We Are Your Lightworkers!
Subject Matter Experts in Fiber Optics, Optoelectronics & Photonics Subsystems for Space and Harsh Environments
Lightworker Photonics LLC delivers high‑reliability photonic and fiber‑optic engineering expertise for spaceflight and extreme‑environment applications. With over 30 years of hands‑on experience at NASA and across major aerospace programs, we help organizations design, qualify, and deploy optical systems where failure is not an option.
Learn more about us →About Us
Lightworker Photonics LLC is a specialized consulting firm with more than thirty years of combined experience developing, qualifying, and implementing high‑performance photonic and fiber‑optic technologies for spaceflight and harsh environmental applications. We specialize in manufacturing, environmental testing, component screening, and quality assurance of optical fibers, fiber‑optic assemblies, optoelectronics, laser systems, photonic devices, and integrated optical subsystems.
Our team originated within the Photonics Group at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, established in 1997, where we supported missions across multiple NASA centers including JPL, Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, and Langley, as well as DoD, DOE, AFRL, NAVAIR, international agencies (ESA, CNES), major aerospace primes, global vendors, and university partnerships.
Our mission is to provide high‑reliability photonics and fiber‑optic consulting, practical risk‑mitigation strategies, and engineering clarity for projects requiring robust performance in extreme conditions. We help clients reduce schedule risk, resolve failure modes, and mature optical technologies from concept through integration.
We provide specialized consulting in manufacturing, environmental testing, component screening, and subsystem qualification, applying deep lessons learned from decades of mission‑critical work. Whether you need design guidance, failure‑mode insight, or support maturing a new optical technology, we help you reduce risk, accelerate progress, and achieve reliable performance.
When you need aerospace‑grade photonics expertise, we're ready.
Melanie Ott — melanie.ott@lightworkerphotonics.com — 443‑883‑0159
Joe Thomes — joe.thomes@lightworkerphotonics.com — 443‑377‑2691
Melanie N. Ott
Melanie Ott is a 30‑year expert in fiber optics, photonics, and high‑reliability optoelectronic subsystem development for spaceflight and extreme environments. As the creator and longtime leader of the NASA Goddard Photonics Group, she directed the development, qualification, and integration of advanced optical fiber assemblies, laser components, and photonic devices for missions across NASA, DoD, and international space agencies. Her work spans major programs including ICESat, MESSENGER, LRO/LOLA, GEDI, ICESat‑2 ATLAS, SuperCam, Europa Clipper ICEMAG, the Roman Space Telescope, and JWST. Melanie is internationally recognized for her expertise in radiation effects, photonic component failure modes, complex optical fiber array construction, and transitioning commercial technologies into space‑flight‑qualified hardware. She has served as Primary Development Lead for multiple missions, co‑chaired international space‑optics conferences, and contributed to global optical‑fiber test standards. She is co‑inventor on two U.S. patents and has received numerous NASA awards for innovation and engineering excellence.
Joe Thomes
Joe Thomes is a photonics and fiber‑optics engineer with more than 25 years of experience developing optical, laser, and optoelectronic technologies for spaceflight and harsh environments. Before co‑founding Lightworker Photonics, he served nearly two decades as a Distinguished Aerospace Instrumentation Engineer at NASA Goddard, where he led the design, development, qualification, and environmental testing of high‑reliability photonic subsystems used on flagship NASA missions including PACE, Roman Space Telescope, GEDI, ICESat‑2, JWST, MSL ChemCam/SuperCam, LISA, and LRO. Joe is recognized for his deep expertise in fiber‑optic manufacturing, laser subsystem development, cryogenic optical assemblies, component failure‑mode analysis, and radiation‑tolerant optoelectronics. He previously served as Operations Manager for NASA's Photonics Group and was a Principal Engineer at Sandia National Laboratories. He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering and is co‑inventor on a U.S. patent for optical‑fiber‑based RF interferometry sensing systems.
Publications
Related Publications (please see photonicsarchive.com for publications prior to 2021)
- Resolving the Young 2 Cygni Runaway Star into a Binary Using ILocater
- Lessons Learned in Designing a Proposed Ultraviolet Sterilization System for Space
- Vision System for the Mars Sample Return Capture Containment and Return System (CCRS)
- Technology development of a solid state 266 nm laser for NASA's Dragonfly mission