Ken Alexander is the FAA’s Chief Scientist and Technical Advisor (CSTA) for Satellite Navigation Systems, with more than 50 years of experience in aircraft, avionics, missiles, and satellite engineering, flight test, program management, international standards development, special access programs, and international policy.

Ken provides technical advice on requirements, design, performance, spectrum, machine learning, cybersecurity, and policy issues for Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), aviation augmentation systems, aircraft systems and FAA infrastructure systems. Alexander’s technical contributions ensure continued backwards compatibility, improved performance, delivery of new capabilities, and protection of aircraft systems from spectrum interference and cyber threats.

Ken serves as Chair of the ICAO Navigation Systems Panel and advises the ICAO Council as a member of the Council’s Ad hoc Cybersecurity Coordinating Committee. He also supports the Department of Transportation as Senior Advisor to the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Executive Committee; Co-Chair of the Committee’s National PNT Engineering Forum (NPEF) alongside the U.S. Space Force; and Co-Chair of the U.S.-European Union GNSS modernization working group with the European Commission.

Ken was instrumental in developing the initial National Space Based PNT Policy in 2004 and its 2021 update. He was a principal author of Executive Order 13905, Strengthening National Resilience Through Responsible Use of PNT Services and was a principal contributor to the National Space Based PNT policy, Space Policy Directive 7 (SPD-7).

Ken is the recipient of numerous military awards, the ICAO Certificate of Merit from the President of the ICAO Air Navigation Commission, the Secretary of Transportation’s Silver Award for exceptional leadership, Partnering for Excellence Award, and the Secretary’s 2023 Award for Advancing U.S. Leadership at ICAO and Furthering Aviation Safety Standards. He has over 3,500 flight hours as a U.S. Air Force transport pilot and holds a commercial, multi-engine commercial pilot rating. He earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Engineering from the University of Louisville and is a member of the Institute of Navigation (ION) and the Association of Old Crows.