2026 Neil Armstrong™ Award of Excellence recipient
Jarret Lafleur
Through a partnership with The Purdue Research Foundation, the Armstrong Family and Neil Armstrong’s friend, Jim Hays, ASF recognizes an Astronaut Scholar Alum who exemplifies personal character and professional achievement, and whose work leaves an impact in their field. The nominating criteria embody Neil Armstrong’s core values and those of his colleagues, the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and Commercial Space astronauts.
NEIL ARMSTRONG™ AWARD OF EXCELLENCE RECIPIENT - JARRET LAFLEUR
Dr. Jarret Lafleur is Chief Engineer for Hypersonics at Ursa Major Technologies, a venture-backed aerospace and defense company delivering breakthrough hypersonic solutions powered by liquid rocket engines, solid rocket motors, and space mobility systems at the speed and scale government and industry need. Dr. Lafleur is spearheading development of the strategic vision and design of a new, cutting-edge class of hypersonic vehicle that takes advantage of Ursa Major’s liquid rocket engine using safe, storable propellants.
Prior to Ursa Major, Dr. Lafleur served in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering as senior advisor to the Principal Director for Hypersonics for strike systems strategy and policy. Dr. Lafleur also served as senior technical advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy, contributing to the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review and serving as the principal staff advisor for Nuclear Weapons Council matters in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. He has been twice awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service.
Dr. Lafleur has also served in technical staff roles at Sandia National Laboratories, conducting defense system trade studies and decision analyses for the Departments of Defense and Energy. Prior to Sandia, Dr. Lafleur also served in rotational assignments to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA White Sands Test Facility, and NASA Johnson Space Center, including hypersonic flight mechanics and trajectory design for spacecraft entering the atmospheres of Earth and Mars. He holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, is a certificated sport pilot, AIAA Associate Fellow, and a 2005 & 2006 Astronaut Scholar from Georgia Tech.
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For more information about the Neil Armstrong™ Award of Excellence, contact us at +1 407-362-7900 or info@astronautscholarship.org.
Note: Neil Armstrong™ used with permission from The Purdue Research Foundation.