Capt. Loukas Papadopoulos

Capt. Loukas Papadopoulos graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering (with distinction). Other degrees include Master of Science, Astronautics from George Washington University and Doctor of Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University.

Papadopoulos received a Reserve commission as Ensign in March 1995 and reported to Navy Reserve Norfolk Naval Shipyard Detachment 308 at Chattanooga, TN, where he served as Division Officer for the Supply and Administration Division from May 1995 through November 1996. His next assignment included serving as Project and Administration Officer for Navy Reserve Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, HQ 820, San Francisco, CA from December 1996 through September 1998. In this capacity, he briefly served as Executive Officer until the unit’s disestablishment in September 1998.

In October 1998, he reported to Navy Reserve Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Headquarters 120, San Jose, CA where he served as the Assistant Training and Administration Officer, before progressing to the Executive Officer position in 2000 until its disestablishment in August 2001. In December 2000, Papadopoulos completed the Engineering Duty qualification program and 1445 designator change in May 2001. After completing his qualifications, he reported to Navy Reserve Naval Sea Systems Command Detachment 620, Alameda, CA in September 2001, serving three years as Assistant Training Officer, Team Lead and Task Leader for NAVSEA 05P Surface Combatant Hull Structure Assessment and Analysis project. His operational execution with Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility Code 300 from 1998 to 2003 were featured in a local O‘ahu newspaper (Naval Shipyard public affairs) article.

Papadopoulos is a 2010 graduate of the Navy Reserve Advanced Management Seminar and commanded eight Navy Reserve units: NR CNE MICFAC (2004-2005), NR SRF-JRMC Det Sasebo (2005- 2007), NR USS Frank Cable (AS-40) Det’s E (2007-2009) and F (2010), NR SurgeMain Puget Sound (2011- 2013), NR SPAWAR 0366 (2013-2015), NR SurgeMain Pacific (2015-2017) and NR ONR/NRL S&T 113 (2017-2019). He served as Executive Officer for NR ONI 2109 (2009-2011) where he qualified Information Warfare Officer in November 2011 and was the first SPAWAR reservist to complete the PQS and qualify as a PMW-146 Launch Room Watch Officer for the Mobile User Objective System program (providing next generation UHF satellite communications) in support of 4 of the 5 satellite launches. He served as Officer-In-Charge, Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion & Repair Groton working Columbia and Virginia-class submarine new construction.

His personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3), Navy Commendation Medal (4), Navy Achievement Medal (4), Navy “E” (3), Recruiting Ribbon with Gold Wreath, various campaign and service medals including Letters of Commendation (4), 2007-2009 Honorable Mention/Runner-up for the RADM Israel Excellence Award for Technical Achievement, 2010 Honorable Mention for the RADM Israel Excellence Award for Leadership and was selected as the 2008 Naval Reserve Association 11th District Outstanding Junior Officer of the Year (Surface).

Papadopoulos is employed by The Aerospace Corporation, a nonprofit corporation chartered to work National-Security Space programs for the U.S. Space Force.