Siamak Yassini — Founder / VP of Business Development

Siamak Yassini, Ph.D. has more than 25 plus years of technical and managerial experience in the aerospace and aviation fields working with NASA, Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Rockwell International. He has served as a Deputy Director, Program Manager, Research Scientist and Engineer in design, development, testing and operation of various NASA space projects, commercial aircraft and high speed tilt rotor and rotary wing vehicles.

Dr. Yassini serves as resident entrepreneur of YAS Ventures LLC, VP of Business Development, and co-founder of AeroCopter, Inc. His responsibilities include the development, design, and marketing of high speed tilt rotor and rotary wing vehicles utilizing revolutionary disruptive technologies. Prior to his involvement with AeroCopter, Inc. he served as a Deputy Director of NASA Ames Information Sciences and Technology, Systems Independent Verification and Validation facility. He provided strategic planning, oversight systems engineering and research programs applicable to NASA Space Programs (Human Exploration and Development of Space, Space Science, and Aeronautics).

As a NASA program manager and senior engineer, he led the mission planning, design and development of the guidance, navigation, and flight control systems, for the Space Shuttle missions STS-4 through STS-68. He led the independent criticality risk assessment analysis and mission quality assurance for critical NASA programs such as the Space Shuttle, Space Station Freedom, Cassini and Mars spacecrafts, SOFIA, Boeing 757 display upgrade for FAA, Small Satellite Technology Initiatives (Clark), and Mission Control Center systems upgrades at NASA JSC and KSC.

Prior to his NASA space program experiences, he worked with the Boeing Company as a senior aircraft design engineer. He was involved with the conceptual configuration and preliminary design of Boeing 737-200, 757, 777, 747 Double lube body, and Super Sonic Transportation (SST).

He is the author of technical assessment reports on major NASA projects and published variety of papers at National/International conferences such as AIAA, AHS and AUVSI. He also holds US patent and has several patents pending.

Dr.Yassini has received numerous NASA awards for his outstanding leadership, management and high-level contribution to the NASA space programs, including the "Exceptional Achievement Medal and Manned Flight Awareness Award". He received a BS in Aerospace Engineering from West Virginia University, MS in Engineering Management and a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from Pacific Western University.