posted 04-15-2005 10:32 AM               

Mission Control Flight Director appointments

NASA has named nine new flight directors who will join a unique group of individuals that lead human space flights from Mission Control, Houston.

It is the second largest such class ever selected, and brings to 30 the number of active Space Shuttle and International Space Station flight directors. The new class includes the first African-American and the first two Hispanics to be assigned as flight directors, and adds three women to the four already leading Mission Control teams.

"This is one of the most diverse classes of flight directors we've ever selected," said Jeff Hanley, chief of the Flight Director Office. "These nine individuals represent the depth of talent we have among Space Shuttle and International Space Station flight controllers, as well as the changing nature of the flight control cadre. Since Christopher Kraft became the first flight director more than 40 years ago, only 58 men and women have had the privilege to guide U.S. human space flights."

Leading a team of flight controllers, support personnel and engineering experts, a flight director has the overall responsibility to manage and carry out Space Shuttle flights and International Space Station expeditions. A flight director also leads and orchestrates planning and integration activities with flight controllers, payload customers, International Space Station partners and others. The selection process began in August 2004.

"There were many outstanding people to consider -- both civil servants and contractors -- in the Mission Operations Directorate, the Johnson Space Center and NASA," Hanley added. "These are just a few of the dedicated people who applied, but there will be more opportunities for the rest on the horizon as we meet the challenges of the Vision for Space Exploration."

All of the nine new flight directors have served as flight controllers, either for NASA or its contractors. The flight director class of 2000 was the largest class with 10 members. The largest before that was the 1983 class with eight members.

• Kwatsi Alibaruho's hometown is Maywood, Ill. He holds a bachelor of science degree in avionics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Alibaruho joined NASA in 1995 as a Space Station Life Support Systems officer. He served as deputy chair of the operations committee source board for the NASA Orbital Space Plane, and most recently was group lead of the Space Station Life Support Systems Group.

• Robert Dempsey calls Detroit his hometown. He earned bachelor of science degrees in astronomy and physics at the University of Michigan in 1984, and a master's degree and a doctorate in physics from the University of Toledo, Ohio, in 1986 and 1991, respectively. Dempsey worked for Computer Sciences Corp. as a resident astronomer on the Hubble Space Telescope from 1992 to 1997, and for United Space Alliance as a Command and Data Handling flight controller from 1997 to 2003. He joined NASA in 2003 as a Communications and Tracking Officer for the International Space Station.

• Richard Jones is from El Paso, Texas, and received a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University in 1991. He joined NASA in 1988 as a cooperative education student at Kennedy Space Center. In 1991 he joined JSC's Flight Design and Dynamics Division, analyzing and designing Space Shuttle entry trajectories. From 1997 to 2003, he worked as a Flight Dynamics Officer in Mission Control, responsible for Shuttle launch, on orbit and entry trajectory operations. Since 2003, he has been the group lead for of the Orbit Flight Dynamics section.

• Ginger Kerrick also was born in El Paso. She received a bachelor of science degree in physics from Texas Tech University in Lubbock in 1991, followed by a master's in physics in 1993. She began working at JSC as a summer intern in 1991, and began her first permanent job in 1994 as a materials research engineer in the Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance Directorate. Since 1995, she has worked in the Mission Operations Directorate as a Space Station systems instructor. After working as a crew support engineer at the Mission Control Center, Moscow, she became the first non- astronaut spacecraft communicator. She has been the lead Space Station CAPCOM and was deputy chief of the CAPCOM branch at the time of her selection.

• Michael Moses was born in Fulda, Germany, but grew up in Rockwood, Pa. He earned a bachelor of science degree in physics from Purdue University in 1989, a master's in space sciences from Florida Institute of Technology in 1991, and a master's in aerospace engineering from Purdue in 1995. Moses began working at JSC in 1995 as a Rockwell Space Operations Co. employee, and transitioned to United Space Alliance as a flight controller in Mission Operations' Systems Division. He began working for NASA in 1998 as an ascent/entry Propulsion Officer, and was the Propulsion Systems Group lead from 2001 to 2003. Moses transferred to the Shuttle Electrical Systems Group in 2003, and served as group lead until this new assignment.

• Holly Ridings, a native of Amarillo, Texas, earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University in 1996. Ridings joined the space program in 1997 through participation in a student program at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. She moved to a permanent position at JSC later that year, working for United Space Alliance as a Thermal Operations and Resource Officer, supporting console operations for the Space Station thermal control systems. She joined NASA in 1998 and continued her role as a thermal operator until 2003. At that time, she became the lead for the Space Station Motion Control Systems Group and has served in that capacity until this new assignment.

• Michael Sarafin was born in Herkimer, N.Y. He received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical and aeronautical engineering from Clarkson University, Potsdam, N.Y., in 1994. He joined NASA in 1993 as a Space Shuttle software engineer, developing cockpit display and Global Positioning System navigation requirements. Sarafin has been a Guidance, Navigation and Control Officer, supporting 30 Shuttle flights in Mission Control, since 1995.

• Brian Smith is from Upper Darby, Pa. He earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University in 1993, a master's in electrical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996, and a master's in aerospace engineering from the University of Houston in 2004. Smith was a hardware engineer for L-3 Communications Systems East, Camden, N.J., from 1993 to 1998 developing Space Station communications systems hardware. He joined United Space Alliance in Houston, Texas in 1998 and worked with engineers at the Naval Research Laboratories in Washington, D.C., and flight controllers at JSC designing, building and testing systems for a Space Station Interim Control Module until 2001. He has been a Communications and Tracking Officer for the Space Station since 2001 logging more than 3,000 hours of mission support.

• Dana Weigel, originally from Baltimore, Md., received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University in 1993. From 1994 to 2004, Weigel worked for Barrios Technology as an Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Officer, supporting crew training and console operations for Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station. She has been an EVA Officer in Mission Control since 2000, transitioning to the NASA workforce in 2004. She is the return-to-flight lead for EVA operations focusing on inspection and repair of Space Shuttle thermal protection systems.

posted 07-12-2007 12:25 AM               

Four New Flight Directors Selected to Lead NASA's Mission Control

NASA has selected four new flight directors. J. Chris Edelen, David H. Korth, Courtenay R. McMillan and Emily J. Nelson will join a unique group of individuals that lead human space flights from Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.

Above: NASA's Johnson Space Center 2007 class of flight directors gathers for a group portrait. From the left are James C. (Chris) Edelen, Courtenay R. McMillan, Emily J. Nelson and David H. Korth.

Leading a team of flight controllers, support personnel and engineering experts, a flight director has the overall responsibility to manage and carry out shuttle flights and space station expeditions. Flight directors also are involved in developing plans for future Constellation Program exploration missions.

A flight director leads and orchestrates planning and integration activities with flight controllers, payload customers, station partners and others. All of the recently selected flight directors have previously served as flight controllers in Mission Control.

"These new flight directors are a fine example of how supporting mission operations for today's human spaceflight endeavors builds the leaders for tomorrow's missions," said Phil Engelauf, chief of the Flight Director Office. "The four will begin with leading International Space Station operations, and when the time comes, they will be ready to lead missions back to the moon."

This selection process began in February 2007. It brings to 32 the number of active space shuttle and space station flight directors, including those in training. Only 73 people have served as NASA flight directors, or are in training to do so, in the 40-plus years of human spaceflight.

• J. Chris Edelen was born in Martinsville, Va. He earned a bachelor's in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech in 1989 and a master's in physical sciences from the University of Houston in Clear Lake in 1994. Edelen has 13 years of experience as a Flight Dynamics Officer (FDO) supporting space shuttle trajectory operations at JSC. He has supported 34 shuttle missions in Mission Control, including ascent, entry, orbit and rendezvous flight phases. He began his work with NASA as an aerospace engineer for Rockwell Space Operations, and joined United Space Alliance (USA) when it formed in 1996. He was hired by NASA in 2003.

• David H. Korth was born in Greenwich, Conn. He attended Memorial High School in Houston. Korth earned a bachelor's in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University in 1990 and is taking courses for a master's in electrical engineering from the University of Houston. He began work at NASA in 1990 with Barrios Technology Inc. in the space station operations planning (Ops Plan) group and also worked with space shuttle mission planning. Korth was hired by NASA in 1998. Working on space station planning from the ground up, Korth's experience includes being among the first of three individuals to achieve front room certification as an Ops Plan flight controller. He supported station Expeditions 1-14, and was the Ops Plan lead for Expeditions 1 and 7. He has served as Acting Group Lead of the Advanced Planning Group and Lead of the ISS Long Range Planning team. Since 2006, Korth has served as the Operations Division Technical Assistant in the Mission Operations Directorate at JSC.

• Courtenay R. McMillan is from Winchester, Mass. She earned a bachelor's in aerospace engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1992. She began her career as a software engineer at Loral Advanced Distributed Simulation in Cambridge, Mass. She started work at NASA with USA in 1996 as an Attitude Determination and Control Officer (ADCO) for the space station. In 2001 she was hired by NASA and stationed in Moscow for two years as an Avionics Integration Engineer with the ISS Program. She returned to Houston, serving as the lead for the Station Systems Integration Office in the Systems Division of the Mission Operations Directorate at JSC. She most recently worked as a technical assistant in the EVA, Robotics and Crew Systems Division.

• Emily J. Nelson was born in Okinawa, Japan. She earned a bachelor's in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas in 1998. She began working at NASA with USA in 1998 as a Thermal Operations and Resources Officer (THOR) for the space station. She has supported operations for all space station expedition missions and several shuttle missions to assemble the complex, and served as the lead THOR for four expeditions and two assembly flights. She was USA group lead for thermal systems in 2003 and in 2004 she was hired by NASA to continue support to the space station and Constellation programs.

posted 06-01-2008 11:01 AM               

Four New Flight Directors Selected to Lead NASA's Mission Control

NASA has selected four new flight directors. Gary C. Horlacher, Jerry P. Jason, Michael L. Lammers and Royce J. Renfrew will join a select group of individuals who lead human spaceflights from Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.

Above: NASA's Johnson Space Center 2008 class of flight directors gathers for a group portrait. From the left are Royce J. Renfrew, Jerry P. Jason, Gary C. Horlacher and Michael L. Lammers.

Leading a team of flight controllers, support personnel and engineering experts, a flight director has the overall responsibility to manage and carry out shuttle flights and space station expeditions. Flight directors also are involved in developing plans for future Constellation Program exploration missions.

"The members of the flight director class of 2008 bring a solid background of experience to the office," said John McCullough, chief of the Flight Director Office. "They have an average of 13 years of spaceflight experience and leadership backgrounds in multiple flight control disciplines as well as organizational management. We look forward to their contributions to assembling and operating the International Space Station, safely completing the remaining shuttle missions and working on future flights to the moon and Mars."

A flight director leads and orchestrates planning and integration activities with flight controllers, payload customers, station partners and others. All of the recently selected flight directors have previously served as flight controllers in Mission Control and will begin training as International Space Station flight directors.

This selection process began in January 2008. It brings to 28 the number of active space shuttle and space station flight directors, including those in training. Only 77 people have served as NASA flight directors, or are in training to do so, in the nearly 50 years of human spaceflight.

• Gary C. Horlacher was born in Sewickly, Penn., but considers Chesterton, Ind., his hometown. He earned a bachelor's in engineering from Purdue University in 1989 and a master's in space sciences from the University of Houston Clear Lake in 1995. Horlacher has worked in Mission Control for the space shuttle Instrumentation and Communications (INCO) discipline intermittently since 1989, beginning with Rockwell Space Operations Co. and then United Space Alliance (USA). He spent brief periods working for Hughes Information Technology Systems and for Lockheed Space Systems Co. NASA hired him in the INCO discipline in 2006. He has supported 75 space shuttle missions.

• Jerry P. Jason was born in Westland, Mich. He has a bachelor's in metallurgical engineering from Michigan Technological University. He began work with USA in Mission Control for the space shuttle Mechanical, Maintenance, Arm and Crew Systems discipline in 1996 and NASA hired him in 1998. He supported 28 space shuttle missions. Jason served as assistant to the JSC Center Director 2006-2007 and recently was chief of the Avionics Branch within the Space Transportation Vehicle Division of the Mission Operations Directorate at JSC.

• Michael L. Lammers was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but considers Albert Lea, Minn., his hometown. He earned a bachelor's in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University in 1996 and a master's in aerospace engineering from the University of Houston in 2004. He began work with USA as an instructor 1996 and moved to Mission Control in 2000. He has worked as both a space station Attitude Determination and Control Officer and Telemetry, Information, Transfer, and Attitude Navigation flight controller. He was hired by NASA in 2004. In 2006 he was the lead for the station Communications and Tracking Officer discipline.

• Royce J. Renfrew was born in Riverton, Wyo. He earned a bachelor's in computer science in 1985 and a bachelor's in history as well as a secondary school teaching certification in 1989 from Trinity University. He spent seven years teaching high school mathematics. He began work with USA as a robotics instructor in 1997 and moved to Mission Control as a station Robotics Officer (ROBO) in 2001. He was hired by NASA in the ROBO discipline in 2003 and moved to the station Onboard Data Interfaces and Network (ODIN) discipline in 2005. He recently served as the ODIN lead, beginning in 2007.

posted 06-14-2009 03:19 PM               

NASA Chooses Three New Flight Directors to Lead Mission Control

NASA has selected three new flight directors who will manage and carry out shuttle flights and International Space Station expeditions. Dina Contella, Scott Stover and Ed Van Cise will join a select group of individuals who lead human spaceflights from Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Above: NASA's Johnson Space Center 2009 class of flight directors gathers for a group portrait. From the left are Scott Stover, Ed Van Cise and Dina Contella.

"Since the first flight director, Chris Kraft, was selected during the Mercury era, 77 men and women have served as flight directors. One of the new flight directors will be the 80th in the history of U.S. human spaceflight," said John McCullough, chief of the Flight Director Office at Johnson. "Dina, Scott and Ed are senior flight controllers who have lead management experience and an average of 10 years of flight control experience."

A flight director leads and orchestrates planning and integration activities with flight controllers, payload customers, international partners, and technical and program support across the agency. Flight directors also are involved in developing plans and reviewing systems for future Constellation Program exploration missions. All of the recently selected individuals will begin training as space station flight directors.

"This group will help us transition the knowledge and experience from the existing human spaceflight programs into the development and execution of our exploration program with the new Orion spacecraft in the years to come," McCullough said.

Contella was born in Austin, Texas, and earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University in 1992. She began working at NASA in the cooperative education program in 1990. Since 1995, Contella has served as a space shuttle and space station flight controller and astronaut instructor responsible for planning, training and executing spacewalks.

Contella served as the lead spacewalk, or Extravehicular Activity Officer, liaison to Russia during early station construction. After the Columbia accident, she was instrumental in the development of repair tools and techniques for the space shuttle's thermal protection system. From 1993 to 1995, Contella was an astronaut instructor in the Shuttle Data Processing System Navigation group.

Stover was born in Chambersburg, Pa., but considers Lemasters, Pa., to be his hometown. He earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace from Pennsylvania State University in 2000, and a master's degree in Space Architecture from the University of Houston in 2004.

Since 2000, Stover has supported six space shuttle assembly flights to the station as a member of the Power, Heating, Articulation, Lighting and Control, or Phalcon team that manages the space station's electrical power system. He has led the group since 2008. He was group leader during a space station expedition mission and two shuttle missions, including the STS-120 mission, supporting the relocation and reactivation of the Port 6 power module and the Harmony node.

Van Cise was born in Bay City, Mich., and earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 2000. Van Cise joined NASA as a member of the Operations Support Officer, or OSO, which coordinates station repair, maintenance and assembly operations in 2000. Most recently, he has served as special assistant to the director of Mission Operations in a leadership development assignment.

Prior to that, Van Cise had been lead of the Mechanisms and Maintenance Training Group since 2007, responsible for the training of astronauts and flight controllers in skills and techniques needed to repair, maintain and assemble the station. In 2006, he was on staff in the Flight Director Program Integration Office, and worked as a space station flight controller for the OSO and Telemetry, Information, Transfer and Attitude Navigation, or Titan, groups. The Titan discipline oversees attitude control, communications and command, and data handling systems of the station during Houston nighttime and weekend hours.

posted 10-14-2011 01:50 PM               

Three New Flight Directors Chosen to Lead NASA's Mission Control

NASA has selected three new flight directors. Judd Frieling, Tomas Gonzalez-Torres and Greg Whitney will join the select group of human spaceflight leaders in the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Above: New flight directors Judd Frieling, Tomas Gonzalez-Torres and Greg Whitney.

Leading a team of flight controllers, support personnel and engineering experts from around the world, NASA’s flight directors have the overall responsibility to manage and carry out International Space Station operations. Flight directors also are involved in integration of cargo and crew vehicles with the International Space Station and developing plans for future exploration missions.

“As we move into a new era of spaceflight, these new flight directors will help us transition the knowledge and experience from the existing human spaceflight programs into the next period of exploration and space station operations,” said John McCullough, chief of the Flight Director Office. “This includes development of new technologies and techniques for spaceflight, as well as development and execution of our future missions in the years to come.”

A flight director leads and orchestrates planning and integration activities with flight controllers, payload customers, station international partners, commercial providers, hardware experts and others. All of the recently selected flight directors have previously served as flight controllers in Mission Control and will begin training as International Space Station flight directors.

The selection process began at the beginning of August. It brings to 25 the number of active flight directors currently supporting the space station, exploration, commercial spaceflights and new technology demonstration initiatives. Once the new flight directors have completed their training and certification, only 83 people will have served as NASA flight directors in the nearly 50 years of human spaceflight.

• Judd Frieling was born in Austin, Texas, but considers Pflugerville, Texas, his hometown. He earned a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996. He began a diverse flight control career in 1997 as an Onboard Data Interfaces and Network (ODIN) officer, serving as lead for the STS-97 station assembly mission and worked to resolve multiple computer failures during the STS-100 mission. He was instrumental in developing new operations processes and procedures, allowing the Mission Control Center to operate with significantly smaller staffs during quiet periods aboard the station. In 2004, Frieling transitioned to space shuttle flight control as a Data Processing Systems (DPS) officer, and he supported 20 shuttle flights. He served as lead DPS officer for STS-118 and STS-130.

• Tomas Gonzalez-Torres was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. He earned a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University in 1998. A veteran spacewalk flight controller, Gonzalez-Torres has been the group lead for the Extravehicular Activities (EVA) Systems Group for the past three years, and he has recently been acting chief of the EVA Operations Branch. He joined NASA in 1994 and worked as a spacewalk task and systems instructor. Gonzalez-Torres became an EVA officer in 2005, working 17 shuttle flights including lead for the STS-121 assembly mission, which included tests of shuttle heat shield inspection and repair techniques. He served as the lead spacewalk officer for the final Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, STS-125, and four space station expedition spacewalks.

• Greg Whitney was born in Albany, N.Y., but considers Rye, N.H., his hometown. He earned a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2002. He joined NASA in 2002 and has supported space station activities as an Operations Planner (Ops Plan) and space shuttle missions as a Flight Activities Officer (FAO), developing plans to optimize crew operations. He supported 14 space station expeditions and 12 space shuttle missions, including serving as the lead FAO for the last shuttle flight, STS-135, earlier this year. He also spent time as an acting group lead for spaceflight planning activities.

posted 04-30-2014 11:30 PM               

NASA Selects Three New Flight Directors to Lead Mission Control

NASA has selected three new flight directors to manage International Space Station (ISS) operations. Amit Kshatriya, Jeffery Radigan and Zebulon Scoville join a select group of human spaceflight leaders in the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Above: New flight directors Amit Kshatriya, Jeffery Radigan and Zebulon Scoville.

NASA's flight directors lead teams of flight controllers, support personnel and engineering experts from around the world. They also are involved in cargo and crew vehicle integration with the station and developing plans for future exploration missions.

"These new flight directors will help us transition the knowledge and experience gained from our human spaceflight programs into the next period of ISS operations," said Chief Flight Director Norm Knight,. "This includes the development of new technologies and techniques for our exploration and commercial endeavors."

Kshatriya, Radigan and Scoville are among the next-generation of flight directors who will help carry out future of human exploration missions. They will oversee U.S. commercial cargo spacecraft and American commercial crew transports as they arrive at and depart from the space station. They will help ensure the crews of the orbiting laboratory have what they need to conduct scientific research that is providing real benefits to people on Earth and allowing NASA to be better prepared for long-duration exploration in deep space as it develops the Orion spacecraft and its Space Launch System heavy-lift vehicle. The trio also will assist crew members as they demonstrate cutting-edge technologies aboard the space station that will help take the agency deeper into our solar system than ever before.

Following completion of training and certification, NASA will have 26 active flight directors supporting the space station, exploration, commercial spaceflights and new technology demonstration initiatives. Before selecting Kshatriya, Radigan and Scoville, 83 people had served as NASA flight directors throughout the more than 50 years of human spaceflight.

The newly selected flight director class is:

• Amit Kshatriya

  Kshatriya started his career at Johnson as an instructor for the space station robotics system responsible for training multiple space shuttle and station crews. After completing training for the robotics flight control position, Kshatriya served as the lead robotics officer for SpaceX’s Dragon demonstration mission in Decmeber 2010 and was responsible for planning and executing the first ISS robotic capture of a commercial vehicle. Kshatriya then became the Chief Training Officer (CTO), a position responsible for the overall integrated training of the flight control team and specifically served as the lead CTO for the fourth Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle mission in August 2013. Prior to selection as a flight director, Kshatriya was selected as the Robotics Operations Group lead, managing all operational, technical, and personnel aspects of the station’s robotics system. Kshatriya originally is from the Houston area and earned a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the California Institute of Technology followed by a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin.

• Jeffery (Jeff) Radigan

  Radigan began his career at Johnson as a member of the station flight control team assigned to the electrical power system. After completing his flight control certification, Radigan gained extensive experience serving as the electrical power system operations lead in various roles, including the first station battery replacement that occurred during the STS-127 mission of space shuttle Endeavour in 2009. Radigan transitioned to a Mission Operations program integration role where his responsibilities included coordinating a multitude of technical and operational positions and representing those positions to external programs. Radigan worked extensively on the verification of the first commercial vehicle to the space station and has participated in the operations work for commercial crew transportation. In addition to his program integration duties, Radigan serves as an operations safety engineer, which includes co-chairing the Safety review panels and reviewing and approving hazard reports. Radigan originally is from Sylvania, Ohio, and earned a bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from Ohio State University.

• Zebulon (Zeb) Scoville

  Scoville began his career at Johnson as both an Instructor and flight controller for the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) operations team and has experience in both space shuttle and space station operations. Scoville has supported 16 shuttle and numerous space station increment missions and was the lead spacewalk, or EVA, officer for shuttle missions STS-123, STS-128, and STS-131. Scoville also was instrumental in supporting shuttle thermal protection system inspection and repair technique development after the loss of space shuttle Columbia in 2003. Scoville was selected as the group lead in 2009 and was responsible for all operational, technical, and personnel aspects of the EVA Task Group. Most recently, Scoville was instrumental in his support of the Asteroid Redirect Mission analysis and was the primary author for the initial EVA feasibility study for this exploration concept. Scoville is originally from Middlesex, Vt., and earned a bachelor's in mechanical engineering and a master’s in astronautical engineering from Stanford University.

posted 09-21-2015 07:20 PM               

NASA Selects Five New Flight Directors to Lead Mission Control

NASA has selected five new flight directors to manage International Space Station (ISS) operations. Anthony Vareha, Mary Lawrence, Rick Henfling, Timothy Creamer and Vincent LaCourt join a select group of human space exploration leaders.

NASA's flight directors lead teams of flight controllers, research and engineering experts and support personnel around the world from within the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. They also are involved in space station cargo and crew vehicle integration and developing plans for future exploration missions.

"I am very proud to announce these new additions to our flight director team," said Brian Kelly, Flight Operations director. "There were many outstanding candidates who applied, which is a great indication of the tremendous talent we have supporting human spaceflight at the JSC Space Center and agency wide."

These newest five flight directors will oversee teams of human spaceflight engineers and experts carrying out current and future human exploration missions. They will oversee U.S. commercial cargo spacecraft and American Commercial Crew Program transports now under development as they arrive at and depart from the space station.

They will help ensure the crews of the orbiting laboratory have what they need to conduct scientific research providing real benefits to people on Earth and allowing NASA to be better prepared for long-duration exploration in deep space as it develops the Orion spacecraft and its Space Launch System (SLS).

These five also will protect and assist crew members as they demonstrate cutting-edge technologies aboard the space station that will help NASA and America on its journey to Mars and beyond.

"This group of new flight directors represent an amazing wealth of operational experience and demonstrated leadership," said Norm Knight, chief flight director. "The critical role of flight director cannot be understated and I could not be prouder to have them join our team."

Following completion of training and certification, NASA will have 27 active flight directors supporting the space station, exploration, commercial spaceflights and new technology demonstration initiatives. Before this newest selection, 86 people had served as NASA flight directors throughout the more than 50 years of human spaceflight.

The newly selected flight director class is:

• Anthony Vareha

  Vareha began his career at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, as a co-op student within the Solid Rocket Booster program office. Following graduation, he was assigned to JSC as a member of the ISS flight control team responsible for the thermal control system, and later the electrical power system. He gained extensive experience serving as a systems lead in various roles, including as thermal lead for Space Shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission in 2011, and electrical lead for ISS Expedition 29. Vareha served as electrical and thermal systems lead for three contingency spacewalks, which focused on the replacement of a faulty Main Bus Switching Unit, the repair of a battery cooling system and the isolation of a major leak in that cooling system, respectively. He has been team lead of several efforts, including the overhaul of solar array positioning constraints and the improvement of External Thermal Control System operations philosophies, all in an effort to maximize station operation. Vareha originally is from Monroeville, Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh). He earned a bachelor's degree in engineering physics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida, and a master's degree in systems engineering from the University of Houston Clear Lake.

• Mary Lawrence

  Lawrence started her space career at JSC as a member of the International Space Station flight control team dedicated to operating the Command and Data Handling system. She served as the Command and Data Handling operations lead in various roles including ISS assembly and expedition missions. She went on to certify as a TITAN flight control officer supporting space station operations for the Motion Control, Communications and Tracking, and Command and Data Handling Systems. Lawrence was selected as the Environmental Control Instructor Group Lead in 2010 and was responsible for oversight of training for both the Environmental and Thermal Control Systems for Expedition flight crews and flight controllers. In 2012, Lawrence was selected to serve as the CRONUS Specialist Group Lead responsible for all operational, technical, and personnel aspects of the Command and Data Handling and Communications and Tracking Group. She originally is from Wattsburg, Pennsylvania, and earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Pennsylvania State University at Erie, the Behrend College.

• Rick Henfling

  Henfling began his career at JSC as a flight controller in the Booster Systems Group, supporting space shuttle ascent and entry operations. He supported numerous space shuttle flights and was the lead Booster officer for STS-133. Henfling transitioned from shuttle to assist with requirements development for the Commercial Crew Program, where he evaluated commercial crew partner designs as part of the early development phases of the program (CDev-1, CCDev-2, and CCiCap). He also provided ascent and abort operations expertise in support of Orion/Space Launch System requirements and operations development. Henfling then was selected as the Flight Dynamics Division's technical assistant for the Exploration and Commercial Crew Programs, where his responsibilities included integrating the flight dynamics perspective/expertise into the Orion, SLS and Commercial Crew programs while keeping the division management team apprised of the latest issues and concerns. Most recently, he was the Flight Dynamics Division's technical assistant for Boeing CST-100 Starliner operations, where his duties included managing the Mission Planning and Analysis team's efforts in support of Boeing's Orbital Flight Test preparations. Henfling originally is from Cleveland, Ohio, and earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Dayton and a master's in mechanical engineering from the University of Houston.

• Timothy J. "TJ" Creamer

  Creamer began his career in the U.S. Army and brings a breadth of experience as a helicopter pilot, paratroop jumpmaster, and assistant professor of physics at West Point, where he served in leadership positions including an Attack Battalion Platoon leader and Air Calvary Troop commander. In these roles Creamer was lead for multiple real-time operational missions and personnel involved in the planning, training and execution aspects of each. He achieved the rank of colonel before retiring from the Army in 2011. While active in the Army, Creamer joined NASA in 1995 as a Vehicle Integration Test Office integration engineer, supporting numerous space shuttle flights and crews. Selected by NASA as an Army astronaut in June 1998, Creamer reported for astronaut candidate training in August 1998 and his technical duties focused primarily on the command and control computers of the ISS including those for the international partner modules. From December 2009 to June 2010, Creamer flew aboard ISS as the NASA Science Officer during Expeditions 22 and 23. Most recently, he served as a Payload Operations Director (POD) at the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, for almost four years. During this time, Creamer completed the certification for the POD position, supported numerous payload activities including the planning, training, and mission execution thereof, and served as a liaison between Marshall and JSC. He currently is the Astronaut Office's prime representative for Orion landing and recovery. Creamer originally is from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Loyola of Baltimore, and a master's degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• Vincent LaCourt

  LaCourt began his space career at the JSC Space Center as a member of the mechanisms and maintenance flight controller group. He gained certifications as an Operations Support Officer (OSO), Operations Support Officer Mechanisms (OSO MECH), and Repair and Mechanisms (RAM) instructor. LaCourt supported numerous space shuttle flights and ISS Increments, including serving as lead for Increment 18, Flight 1JA and Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-3) mission. He also led OSO Team 4 during the STS-120 P6 Solar Array repair. LaCourt then moved to the role of Program Integration Engineer within the Flight Director Office, where his responsibilities included integrating technical/operational positions and presenting those positions to the ISS and Commercial Crew Program (CCP). Prior to selection as a flight director, he was chief engineer of the Commercial Crew Branch within the Astronaut Office, managing technical and programmatic issues with CCP and its commercial partners (Boeing and Space X). LaCourt originally is from Alief, Texas, and earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.