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Biography

UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE

LIEUTENANT COLONEL MAX W. YATES

Lieutenant Colonel Max W. “Rowdy” Yates is currently a senior space policy advisor in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space and Missile Defense.

Colonel Yates was commissioned in 2006 as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. During his career, Colonel Yates has led technology development for the Air Force, Space Force, and NASA through all stages of maturation from basic and applied research at the Air Force Research Laboratory to flight testing at the Air Force Test Center and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. Recognized for his work in rapid acquisitions, he has led multiple programs at AFRL’s Center for Rapid Innovation and Space Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) to develop and deploy operational capabilities that solve urgent warfighter needs in the air and space domain.

He previously served as Commander, 23rd Analysis Squadron, Air Force Technical Applications Center, Patrick Space Force Base, Fla., where he was responsible for monitoring nuclear weapon test ban treaties using a worldwide network of more than 300 space-based, seismic, and hydroacoustic sensors. Prior to his command assignment, Colonel Yates helped stand up the Space RCO at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., where he led expedited development and operational fielding of highly-classified space warfighting systems.

EDUCATION

2006 Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y.
2006 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Master of Science degree in Astronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2013 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2017 Doctor of Philosophy in Space Systems Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
2018 Master of Arts degree in Defense and Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2023 Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. July 2006 – July 2008, RQ-4 Global Hawk Flight Test Engineer (Flight Sciences), 773rd Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif.
2. July 2008 – August 2009, Orion Spacecraft Launch Abort Flight Test Engineer (Controls and Dynamics), NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, Calif.
3. August 2009 – April 2011, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
4. April 2011 – March 2013, Deputy Program Manager, Strategic Systems and Launch Technologies, Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
5. March 2013 – August 2014, Program Manager, Center for Rapid Innovation, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
6. August 2014 – July 2017, Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
7. July 2017 – June 2018, Student, College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
8. July 2018 – May 2019, Chief Engineer, Space Resiliency Division, Space Rapid Capability Office, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
9. May 2019 – May 2020, Chief, Space Dominance Division, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
10. June 2020 – July 2022, Commander, 23rd Analysis Squadron, Air Force Technical Applications Center, Patrick SFB, Fla.
11. July 2022 – June 2023, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C.
12. June 2023 – Present, Senior Space Policy Advisor, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Space & Missile Defense); Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award
Air and Space Organizational Excellence Award with Oak Leaf Cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Air and Space Longevity Service Award with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS

Member, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Member, Society of Flight Test Engineers

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

2006 Distinguished Graduate, Reserve Officer Training Corp, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y.
2006 Outstanding Academic Performer, Outstanding Contributor, Exceptional Performer, Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 NASA Group Achievement Award (Orion Abort Flight Test Pad Abort-1 Team), NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
2011 Top 20 percent Graduate, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
2013 Distinguished Graduate, Outstanding Contributor, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Company Grade Officer of the Year, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2018 Distinguished Graduate, Highest Distinction, College of Naval Command and Staff, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2018 Navy League of the United States’ Adm. William Sowden Sims Award for Top Graduate, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2018 Military Officers Association of America Writing Award for Excellence in Joint Warfare, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2019 Gen. George C. Kenney Award for Writing on Air Power, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2023 The Dr. Frank Traeger Award for Excellence in Writing, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C.
2023 Distinguished Graduate, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Yates, M., Angles-Only Navigation Technique for Maneuver-Free Spacecraft Proximity Operations, Ph.D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., September 2017.
Setterfield, T., Yates, M., and van Hecke, K., “SPHERES-VERTIGO Test Session 74B (TS-74B),” Proceedings of the ISS Research & Development Conference, San Diego, California, July 2016.
Yates, M., Stochastic Orbit Prediction Using KAM Tori, Master’s thesis, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB Ohio, March 2011.
Idicula, J., Williams-Hayes, P., Stillwater, R., and Yates, M., “A Flight Dynamics Perspective of the Orion Pad Abort One Flight Test,” Proceedings of the AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, Chicago, Ill., 2009, pp. 624-634.

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant June 11, 2006
First Lieutenant June 11, 2008
Captain June 11, 2010
Major October 1, 2016
Lieutenant Colonel October 1,2019

(Current as of August 2023)