Since becoming a member of NASA in 2017 as a contractor supporting the Worldwide Area Station, Caroline Cawthon has held many roles supporting real-time operations as a licensed flight controller, crew lead, and lead methods engineer.
Caroline Cawthon
CLDP Engineering and Integration Lead
Now, she is supporting America’s future in orbit because the methods engineering and integration lead for NASA’s Business Low Earth Orbit Growth Program engineering technical authority. Cawthon helps this system’s chief engineer workplace. On this place, she performs a key position within the oversight of section 1 companion necessities and processes as a part of this system’s two-phase strategy to help the event of economic area stations.
Rising up in army and NASA communities, Cawthon was fascinated with aviation and aerospace from a younger age and aspired to develop into a fighter pilot and engineer. She first met an astronaut whereas attending Area Camp on the Euro Area Heart in Belgium, sparking her curiosity in human spaceflight and solidifying her objectives to work for NASA, make an affect, and be part of making historical past. She later earned her bachelor’s diploma in chemical and supplies engineering and her grasp’s diploma in aeronautics and area methods.
Cawthon describes the most effective a part of her day because the folks she works with, and her passionate and mission-driven crew reminds her that the mission she’s working towards will make a distinction in the way forward for human spaceflight.
“Between this system, engineering crew, and our business companions, there are millions of years of expertise with human spaceflight that I get to leverage day by day to be taught and develop in my position and to assist NASA accomplish our mission,” shared Cawthon.
A latest instance of this mission-driven teamwork was the event of this system’s technical requirements design analysis doc. Because the lead for this activity, Cawthon was pleased with how everybody’s arduous work and contributions got here collectively.
The most important lesson Cawthon has discovered whereas working with NASA is to proceed being curious, studying, and rising each personally and professionally.
“NASA is without doubt one of the greatest most spectacular networks of engineering, science, and area program experience on this planet and to not leverage that have in mentorship could be a waste,” Cawthon stated.
Outdoors of labor, Cawthon enjoys spending time open air along with her husband and daughter. She and her household additionally wish to be on the highway, exploring new locations and assembly new folks. They take pleasure in worldwide journey and small weekend adventures just like the native zoo and aquarium.
Study extra about NASA’s Business Low Earth Orbit Growth Program at:
