Andrew Klesh is an explorer of extreme environments, developing and executing novel expeditions of discovery, from the bottom of the sea, to interplanetary space. He has served as lead engineer for multiple interplanetary missions at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, including the Lunar Trailblazer orbiter and 2018's MarCO dual-spacecraft mission to Mars. Additionally, he provides technical leadership and/or engineering support of the BRUIE project (Buoyant Rover for Under-Ice Exploration), the joint JPL/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Orpheus program, and novel seismometer networks for Caltech, primarily in active volcanic terrain. Andy is now the inaugural Associate Director & Chief Systems Engineer of the Caltech/JPL Brinson Exploration Hub, pursuing ambitious projects with a tolerance for risk and the potential to fundamentally transform exploration. Over his career, he has completed over 30 arctic, Antarctic, and deep ocean expeditions.
Andy is an active EMT and volunteers with the Pasadena Fire Department and at the USC/Wrigley Hyperbaric Chamber as an emergency responder. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, tinkering, mountaineering, flying, backpacking, and adventure racing. He holds degrees in Aerospace Engineering (PhD, MSE, BSE), Space Systems (MEng), Electrical Engineering (BSE) from the University of Michigan, and Geology (MS) from Cal Poly Pomona.