Michael Greenfield

Michael A. Greenfield is a distinguished aerospace and defense expert with more than five decades of experience in safety, mission assurance, and technical leadership across NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and industry-leading organizations. He currently serves on multiple advisory panels, including NASA’s International Space Station Advisory Committee and Sandia National Laboratories’ Independent Assessment External Review Panel. His extensive career includes leadership roles at NASA, where he was the associate deputy administrator and associate administrator for the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA). He oversaw technical management and risk analysis for NASA’s space programs, including leading the Return to Flight effort after the Columbia accident. During his tenure, he also pioneered the “Risk as a Resource” framework, which significantly improved NASA’s risk management practices. His industry experience includes senior executive positions at Northrop Grumman, where he led quality and mission assurance efforts for missile and defense programs, and other leadership roles at SAIC, Engility Corporation, and Systems Planning and Analysis Inc., advising on aerospace safety, launch readiness, and strategic defense systems. A recipient of numerous honors, including six NASA medals and the Presidential Rank Award, Greenfield’s technical expertise spans missile defense, space systems, and aerospace materials. He holds a Ph.D. in metallurgy, a master’s degree in engineering management, and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with a focus on structures.