Dr. Luna has over 25 years experience at NASA, with roles in bioscience disciplines, management, and airborne science. She joined NASA Ames in 1985 to develop and test advanced space suits and portable life support systems. Her engineering work typically involves the interaction of humans with engineering systems. She has been responsible for thermal finite element analyses, biomedical (human) research on thermal regulation, space suit joint testing, underwater space suit testing and biomechanical analyses, catalyst and sorbent materials evaluations, and development and testing of systems for carbon dioxide removal. She served as the lead for Air Revitalization in the Bioengineering Branch, managing several projects concerned with the maintenance of breathable, safe, contaminant-free air in the space cabin. Focused study of a man-made atmosphere, like the space cabin atmosphere, entails some commonality with study of Earth’s atmosphere. So the transition from life support work to Earth Science work came naturally. Dr. Luna now coordinates the efforts of many to perform multi-aircraft missions to investigate the earth’s atmosphere.
2015 - Present | Deputy Director, Earth Science Project Office, NASA Ames Research Center |
2015 - Present | Project Manager, ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS (ORACLES), NASA Ames Research Center |
2010 - 2015 | Deputy Project Manager, Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3), NASA Ames Research Center |
2010 - 2015 | Support to various other airborne science efforts: PODEX, MACPEX, Operation Icebridge, GRIP, ATTREX, KORUS, COMEX, CARAFE, NASA Ames Research Center |
2005 - 2010 | ARC Lead for Atmsophere Revitalization element of Exploration Life Support, NASA Ames Research Center |
2001 - 2006 | Associate Director of Science, NASA Ames Research Center |
1999 - 2001 | Assistant Chief of Space Science, NASA Ames Research Center |
1998 - 1999 | PI on investigation entitled, "Electroencephalographic Monitoring of Cognitive Workload”, NASA Ames Research Center |
1997 - 2001 | Program Manager of Multiple Sclerosis Technology Transfer Program, working with the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, NASA Ames Research Center |
1997 - 1997 | Acting Branch Chief, EVA and Protective Systems Branch, NASA Ames Research Center |
1996 - 1998 | Space Life Sciences Level II Outreach Program Coordinator, NASA Ames Research Center |
1995 - 1999 | PI on analytical and experimental effort to characterize LiOH chemical bed , NASA Ames Research Center |
1988 - 1989 | Technical Assistant for Aerospace Systems Directorate, NASA Ames Research Center |
1985 - 1996 | EVA and PLSS Engineer, NASA Ames Research Center |