Adam Steltzner

Explorer of the Solar System, student of human nature, engineer, writer & speaker.

Adam Steltzner is a NASA engineer who works for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). He worked on several flight projects including Galileo, Cassini, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Exploration Rovers (MER). He was the lead engineer of the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity rover EDL phase (Entry, Descent and Landing), and helped design, build and test the sky crane landing system.

The media has portrayed Steltzner as a โ€œrock and rollโ€ engineer. NPRโ€™s Morning Edition said โ€œhe has pierced ears, wears snakeskin boots and sports an Elvis haircut,โ€ while the EE Times called him โ€œa bit of a hipsterโ€ and a โ€œnew breed of engineerโ€ who is media savvy.