Dr. William Notardonato is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eta Space LLC, a new space company that specializes in cryogenic propellant technologies for the emerging space sector and solutions for energy efficient storage of liquid hydrogen for terrestrial applications. Eta Space is developing highly efficient modular hydrogen liquefaction and storage systems for Lunar and terrestrial use, LH2 servicing solutions for long duration UAV’s and other transportation systems, and zero-gravity cryogenic fluid management technologies for orbital propellant depots.
Prior to joining the private sector, Dr. Notardonato was a Senior Principal Investigator at the Cryogenic Test Laboratory NASA Kennedy Space Center. He became an internationally renowned expert in cryogenic refrigeration, LH2 storage and transfer, and in-space cryogenic solutions. Dr. Notardonato has led or participated in a number of cryocooler and refrigerator developments and created the concept of Integrated Refrigeration and Storage (IRAS) to provide direct cryogenic refrigeration into the liquid storage region of a cryogen. IRAS provides the capability for zero loss storage and transfer or liquid hydrogen as well as in-situ liquefaction and propellant densification.
Dr. Notardonato served as Principal Investigator and Project Manager on the GODU LH2 project that demonstrated 18 months of zero boil-off, no-vent transfers and tanker offloads, and densification to slush conditions a 33,000-gallon batch of LH2. The project was so successful in demonstrating zero boil off of LH2 that NASA has incorporated the technology into the new 1.4-million-gallon LH2 sphere being constructed at LC-39B for the Artemis Program. Prior to joining the CTL, William was a Space Shuttle Operations Engineer, servicing the Fuel Cells System with supercritical hydrogen and oxygen. Dr. Notardonato earned his Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Florida, and he has published over 50 papers in the field of cryogenics and space exploration and holds 4 patents for related work.
