Dana M. Hutcherson

Dana M. Hutcherson is the deputy program manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. CCP is working with the American aerospace industry to develop safe, reliable and cost-effective crew transportation systems for low-Earth orbit destinations, including the International Space Station. Along with the program manager, Hutcherson is responsible for the budgeting, contracting, safety and technical areas of the program at Kennedy.

Experience

Hutcherson previously served as deputy manager of the CCP Systems Engineering and Integration Office, which included managing and maintaining program requirements as well as prioritizing, planning, tracking and integrating the certification of the Boeing and SpaceX crew transportation system designs for the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contracts. She initially joined CCP as deputy manager of the program’s Launch Vehicle Systems Office, in which she supported in the oversight of partner launch vehicle design, development, testing, operational readiness, compliance verification, risk management and system certification.

Prior to joining CCP, Hutcherson was a NASA flow director within the Launch Vehicle Processing Directorate at Kennedy. She acquired management responsibility for integrating, scheduling and conducting space shuttle Endeavour’s processing operations in February 2009. Her last task for the shuttle program was leading the ground processing team during the final flow of space shuttle Endeavour for its final mission to the International Space Station, STS-134.

Hutcherson joined the nation’s space program as a Kennedy team member in 2000. She began her career with United Space Alliance as an airframe engineer, obtaining dual-system certifications in both the Thermal Protection Subsystem and Orbiter Structures System. In 2004, Hutcherson transitioned into an engineering leadership position with United Space Alliance’s Orbiter Element Division where she served as a subsystem engineer in the thermal protection and reinforced carbon systems.

In 2006, Hutcherson joined NASA as a member of the Shuttle Operations and Integration Division and vehicle processing engineer for shuttle Atlantis. She was promoted to NASA vehicle manager for Atlantis in 2007, taking on more of a leadership role within the NASA Operations Team for the overall processing of Atlantis from landing through launch. She provided leadership, direction and oversight to planning and scheduling operations and overall management of the processing team. Hutcherson held this position until her appointment as flow director of Endeavour.

Awards

Hutcherson has received numerous honors, including On the Spot Awards, Group Achievement Awards, a Certificate of Commendation, NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Award, Space Flight Awareness Leadership Award and Outstanding Leadership Medal. She also was recognized as CCP’s Program Employee of the Year for 2013.

Education

Hutcherson graduated from Evans High School in Evans, Ga. She received a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. She also earned a Master of Science in industrial engineering of engineering management from the University of Central Florida in Orlando.

Biography last updated September 2019