Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Mr. Badri Younes

Prior to his retirement in December 2023, Mr. Younes served as NASA’s Deputy Associate Administrator and Program Manager for Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN), For nearly 16 years, he was responsible for NASA’s space communications and navigation infrastructure and services, as well as data standards and spectrum. Mr. Younes managed the SCaN Program Office at NASA Headquarters and oversaw all NASA communications and navigation projects and networks, including NASA’s Near Space and Deep Space Networks. He was also responsible for the development of enabling technologies critical to meeting the Agency’s vision for an integrated SCaN architecture aligned with NASA’s future space exploration needs.

Prior to returning to NASA in 2007, Mr. Younes was the Department of Defense (DoD) Director for Spectrum Management, responsible for spectrum policy and strategic planning and implementation for the entire Department of Defense. Under his leadership, the Department successfully negotiated major win-win agreements with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and the U.S. private sector. Mr. Younes successfully led the DoD spectrum management organization to become more proactive in addressing radio frequency and spectrum issues. He was instrumental in transforming the management and use of the electromagnetic spectrum within and outside the Department.

Mr. Younes’ experience spans more than thirty-nine years of leadership in microwave and radio-wave frequency systems engineering and technology. His interpersonal skills and rich linguistic abilities have been instrumental in furthering U.S. objectives. Mr. Younes has more than twenty years of involvement in various forums of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and has provided direct support to U.S. ambassadors at several World Radiocommunication Conferences.

In addition to his many professional individual and team awards, Mr. Younes was a recipient of the 2022 and the 2005 Meritorious Presidential Rank Awards. Additionally, his outstanding contributions in the field of aerospace communications were recognized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) which granted him the 2020 AIAA Aerospace Communications Award. He is a member of the engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi. Mr. Younes received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1984 and a master's degree in 1988 from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Mr. Younes has completed all PhD requirements except for his dissertation