Nicholas Skytland

Program Manager, NASA’s Open Government Initiative
NASA

Skytland is an engineer, designer, entrepreneur, and advocate for space exploration.  

As Program Manager of NASA’s Open Government Initiative, he has a passion for engaging all generations in the adventure of space exploration and is continually working to help NASA embrace new technologies, increase public participation and innovate on how the Agency does business. Combining elements of space exploration, science, technology, visual art and storytelling, Skytland is well known for many of his presentations promoting NASA, the human space program, participatory exploration and the Open Government initiative.

Skytland has experience planning future exploration missions, designing the next generation space suits, developing open-source software, training astronauts, and encouraging new partnerships and collaboration with industry, academia and other governments.  Skytland holds a bachelor’s degree from Valparaiso University in mechanical engineering, a master’s degree from the International Space University in Space Studies and a MBA from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business.