Melissa Ward
Orbital Debris Scientist | Jacobs
Melissa Ward
Orbital Debris Scientist
Jacobs
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Biography
Melissa Ward is an Orbital Debris Scientist for Orbital Debris Research & Science Operations under the Science & Exploration Department of the JETS contract with NASA Johnson Space Center. She began her career as an intern with the International Space Station's Safety and Mission Assurance Safety Panels Group at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in 2015. As an intern, she co-authored a paper that called attention to the effect of changing maintenance practices on NASA's space suit reliability. Melissa earned a bachelor's degree in Physics with a Mathematics minor in 2015 and started working full-time with Jacobs Technology at Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Florida with the United States Air Force Combat Shield Program as an Operations Analyst. After finishing her master's degree in Earth and Environmental Science, she transferred to the Orbital Debris Program Office at JSC and is currently in the Research & Development and In-Situ task groups. Melissa's work supports the advancement of technologies used in characterization of the debris environment.