Melissa Trahan

Affiliation– NASA Ames Research Center

Division– Human Systems Integration Division (TH)

Email– melissa.i.trahan@nasa.gov

Phone– 321-861-8030

Professional Bio

Quality Assurance (QA) Specialist working with Cross-Program Integrated Data Systems (CPIDS) group to develop and execute quality assurance standards, processes, and plans for our software portfolio, comprised of 30 applications serving approximately 4,500 unique users across NASA and its private sector and international partners. The application suite supports both human space flight programs – the International Space Station (ISS) and the Moon to Mars Program which includes Gateway, Exploration Grounds Systems (EGS), Human Landing System (HLS), Orion, Space Launch System (SLS), and more.

Education

Hillsborough Community College, 2008

Erwin Technical College, 2012

Professional Experience

Program Specialist, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2025 – present

• Quality Assurance Specialist with the NASA Ames Research Center’s Cross-Program Integrated Data Systems Group

Test Engineer, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, 2019-2025

• Quality Assurance Specialist with the NASA Ames Research Center’s Cross-Program Integrated Data Systems Group

Research Associate, San Jose State University Research Foundation, 2015-2019

• Quality Assurance Specialist with the NASA Ames Research Center’s Human-Computer Interaction Group

Awards/Honors

NASA Group Achievement Award (2017)- For NASA Operation Maintenance Requirements and Specifications (OMRS) Management System (OMS) Development.

NASA Group Achievement Award (2019)- For the team’s ground-breaking development of a web-based, console operator optimized view of Launch Commit Criteria (LCC), dramatically reducing search times during terminal countdown launch simulations in preparation for Artemis 1. 

NASA Group Achievement Award (2019)- For the team’s tremendous success in migrating to the target architecture of the Mission Assurance Systems (MAS) platform in advance of Exploration Mission-1 launch simulations. 

Ames Honor Award (2019)- To the Cross-Program Launch Commit Criteria (LCC) Management System (LMS) Development Team for excellence in the category of group/team