Assistant Professor, Air Force Institute of Technology
United States Air Force
Major Rachel Oliver is an assistant professor at the Air
Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson Air Force
Base, Ohio. She teaches Space Domain Awareness,
spaceflight dynamics, and controls to the next generation
of astronautical engineers for the Department of the Air
Force. In addition, she manages satellite tracking
research at the institute with a primary focus on novel
sensing techniques. As deputy director for the Center of
Space Research and Assurance, she supports institution-
wide space research efforts.
Major Oliver entered the Air Force in May 2015, cross-
commissioning from the United States Military Academy.
She first completed a degree in Astronautical Engineering
from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 2017.
Afterwards, she served as a thermal systems engineer
and, subsequently, the chief engineer for the Integrated
Structural Systems Program of the Air Force Research
Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate. In those roles,
she led research on infrared imaging of spacecraft and
new spacecraft thermal control technologies including
oscillating heat pipes. Prior to her current position, the
major was a doctoral student studying aerospace
engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Women Shaping the Space Force: Launching Your Career From Ground Systems to the Stars
Saturday, October 26, 2024
1:45 PM – 2:30 PM CT