Commercial Crew Biographies

Daniel Forrestel
Launch Integration Manager, Ground and Mission Operations Branch
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program

Daniel Forrestel is the Launch Integration manager for the Ground and Mission Operations branch of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In this position, Forrestel works with commercial partners Boeing and SpaceX in all aspects of launch operations, including health stabilization, astronaut suit up, transport to the launch pad, procedure development, training, and emergency management, as the companies work to prepare their spacecraft to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

Forrestel also serves as one of the program’s Launch Rescue directors and is responsible for emergency response coordination between NASA, the companies and the Department of Defense (DoD) Human Space Flight Support Office for any contingency that could occur on launch day prior to liftoff. Forrestel leads multi-agency emergency simulations to ensure teams are fully prepared to protect and triage ground personnel and astronauts in the unlikely event of an emergency scenario.

Forrestel began his role in CCP in January 2020. He first started his career journey at NASA’s Johnson Space Center as a co-op student in 2002, and in 2006, began working full-time as an environmental systems and emergency response instructor and flight controller for the International Space Station. In 2013, he was selected as a chief training officer, where he was in charge of leading teams across all programs. Forrestel accepted a position in the Vehicle and Test Integration Office in 2018, which led him to move to Kennedy in January 2019.

Forrestel received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Auburn University.