Suzanne (Suzy) Cunningham

Suzy Cunningham is strategy and partnerships manager at NASA’s Office of Communications at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. She works with NASA, Industry, Academic, Department of Defense (DoD), and other leaders to research community and center issues and initiatives.

Cunningham determines Kennedy’s Space Center and the agency’s impacts and collaborates to develop strategic approaches or recommendations that synergize efforts that best utilize resources. Cunningham is the first SpaceCom | Space Congress Government Chair at Kennedy, and serves as NASA’s liaison for efforts including American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), National Space Club Florida (NSCFL), Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF), and American Space Museum and Walk of Fame.

Experience

Cunningham was previously Kennedy’s Strategic Planning manager. She advised senior management on Kennedy planning activities/analyses concerning present and future Kennedy operations and development, and facilitated development of centerwide strategic policies and initiatives. She was the business development and strategic planning liaison to U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing (45 SW), and was a Space Florida (SF) Board Advisory Member. 

Prior to that, Cunningham was Kennedy’s lead for Partnerships and Industry. She led a team in establishing and maintaining strategic partnerships with NASA, industry, academia, DoD, and other state/federal entities. She was Kennedy’s liaison to the Governor’s Commission on Future of Space and Aeronautics in Florida, and Kennedy’s SF liaison. She was also a senior technical expert on the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Orbiter Thermal Protection System (TPS) Gap-filler Assessment Group.

Cunningham was previously acting deputy and senior spaceport manager for the KSC/45 SW Cape Canaveral Spaceport Planning and Customer Service Office, also known as the Spaceport “front door”. She established the office, including briefings to KSC/45 SW executives and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.  She was the customer’s primary interface for facilities/services for launch, test, and technology development. She was also a NASA technical expert on the STS-107 Columbia Mishap Investigation/Reconstruction Team and the NESC Space Shuttle & International Space Station Recurring Anomalies Team.

Before this, Cunningham was a Kennedy Advanced Development and Shuttle Upgrades Project manager. Her projects included Orbiter TPS and bioregenerative exploration.  Her teams published on material/process improvements, presenting at the International Astronautical Federation Congress in Amsterdam. 

Cunningham was executive intern to retired astronaut and STS-1 pilot and Kennedy Space Center Director, USN Captain Robert Crippen in 1994.

Prior to coming to Kennedy in 1986, she worked as an aerospace engineer at Allison Gas Turbine in Indianapolis.

Awards

Cunningham has received NASA’s Government Invention of the Year Award, Exceptional Service and Exceptional Achievement Medals, the Center Director’s “Gold Dollar” Award, NASA’s “You Make a Difference” award, and the AF 45 SW Operational Readiness Inspection Award. She’s also an Associate Fellow of AIAA.

Education

Cunningham has a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from Missouri Science and Technology, and a Master of Science in space systems operations from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Personal

Cunningham is active in education/outreach. She mentors K-12 and college students, new hires, and other, and represented Kennedy on agency outreach teams. She enjoys touring students, dignitaries, and visitors to share NASA’s story. She is also a singer and performs for NASA, AIAA, NSCFL, ASF, etc. She’s a member of NSCFL, Women in Aerospace, and AIAA’s Space Transportation Technical Committee & Management Integration and Outreach Committee.

She resides in Merritt Island near the nation’s spaceport with her husband Phil.

Biography last updated February 2024