The 2012 RATS Crew

Bolinger, Allison

Allison Bolinger joins her first analog mission unlike any other rookie — as a crewmember.

Allison started at Johnson Space Center as a cooperative education student from Purdue University in 2001. After earning her B.S. in Aerospace Engineering in 2004, she has worked full-time as an instructor and flight controller in the Extravehicular Activities (EVA) group within the Mission Operations Directorate. She brings with her real-time EVA experience, including leading the 4 spacewalks conducted on STS-134, the final flight of space shuttle Endeavour in May 2011. Outside of work Allison enjoys running, crafting, traveling and spending time with her husband and their 2 dogs.

Coan, David

David is an engineer with United Space Alliance at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC), currently supporting two groups. He works for the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Office, helping to develop the architecture for future exploration missions and the EVA systems that will be required, which involves participating in evaluations of those systems in the various analog missions. He is also an EVA instructor and flight controller in the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD), where he plans, trains, and directs International Space Station (and formerly Space Shuttle) spacewalks from Mission Control. Prior to joining MOD EVA, David worked in the Engineering Directorate on the EVA Test Team, conducted EVA design and analysis, performed robotics analysis and simulation, and was a safety engineer for payloads flown to the Russian Mir Space Station. Read more

Graff, Trevor

Trevor G. Graff is a Planetary Geologist with Jacobs Technology in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate at NASA's Johnson Space Center. In his current position he manages the Spectroscopy and Magnetics Laboratory conducting detailed spectroscopic analysis on a wide range of astromaterials and planetary analogue materials. This research provides physical, chemical, and mineralogical information used to interpret data from various planetary landers, rovers, and orbiting spacecraft. In addition, Trevor is actively involved in the science and mission teams for numerous analog field studies including the International Hawaii Analog Field Tests (2008, 2010, and 2012) and Desert RATS (2010 and 2011). Read more

Reagan, Marc

Marc is supporting his first RATS mission, and is currently a member of the Analog Missions Project office, following a long career in spaceflight training for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS). Selected as one of the first non-astronaut ISS Capcoms, he has served in that role in the Mission Control Center since 2002. He was an original part of the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) team, where he served as an aquanaut on the NEEMO 2 mission, and has been a core member of the NEEMO Topside Team for most of the other missions since. Most recently he served as Mission Director for the NEEMO 16 mission in June 2012. Marc’s hobbies include flying, scuba diving, biking and playing the keyboard for his band the Rockit Scientists.

Rampe, Elizabeth

Liz is a planetary geologist and postdoctoral researcher at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. She studies chemical weathering on Earth and Mars and is particularly interested in the minerals and mineraloids that precipitate from water-rock interactions. These secondary phases can tell us specific information about the past environments in which they formed (e.g., pH, temperature, water-to-rock ratio) and, thus, can help identify places on Mars that may have once been habitable. Liz is a member of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) science team and the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin, the X-ray diffractometer on MSL) team. She was a member of the Desert RATS science team in 2010 and 2011. Read more

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The 2012 RATS Mission Support Team

Janoiko, Barbara
Mission Manager

Barbara Janoiko is the Project Manager for the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Analog Missions Project at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. She has participated in RATS activities for 10 years — 6 years as Test Coordinator, and this is her first year as Mission Manager.

While earning her B.S. in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University, she worked for NASA as a cooperative education student. She has also worked on projects such as EVA tools, the SCOUT rover, suit port and aft deck systems of the Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV), and suit design and engineering. In her free time, she enjoys running, paddleboarding, sailing, traveling, and other adventures.

Johnson, James
Deputy Mission Manager

James is supporting RATS as the Deputy Mission Manager and Analog Missions Systems Engineering and Integration Lead to assist in overall logistical planning and mission execution. James joined the RATS team and more recently the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Analog Missions Project after working as a Space Shuttle Emergency, Environmental, and Consumables Manager (EECOM) flight controller in NASA’s Mission Control Center. He brings with him real-time operations experience from his support of 18 shuttle missions and is excited to be involved in the development of future spaceflight mission concepts. He enjoys hiking, world travel, and seeking out opportunities for adventure such as hiking to the base camp of Mt. Everest, bungy jumping in New Zealand, ice climbing in Colorado, and diving the Great Barrier Reef.

Anderson, Herb
Test Coordinator

Herbert is the Test Coordinator responsible for the overall logistical planning and mission execution. Herbert has just recently joined the team, but brings a wide range of experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Prairie View A&M University, and a Masters of Business Administration from Rice University. He has served as the Wing Leading Edge Impact Detection System (WLEIDS) and APAS to LIDS Adapter Segment (ATLAS) project manager. Herbert has also worked with the EMU and Russian ORLAN space suit, and has managed several project on the Space Shuttle and Station. He also is an avid San Antonio Spur fan.

Dr. Andrew Abercromby

Dr. Andrew Abercromby is a biomedical engineer and deputy project manager for the Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) project, which is designing and testing a new type of human space exploration vehicle. He is also a member of the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Physiology, Systems and Performance project, whose goal is to help develop new spacesuits that will be safer, more efficient, and easier to use.

At Desert RATS, Andrew is responsible for ensuring that all of the experimental procedures are followed and that all of the data is collected. He also makes the best coffee. Read more

Ahsan, Sheikh

NASA Johnson Space Center/Propulsion & Power Division Sheikh serves as the JSC Electrical Power Systems (EPS) Design & Integration Lead for the Advanced Exploration System (AES)-Modular Power Fuel Cell Systems and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) projects. Sheikh Ahsan started working for the Boeing Company on the International Space Station Program as an EPS Engineer. Sheikh also supported NASA’s Constellation Program as part of the Lockheed Martin EPS team. Since joining NASA’s Propulsion and Power Division, he supports various research and engineering activities including light weight wiring technology, evaluation of miniaturized Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR), modular DC to DC converter units and Ground Support Equipment (GSE). His educational background includes a BS in Electrical Engineering and MS in Systems Engineering.

Koorosh, Araghi

Mr. Koorosh R. Araghi has worked 15 years at the NASA Johnson Space Center and currently serves as JSC fuel cell technology manager and Principal Investigator. He started his study and work in the area of Solid Oxide Electrochemical Technology in 1991 at the University of Arizona. He designed, manufactured and developed end-to-end Solid Oxide Electrochemical system for NASA Mars In Situ Resource Utilization, DOD and terrestrial applications. NASA selected his work and research in 1997 for Mars 2001 Exploration mission. Read more

Chappell, Steve

Dr. Steve Chappell attended the University of Michigan and earned a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering Sciences. Steve also earned master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Colorado, studying human performance in simulated reduced gravity. Steve currently works for Wyle Science, Technology, and Engineering Group at NASA JSC. He is helping to define and execute the research needed to optimize human performance in the next-generation human space exploration systems, including leading and taking part in studies in different exploration analog environments as a member of the Exploration Analogs and Mission Development (EAMD) team. Read more

Crues, Zack

Dr. Edwin Z. (Zack) Crues is the modeling and simulation lead for the MMSEV project. Zack received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in Aerospace Engineering and has been developing spacecraft simulations for NASA for more than 20 years. Zack is leading a team of engineers in the development of the human-in-the-loop simulation of the MMSEV. This simulation is used to provide a synthetic environment for the tests associated with the operation of the MMSEV in proximity to a planetary body, in this case a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA). Read more

Dungan, Larry

Larry K. Dungan has been the project manager and electrical designer on the Active Response Gravity Offload System project for the past 5 years. He has been with NASA for the past 8 years and worked at NASA-JSC since 1996. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University Kingsville (formally Texas A&I) and a Masters Degree from University of Houston — both in Electrical Engineering. Before joining the ARGOS team he was the Environmental Health System Group lead for environmental monitoring of the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. Dungan has been an electrical designer on numerous flight hardware projects in the area of laptop computers, power supplies, and photo-video hardware.

Etchells, Michael

Michael Etchells is currently on a rotational assignment serving as a Project Manager in the Propulsion & Power Division at Johnson Space Center. The projects that he manages include the 3 kW Fuel Cell and Diode Box hardware that are being used in support of the upcoming RATS testing to provide power to the Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle.

Flores, Melissa

Melissa Flores came to work at NASA in the Safety and Mission Assurance directorate in 2008 after 5 years of service in the Navy.  She is the safety lead for both the MMSEV and Deep Space Habitat projects, responsible for preparing the hazard analysis for ground testing as well as safety and reliability analyses for flight design concepts. Melissa has a BS and MS in Ocean Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2003).

Jones, Kelley

Kelley Jones is a Summer 2012 co-op, a fuel cell operator/tester/designer, and a minion. She is also a fifth year senior at Purdue University pursuing a degree in Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering. Kelley was a KSC intern in the summer of 2008 and has been a KSC cooperative student since spring 2009. She has had the chance to come to JSC for her last term before she graduates in December 2012. She has rotated throughout the Fluids Department at KSC and has been working with the Fuel Cell group on the 3 kilowatt Fuel Cell this summer. She will be operating the fuel cell with her mentor Abigail Ryan.

Love, Stan

Selected by NASA in June 1998, he reported for training in August 1998. Basic Astronaut Candidate training included orientation briefings and tours, numerous scientific and technical classes, intensive instruction in Space Shuttle and International Space Station systems, and physiological training, ground school, and water and wilderness survival instruction to prepare for T-38 flight training. After completion of the basic syllabus, Dr. Love received advanced astronaut training including Extravehicular Activity (EVA) classes and suited underwater practice sessions in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL), coursework and extensive simulator training to operate the Shuttle and Station robotic arms, instruction and qualification as a copilot for the rendezvous and docking of the Shuttle with another orbiting spacecraft, and wilderness and cold-weather leadership and survival training in Alaska, Utah, and Canada. Read more

Murray, Victor

Victor Murray is the ESCG Safety/System Safety Engineer supporting ER and EA3. He started at Johnson Space Center as an Altitude Chamber Technician in 1968 in the Crew and Thermal System Division; worked as a Safety Diver in WETF and switched to Safety Engineering in 1975. Victor has supported EA and KA organizations over the years. He holds a Bachelor's degree, in Technical Education from the University of Houston and a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Texas school of Public Health. Victor developed the Integrated Hazard Analysis for the current RATS Testing in B9 NE.

Ruiz, Josh

Josh Ruiz is the Lead Labview/Electrical Engineer in the Energy Systems Test Area at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Josh Ruiz received his B.S In Electrical Engineering and has earned a Masters Degree in Business Administration (Project Management) in 2012. Josh’s responsibilities include developing/designing custom software for ISS batteries and Morpheus cryogenic valves. Current responsibilities are to provide electrical engineering expertise for the 3 kW Fuel Cell Power Plant & the ISRU 10 kW PEM Fuel Cell.

Seibert, Marc

Marc Seibert is a Senior Research Engineer at NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Marc works a variety of Special Projects and investigations for KSC, NASA and other US organizations, focused on advancing technologies associated with space tracking, timing, networking and communications (TTNC) and exploration TTNC subsystems. Marc holds a Master's degree from Case Western University in Space Communications and Emulation. Read more

Voiles, Lisa

Lisa has 11 years of Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) experience working as an International Space Station (ISS) Operations Planner (OpsPlan) in the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Mission Control Center (MCC) for contractor United Space Alliance. OpsPlan acts as the lead integrator amongst all international and domestic planning partners. OpsPlan is a project manager, leading the team in the responsibility of coordination, creation, distribution and uplink of all plans and supporting products required to carry out the latest mission priorities. Read more