Rogelio Franco

Rogelio Franco is the fluids discipline chief engineer within the Engineering Directorate at NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a position he’s held since 2020.

He oversees the development, evaluation, and establishment of design requirements and verification procedures for the integrated development of fluid systems of ground support equipment, including resolution of design issue for major subsystems such as cryogenics, environmental control systems, hydraulics, and more. Franco also helps build coalitions with contract aerospace engineers to incorporate new technologies, improve reliability, extend the life of ground systems, and reduce total ownership costs.

Experience

Most recently, Franco served as chief of the Exploration Systems Integration Branch within the Technical Performance and Integration Division at NASA Kennedy. He performed a variety of engineering and integration efforts to certify more than 50 ground support equipment subsystems through the Design Certification Review Board for the Artemis I campaign and coordinated the transition of ground support equipment projects to the Test and Operations Support Contract baseline contract. Franco also worked as a project engineer for the Engineering Directorate where he managed projects from planning to execution involving ground support and aerospace flight systems for the environmental control system and ground control system. He also developed technical approaches, schedules, cost estimates, and risk mitigation strategies.

Franco began his career at NASA Kennedy in 2005 as a fluid systems design engineer within the Design Fluid Branch. He later worked for the Constellation Program as the designer for the environmental control system. Franco also worked as a technical integrator in the Ground System Development and Operations Program – now known as the Exploration Ground Systems Program.

Awards

Franco has been nominated for the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement. He received the NASA Honor Award Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2014, a Certificate of Commendation, and a Superior Accomplishment Award in recognition of continually exceeding expectations in support of the Constellation Program.

He received two Employee of the Year awards within the Engineering Directorate in 2008 and 2014, a Space Flight Awareness Honoree Award in recognition of support of the Vision for Space Exploration in 2009, as well as a Space Flight Awareness Silver Snoopy Award in 2014. Franco also received a Certificate of Commendation for superior sustaining engineering on the International Space Station’s ground air conditioning units and for reverse engineering of obsolete parts and drawings above the call of duty. Franco also was honored with his selection to participate in the Engineering Senior Leadership Development Program.

Education

Franco earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso.

Personal

He lives in Orlando with his wife, Lorena, and is the father of two children.

Biography created September 2025