Dr. Mata received his Ph.D degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida. He was the lightning subject matter expert and technical lead of Kennedy Space Center’s Advanced Electronics and Technology Development Laboratory for 12 years. He directed the program that designed the lightning protection and lightning instrumentation systems for NASA’s Launch Complex 39B, perhaps the most sophisticated lightning protection and monitoring system in the world.
Dr. Mata is the recipient of many awards, including NASA’s Distinguished Public Service Medal and the NASA KSC Engineer/Scientist of the Year Award. In 2024, he was inducted into the National Space Club’s Space Workers Hall of Fame, an honor recognizing his outstanding contributions to advancing spaceflight safety through innovative lightning protection and transient monitoring technologies. His name is permanently engraved on the Space Walk of Fame monument in Titusville, Florida, commemorating his lasting impact on the U.S. space program.
Dr. Mata has also worked extensively with the International Center for Lightning Research and Technology (ICLRT) to evaluate and refine lightning instrumentation systems used to monitor high-tech vehicles, payloads, and high-value assets at the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Base, and other Department of Defense locations.
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