DART Mission Leader Ed Reynolds to Keynote IPC High Reliability
July 13, 2023 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute

Ed Reynolds, space exploration sector program manager at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), will present his keynote address, “The DART Mission: Earth Strikes Back,” at IPC’s High Reliability Forum on October 17 in Linthicum (Baltimore), Md.
Leading NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, the first-ever demonstration of asteroid deflection technology, Reynolds and his team from APL, industry, academia and government, made history on September 26, 2022. DART — envisioned, built and managed by APL — changed the orbit of a celestial body for the first time in human history, successfully validating the concept of kinetic impactors as a method to protect Earth and mankind from future asteroid impacts.
During his keynote, Reynolds will discuss the overall DART mission and its development, describing the purpose of the mission and its place in the overall planetary defense strategic plan. He will also cover mission and spacecraft design and new technologies being validated, with special emphasis on the factors affecting reliability, design and implementation decisions that were made during the spacecraft’s development and flight.
Reynolds’ experience with asteroid missions runs deep. He was a systems engineer during the concept stages for NASA’s Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR), the first mission to orbit and land on an asteroid. Reynolds began his APL career in 1985 as a space integration and test engineer working on missions such as the Polar BEAR spacecraft, the Special Purpose Inexpensive Satellite altimeter (SALT) program’s Miniature Radar Altimeter Payload, the Nuclear Electric Propulsion Space Test Program (NEPSTP) spacecraft and the Active Geophysical Rocket Experiment (AGRE).
Reynolds has a master’s degree in project management from the George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech.
For more information on IPC High Reliability Forum including agenda, speaker profiles, exhibition and sponsorship information, or to register for event, visit www.ipc.org/event/high-reliability-forum.
Suggested Items
IPC Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Lionel Fullwood
07/15/2025 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007Many IPC members who have contributed significantly to IPC and our industry have been awarded the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame (HOF) Award. Though many early HOF members have passed away and are unknown to today’s IPC membership, their contributions still resonate. This special series on IPC Hall of Fame members provides a reminder of who was honored and why. As a bonus, for those who are still around, we get to find out what these talented individuals are up to today.
TRI Unveils New Platform for Diverse Board Sizes Search Submit
07/14/2025 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI), the leading test and inspection systems provider for the electronics manufacturing industry, proudly introduces a new size configuration for SPI and AOI Models.
Seeing a Future in Mexico
07/09/2025 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007The Global Electronics Association (formerly known as IPC) has been instrumental in fostering a partnership with Guanajuato, a state north of Mexico City with 12 industrial clusters and close to 150 companies involved in electronics. This past spring, Alejandro Hernández, the undersecretary for investment promotion in Guanajuato, attended IPC APEX EXPO 2025 at the invitation of IPC Mexico Director Lorena Villanueva, where he met with several companies to discuss the opportunities available in Mexico. He is inviting electronics-related companies seeking long-term investment in a centrally located area with access to highways, railways, and ports.
The Global Electronics Association Releases IPC-8911: First-Ever Conductive Yarn Standard for E-Textile Application
07/02/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationThe Global Electronics Association announces the release of IPC-8911, Requirements for Conductive Yarns for E-Textiles Applications. This first-of-its-kind global standard establishes a clear framework for classifying, designating, and qualifying conductive yarns—helping to address longstanding challenges in supply chain communication, product testing, and material selection within the growing e-textiles industry.
IPC-CFX, 2.0: How to Use the QPL Effectively
07/02/2025 | Chris Jorgensen, Global Electronics AssociationIn part one of this series, we discussed the new features in CFX Version 2.0 and their implications for improved inter-machine communication. But what about bringing this new functionality to the shop floor? The IPC-CFX-2591 QPL is a powerful technical resource for manufacturers seeking CFX-enabled equipment. The Qualified Product List (QPL) helps streamline equipment selection by listing models verified for CFX compliance through a robust third-party virtual qualification process.