Sometimes an unexpected turn in a carefully planned career path leads to surprising opportunities for growth and exciting new experiences. For Jason Phillips, that turn steered toward NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Phillips joined the U.S. Air Force in 1994 and planned to serve for at least 20 years, but in 2010—while preparing for […]
Category: People of Johnson
Michael Ciancone Builds a Lasting Legacy in Human Spaceflight
When Michael Ciancone joined NASA in 1983, he could hardly imagine what his 40-plus-year career would entail. From honoring and preserving spaceflight history to advancing safety standards, he has undoubtedly woven his knowledge and experience into NASA’s history as well as its future. Ciancone currently serves as the Orion Program safety lead, overseeing the Office […]
In the Starlight: Tina Preyan Fuels the Future at Johnson
Exploring the unknown and preparing for humanity’s next giant leap really works up an appetite. Thankfully, employees at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston can count on Tina Preyan to help them fuel up and stay focused. Preyan is a food service specialist at Starport, a quality-of-life program that contributes to Johnson’s mission by providing […]
Station Nation: Meet Nick Kopp, SpaceX Dragon Flight Lead
Nick Kopp is a Dragon flight lead in the Transportation Integration Office at Johnson Space Center in Houston. He is currently leading NASA’s efforts to prepare, launch, and return the agency’s 32nd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission. He works directly with SpaceX and collaborates with NASA’s many internal, external, and international partners to ensure the […]
Meet Alex Olley: Air Force Veteran Powering the Space Station
As an Air Force veteran from Spartanburg, South Carolina, Alex Olley now serves as a contract specialist in the International Space Station Procurement Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Olley joined NASA as a Pathways intern in January 2023 to turn his lifelong goal into a reality—bringing his unique experience in the defense […]
Caroline Cawthon: Supporting America’s Future in Low Earth Orbit
Since joining NASA in 2017 as a contractor supporting the International Space Station, Caroline Cawthon has held many roles supporting real-time operations as a certified flight controller, team lead, and lead systems engineer. Now, she is supporting America’s future in orbit as the systems engineering and integration lead for NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development […]
From FIRST Robotics to NASA Rockets: Angel Saenz’s Journey to White Sands
Long before joining NASA’s Test and Evaluation Support Team contract in October 2024, Angel Saenz was already an engineer at heart. A STEM education program at his high school helped unlock that passion, setting him on a path that would eventually lead to NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The program […]
She Speaks for the Samples: Meet Dr. Juliane Gross, Artemis Campaign Sample Curation Lead
Based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, or ARES, curates the most extensive collection of extraterrestrial materials on Earth, ranging from microscopic cosmic dust particles to Apollo-era Moon rocks. Soon, ARES’ team of world-leading sample scientists hopes to add something new to its collection – lunar samples […]
Bringing the Heat: Abigail Howard Leads Thermal Systems for Artemis Rovers, Tools
Depending on where you stand at the lunar South Pole, you may experience temperatures of 130°F (54°C) during sunlit periods, or as low as -334°F (-203°C) in a permanently shadowed region. Keeping crews comfortable and tools and vehicles operational in such extreme temperatures is a key challenge for engineers at Johnson Space Center working on […]