Ms. Misty Finical

Misty Finical is currently serving as the Deputy Principal Advisor for Enterprise Protection for NASA providing advice and recommendations regarding the protection of the NASA enterprise. Specifically, and especially, for cross-Agency and complex threats to flight systems, ground systems, and infrastructure. Currently she is leading a team to create space and ground controls to address potential mission security vulnerabilities across current and future NASA architectures and missions.

Ms. Finical began her Federal Government career as a Space Weather Forecaster for the Department of Commerce with a focus on solar flare phenomenology. During Ms. Finical’s spare time she pursued impacts to spacecraft systems research. This focus on space weather’s operational impact led Ms. Finical to join the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). There, she led the charge for modeling the community could use to better predict solar and geomagnetic impacts into the forecaster’s hands. Her drive for the operational community and knowledge of spacecraft hardware eventually led Ms. Finical to become the Deputy Program Manager for Advanced GPS Technologies, thereby leading the development of several technologies vital for the future security of the Global Positioning System (GPS)/Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) architecture and signals. GPS and PNT expertise took her to Air Force Headquarters as the GPS Integration Planning Engineer for the SAF/AQS (now, SAF/SQS) Global Space Power Projection Division. There, Ms. Finical was responsible for international spectrum as well as system planning and integration into the current GPS system and future space and ground based PNT architectures.

Ms. Finical holds a Bachelors in Earth Science with a focus in Astronomy and Geophysics from the University of Northern Colorado. Ms. Finical also holds a Masters in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with a focus on spacecraft hardware impacts due to solar cycle variability. Additionally, she holds Defense Acquisition University Certifications in Systems Engineering (Level III), Science and Technology Management (Level III), and Program Management (Level I).

Ms. Finical has been awarded the Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award, Director’s Cup Junior Force Award, Dr. Harold Gardiner Director’s Cup Team Award, multiple exceptional service awards, and the Isaac M. Cline Award for Service Excellence.