Gary Pearce Barnhard is the President and CEO of Xtraordinary Innovative Space Partnerships, Inc. (XISP-Inc), a company focused on Cislunar mission development. He is a computer, robotics, power, and space systems engineer by profession; an architect by avocation; and a scientist by worldview, necessity, and spiritual practice. He is an Associate Fellow of the AIAA, the Vice President of the Moon Village Association (MVA), and the President of the Space Development Foundation Inc. (SDF-Inc). As a life member of the National Space Society, Barnhard has significantly contributed to the organization by holding positions as the former CEO for six years and a prior Executive Director for two years. He is now an NSS at-large Board Member and Director of Strategic Relationships. His extensive career spans over four decades as a robotic, computer, and space systems engineer involved in a broad range of projects in these fields.
In the space advocacy community, Barnhard has been a dynamic presence. He co-founded and served as the Executive Director of the Maryland Alliance for Space Colonization (MASC), an influential chapter of the L5 Society. He also established the Space Development Foundation Inc. He has been a proactive public speaker on space advocacy issues, organizing educational programs and conferences, and actively participating in various space advocacy organizations.
Gary Barnhard completed his Bachelor of Science in Engineering at the University of Maryland (UMD), College Park, in 1982, combining Aerospace Engineering and Materials Science with graduate studies in science policy, solar physics, and artificial intelligence/knowledge-based systems. His graduate studies continued with the UMD Aerospace Engineering Department and Computer Science Department from 1982 to 1987, as well as at Kepler Space University (2019–Present), in the Master’s of Space Studies Program. His professional journey includes roles such as Space Systems Engineer and Information Systems Architect at EER Systems, along with Senior Space Systems Engineer on the Grumman Space Station Systems Engineering and Integration Contract (SSEIC). He has received recognition for his professional contributions, including NASA and Canadian Space Agency awards.
His passion for space exploration and advocacy is evident in his belief that the National Space Society plays a vital role in shaping a spacefaring society and future.