Michelle Lawless
League City
Summary
Experienced aerospace operations and training professional with 17 years supporting human spaceflight programs at NASA. Developed and managed mission-specific astronaut training programs, coordinated international stakeholders, and supported ISS operations. Expertise in project management, operational product development, crew procedures, and instructor certification, driving mission success through effective leadership and analytical problem-solving.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Increment Training Integrator
Leidos
Houston
04.2023 - Current
- Develop, negotiate, implement, and manage flight-specific training programs for the International Space Station (ISS), Commercial Crew Program (CCP), and Artemis, supporting multiple human spaceflight missions and programs.
- Integrate and negotiate the crew training plans, training templates and CQRM with the International Partners and other stakeholders
- Develop, implement, and manage crew training plans, training templates and Crew Qualification Requirements Matrix (CQRM)
- Develop weekly crew training schedules based on the training plans and training templates resolving all resource conflicts between instructors, facilities, and crew availability
- Integrate astronaut training with International Space Agency Partners (Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada) to ensure mission success
- Provide inputs and assessments that assist the ISS Program with making decisions that ultimately affect the mission content, crew readiness and crew rotation/manifest
- Interface with multi-discipline teams that include, NASA Flight Operations Directorate (FOD), ISS Program Management, Subject Matter Experts, International Partners, Astronauts, Cosmonauts, Flight Directors, Facility Schedulers, and various other levels of NASA Management
- Managed competing priorities and strict deadlines across multiple projects to deliver timely training solutions
Certified Waste Management Systems Lead Instructor
Leidos
Houston
10.2020 - 04.2023
- Trained astronauts, flight controllers, and operations personnel on ISS Waste Management System operations and maintenance.
- Developed and maintained lesson plans, crew procedures, operational products, and technical references to ensure effective training and operational readiness.
- Provided real-time operational support for Operations Support Officer (OSO) console, enhancing mission execution and decision-making.
- Led a team of subject matter experts (SMEs), assigned workload, tracked deliverables, and ensured timely completion of mission-critical products.
- Mentored team members, fostering professional growth and enhancing team capability through targeted development initiatives.
Flight Project Manager
Leidos
Houston
08.2008 - 10.2020
- Managed ISS flight experiment projects from concept development through on-orbit execution and post-flight analysis
- Managed multiple concurrent projects maintaining schedule, budget and objectives
- Led multi-disciplinary contractor teams supporting critical mission milestones and readiness reviews.
- Conducted mission readiness assessments, risk analyses, and mission completion.
- Collaborated with principal investigators and NASA personnel to define technical requirements and operational strategies.
- Assisted in astronaut training for experiment execution
Education
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA05-2004
Skills
- Training program design
- Training needs analysis
- Readiness evaluation
- Project management
- Team integration
- Stakeholder negotiation
- Problem solving
- Leadership
Accomplishments
- Spaceflight Awareness Award, 2026 - Recognized by the Artemis II Crewmembers
Timeline
Increment Training Integrator
Leidos
04.2023 - Current
Certified Waste Management Systems Lead Instructor
Leidos
10.2020 - 04.2023
Flight Project Manager
Leidos
08.2008 - 10.2020
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry
Louisiana State University