-Based Space Domain Awareness Division, Information & Spectrum Warfare Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 14. July 2026–Present, Commander, Phillips Research Site and Deputy Technology Executive Officer for Space, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 1. June 2023–June 2025, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Space Policy; Office of the Under Secretary of War for Policy, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters Air and Space Commendation Medal Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award Air and Space Organizational Excellence Award with Oak Leaf Cluster National Defense Service Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal Air and Space Longevity Service Award with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon Air Force Training Ribbon OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS 2006 Distinguished Graduate, Reserve Officer Training Corp, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y. 2006 Outstanding Academic Performer, Outstanding Contributor, Exceptional Performer, Air & Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2011 NASA Group Achievement Award (Orion Abort Flight Test Pad Abort-1 Team), NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. 2011 Top 20 percent Graduate, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio 2013 Distinguished Graduate, Outstanding Contributor, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2013 Company Grade Officer of the Year, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 2018 Distinguished Graduate, Highest Distinction, College of Naval Command and Staff, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I. 2018 Navy League of the United States’ Admiral William Sowden Sims Award for Top Graduate, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I. 2018 Military Officers Assoc. of America Writing Award for Excellence in Joint Warfare, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I. 2019 Gen. George C. Kenney Award for Writing on Air Power, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I. 2023 The Dr. Frank Traeger Award for Excellence in Writing, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C. 2023 Distinguished Graduate, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C. SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Yates, M., Angles-Only Navigation Technique for Maneuver-Free Spacecraft Proximity Operations, Ph.D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., September 2017. Setterfield, T., Yates, M., and van Hecke, K., “SPHERES-VERTIGO Test Session 74B (TS-74B),” Proceedings of the ISS Research & Development Conference, San Diego, California, July 2016. Yates, M., Stochastic Orbit Prediction Using KAM Tori, Master’s thesis, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB Ohio, March 2011. Idicula, J., Williams-Hayes, P., Stillwater, R., and Yates, M., “A Flight Dynamics Perspective of the Orion Pad Abort One Flight Test,” Proceedings of the AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, Chicago, Ill., 2009, pp. 624-634. (Current as of August 2026)