Jennifer Nufer

Jennifer Nufer is a mission manager and the Flight Projects Integration manager with NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) at John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As the mission manager, she is the primary interface to the LSP spacecraft customer and leads the mission integration team in the management of schedule, budget/contract performance, and technical integration to provide end-to-end launch services.

Experience

Nufer served as LSP mission manager for NASA’s Lucy mission, the first spacecraft to explore the Jupiter Trojan asteroids, as well as for numerous CubeSat missions as part of the CubeSat Launch Initiative. She supports a number of multi-mission integration efforts and projects to ensure successful launch services.

Nufer previously served as an LSP Program Integration manager for the InSight mission to Mars and the OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2) mission.

Nufer began her career at Kennedy in 2005 supporting the Space Shuttle Program. She served as an orbiter project engineer for space shuttle Atlantis, the NASA vehicle manager for the final six flights of Space Shuttle Discovery, and Transition and Retirement Integration manager at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program.

Before moving to Kennedy, Nufer worked as a systems research engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Center’s Crew Systems and Operations Branch in Hampton, Virginia. 

Education

Nufer attended Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and earned a Bachelor of Science in systems and control engineering in 2000. She received a Master of Science in systems engineering from Virginia Tech in 2005.

Awards

Nufer is the recipient of several awards, including a Silver Achievement Medal in 2019, the Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2011, the Silver Snoopy Award in 2010, and the NASA Space Flight Awareness Award in 2007. She also received the STS-124 Launch Director Award, STS-133 Flow Director Award, several Kennedy Certificates of Commendation in LSP and the Space Shuttle Program, and NASA Group Achievement Awards.

Personal

Nufer considers Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to be her hometown. She resides in Merritt Island with her husband, Brian, and their two daughters, Julia and Lily. They have a border collie named Winnie.

Nufer’s interests include cooking, traveling, and spending time with her wonderful family and friends. She also leads the baptism preparation ministry at her church.  

Biography last updated June 2023