Matt Czech
Deputy Flow Director
Contents
Matt Czech is the deputy flow director for the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) program at NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, assisting the flow director – responsible for the launch vehicle readiness process from arrival through launch – in the overall management, planning, integration, and execution of ground and flight hardware processing activities of Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis missions.
Experience
From May 2021 to November 2022, Czech served as the NASA integrated operations manager, responsible for all the integration and coordination among and between the ground and flight elements for the Artemis missions in the Vehicle Assembly Building and Launch Pad 39B, including overall processing schedule and flow for Artemis I and future missions. As a lead NASA test director from 2018 to 2020, he served on the Integrated Test and Checkout Integrated Task Team, where he led the development of flight hardware testing procedures and schedules, as well as the execution of several integrated system verification and validation test events from Firing Room 1 inside the Launch Control Center leading up to Artemis I.
In 2013, Czech joined EGS (formerly Ground Systems Development and Operations Program) as a deputy element operations manager and led the development of the Ground Operations Planning Database, which served as the foundation for all future Artemis ground operations plans. During this time, he began working with the future launch director on the Artemis I launch countdown operations sequencing, which evolved after many years into the inaugural procedure for Artemis launches.
He became a NASA Test Director in 2015, supporting overall integrated test planning and operations for the ground systems and leading the development of multiple integrated test plans. He also was assigned to the role as a NASA test manager at the Launch Equipment Test Facility, leading integration of launch accessories for testing on behalf of EGS.
Starting his career with NASA in 2006 as a cooperative education student with the International Space Station Program Operations Division, upon graduation, Czech returned to Kennedy as an operations engineer, continuing that role through the end of the Space Shuttle Program. From 2010 to 2013, he served as a technical team committee member on the Test and Operations Support Contract (TOSC) Source Evaluation Board.
Awards
Czech has received a myriad of awards, including NASA’s Silver Achievement Medal, Spaceflight Awareness Honoree, Silver Snoopy, KSC Certificate of Commendation, and Silver Dollar Award.
Education
Born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan, Czech is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering. He received a master’s degree in space systems management from Florida Institute of Technology.
Personal
Czech resides in Viera with his wife, Janine, two daughters, two mini dachshunds, and one hamster.
Biography last updated April 2023