Rachel Chladek
Houston,TX
Summary
Driven aerospace engineer and manager who is passionate about human spaceflight. History working in business development, system architecture, space flight hardware design, build and testing, sustaining engineering, flight operations, and spaceflight hardware maintenance for human spaceflight programs and operations. Proficient in systems engineering practices associated with the definition, design, development, implementation, testing, operation, and maintenance of space borne systems. Have experience in supporting crewed NASA programs including Shuttle, the International Space Station, Lunar Gateway, and Commercial Low Earth Orbit destinations. Strong leader and problem solver with exemplary teamwork, and communication skills developed as an Environmental Controls and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) Manager, an International Space Station (ISS) Mission Evaluation Room (MER) Manager, and as the Thermal Lead for the Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Environmental Controls and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) Functional Manager 2
Northrop Grumman Corporation
01.2021 - Current
- Established new ECLSS capability including forming and managing a team of 23 engineers at Northrop Grumman (NG) in the Tactical Space Systems Division to support the Human Exploration Office
- Created a standard ECLSS Training curriculum for new hires to the ECLSS Functional team
- Led cross-functional teams for successful project completion, fostering collaboration and effective communication among team members. Assigned staffing and ECLSS Technical support for a number of crewed NG programs including the Habitat and Logistics Outpost (HALO), Northrop’s bid toward NASA’s Human Lander System (HLS) program, the Commercial Destination Free Flyer (CDFF) program, Starlab’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Space Station, Cygnus and numerous Research and Development (R&D) efforts
- Participated as a board member for the HALO ECLSS and Pressure Control System (PCS) Critical Design Review (CDR) presentation to NASA
- Cost Account Management (CAM) certified via Northrop Grumman’s training curriculum
- Responsible for leading a team of 6 engineers to perform the first in-house designed Air Revitalization System at Northrop for the company's NASA HLS bid including requirements definition, system sizing analysis, vendor requests for pricing, hardware down-select, identification of testing requirements, labor estimates, lab support hardware, schedules, and creation of a risk matrix
- Led the creation of an ECLSS Trade Study in which capabilities and vendors were assessed across all of the prime ECLSS Functions in order to assess market availability, cost, size and technical viability.
- Coordinated staffing, integration, and facilities support for in-house designed and built regenerative ECLSS hardware in support of the NG CDFF Program
- Proposed ECLSS component hardware to NG business development and management for in-house design, build and testing to support numerous programs including HALO, CDFF, Starlab and Cygnus
- Performed standard management tasks such as regular staff meetings, timecard approval, addressing employee reports of conduct infractions, assigning raises, bonuses, and promotions, and performing mid year and end of year reviews.
International Space Station (ISS) Mission Evaluation Room (MER) Manager
Boeing Company
09.2016 - 01.2021
- Integrated with International Partners, Payload Developers, Flight Control Teams, and hardware owners to lead multilateral anomaly resolution team meetings to resolve on-orbit ISS hardware failures or malfunctions
- Provided real-time on-console support to the ISS Mission Control Team as a certified representative of the Mission Evaluation Room Manager team
- Coordinated and led analysis, planning, and procedure preparations for upcoming on orbit operations including major ISS reconfigurations, new hardware installations, robotics operations, and Extra Vehicular Activities (EVAs)
- Collaborated with MER consoles on a rotating assignment basis to provide direction on fault investigation processes and statuses, integration opportunities with other MER disciplines, anomaly resolution, and elevation to management on items that require risk acceptance
- Certified to represent both the MER and Boeing ISS Management at NASA’s ISS Mission Management Team (IMMT) meetings
- Created a new COVID-informed MCC support posture for activities requiring MER teams to be present on-site to support, including procuring additional rooms to seat engineers, establishing ground rules for remote support, and creation of new communication paths
- Presented the MER anomaly status to NASA Management for the Stage Operations Readiness Reviews prior to all crewed and supply visiting vehicle arrivals to the ISS during the Increment 55/56 time period
- Represented the MER as the ISS MER Manager lead for the Increment 57/58 time period regarding on orbit task prioritization and scheduling. This time period coincided with both the abort of a crewed launch vehicle, a potential risk of unmanning the Space Station, and the eventual arrival of an extremely motivated crew that requested additional work load
- Acted as the backup MER Manager on console (known as the KAPUL) for numerous EVA spacewalks. The KAPUL is responsible for time and safety constrained real time coordination and troubleshooting while the crew is engaged in a spacewalk
- Assigned as the lead MER Manager to provide pre-EVA coordination and integration between the MER and Flight Operations Directorate, coordinate MER responses for EVA simulations, and lead the MER on console for the ISS Upgrades II, IROSA Prep, ISS Upgrades III, and ISS Upgrades 3.5 EVAs
- Led the MER as the interim Lead MER Manager. Provided regular consultations to the NASA chair of the ISS Mission Management Team (MMT) regarding the status of ISS hardware and coordinated with the IMMT Chair, Lead Increment Flight Director and Lead Safety Officer to accept risk to crew or flight equipment
- As Lead MER Manager, also managed the MER Manager team including scheduling shifts, new anomaly resolution assignments, and work prioritization.
Aerospace Engineer Specializing in ECLS Systems
Boeing Company
02.2012 - 09.2016
- Certified to support console operations in the ISS MER for the Environmental Controls and Life Support (ECLS) subsystem
- Coordinated on-orbit ECLS system constraints, failures, rework, and repairs with MER managers, NASA's Vehicle Control Board (VCB), and the Space Station Program Control Board (SSPCB)
- Acted as ECLS MER lead for the following missions/events: ATV-4, EVA 18/19, SpX-1, SpX-2, SpX-3, SpX-4, SpX-5, SpX-6, SpX-7, SpX-8, Increment 40, and Increment 43/44
- Received NASA recognition for work as Inc 40 lead
- Performed as the Lead and Point of Contact for the Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) hardware on the ISS
- Supported MCA subcontractor to ensure timely deliveries of hardware, troubleshooting anomalies both on orbit and at the subcontractor facility, oversight of refurbishment of returned hardware, and updating ground processing documents and drawings as well as on-orbit procedures and flight rules
- Managed Project for a NASA Change Request (CR) to determine the feasibility of using a non-flight circuit card in flight hardware for the MCA Data and Control Assembly Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU)
- As program manager, was responsible for writing the proposal, creating a project execution plan, determining the risk assessment, and taking the proposal through Enterprise Standard Gated Process by presenting proposal to both Boeing upper management and NASA
- Managed and directed the project scheduling, finance, establishing subcontractor contracts, and execution for the non-flight circuit card. Presented successful project completion to NASA, which led to follow up CR to modify a second non-flight circuit card
- Led weekly Subsystem Problem Resolution Team (SPRT) meetings to discuss ECLS system upcoming work, failure resolution, repairs, and hardware concerns.
Manufacturing Engineer Subcontracting to Boeing
CTS International
11.2011 - 01.2012
- Worked in the Manufacturing, Assembly and Installation department in the Space Exploration Division to support ISS upgrades to the Lithium Ion Battery and NASA Docking System (NDS) programs
- Reviewed new and modified designs in Drawing Review Boards
- Translated drawing requirements to input bills of material.
Aerothermal Engineer
Boeing Co
07.2004 - 08.2011
- Lead and Point of Contact responsible for achieving production and repair milestones for the Thermal Protection System (TPS) of the orbiter Discovery
- Analyzed TPS discrepancies to provide MRB Concurrence for repair and design modifications
- Provided real time liaison engineering support as a Certified MRB Engineer for manufacturing refurbishment of the space shuttle orbiters and TPS fabrication facility
- Coordinated TPS anomalies with Structures, Stress, and Materials Engineers to ensure flight readiness
- Applied Value Stream Mapping and Lean principles to the non-standard MRB process for improved cycle times in manufacturing refurbishment
- Supported the Damage Assessment Team at Johnson Space Center in support of the Space Shuttle MER to interpret on-orbit imagery for the Reinforced Carbon Carbon (RCC) Leading Edge Thermal Subsystem and the Tile and Thermal blanket-based subsystems
- Assigned as the Gap Filler Imagery Inspection Lead and participated on the team for emergency EVAs to clear the vehicle for reentry
- Supported take-off and landing operations including on console launch support in the Launch Control Center (LCC), ice/debris report evaluations, post landing anomaly inspections, and Boeing 747 ferry flight preparations
- Toured visiting colleagues and guests as an official Boeing Kennedy Space Center tour guide
- Author of Post Flight Reporting section of winning Ares I upper stage proposal.
Education
Master of Science - Space Science, Astrophysics and Planetary Science
Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, FLBachelor of Science - Aerospace Engineering
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OHSkills
- Team Leadership
- Communication
- Human Rated Spaceflight
- System Integration
- Anomaly Resolution
- Sustaining Engineering
- Real Time Flight Support
- Environmental Control and Life Support Systems
- Thermal Protection Systems
- Space Hardware Design
Honors Awards
- Expedition 58 Superior Achievement Award for excellent support displaying great leadership, integration and creativity during a dynamic increment as the lead Mission Evaluation Room Manager for Increment 58 (2019)
- Expedition 57 JSC Group Achievement Award to the Increment 57 Maintenance Prioritization Team for the exceptional review and prioritization of Inc 57 maintenance requirements allowing for maximum crew time availability for utilization (2019)
- Boeing Space Exploration 2016 Engineering Team of the Year Award for my work with the OGA Recovery Team
- Space Flight Awareness Team Award for support of the restoration of the International Space Station External Active Thermal Control System capability and ammonia pump module during EVAs 34 and 35
- Space Flight Awareness Award for support and leadership as the Discovery Thermal Lead and for work on the On-Orbit Imagery teams during missions (2010)
- JSC Group Achievement Award for participation on the STS-118 Damage Assessment Team (DAT)
- JSC Group Achievement Award for participation on the STS-117 EVA OMS Pod Blanket Repair Team 4 Emergency Repair
- JSC Group Achievement Award for DAT participation to cleared the orbiter twice for safe entry during STS-121
- Space Flight Awareness Team Award for work on the STS-114 space shuttle Return to Flight effort
Timeline
Environmental Controls and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) Functional Manager 2
Northrop Grumman Corporation
01.2021 - Current
International Space Station (ISS) Mission Evaluation Room (MER) Manager
Boeing Company
09.2016 - 01.2021
Aerospace Engineer Specializing in ECLS Systems
Boeing Company
02.2012 - 09.2016
Manufacturing Engineer Subcontracting to Boeing
CTS International
11.2011 - 01.2012
Aerothermal Engineer
Boeing Co
07.2004 - 08.2011
Master of Science - Space Science, Astrophysics and Planetary Science
Florida Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science - Aerospace Engineering
The Ohio State University
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