Biography

Lorelei Lohrli-Kirk is a Senior Scientist for Orion imagery in the Image Science and Analysis Group within the ARES Division at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). She started her aerospace career working in the Space Shuttle program, certifying vehicle/facility liftoff clearances and integrated vehicle controllability for flight, reviewing imagery data depicting launch, ascent and landing to identify sources of debris and other off-nominal phenomena, and resolving potential flight-safety software issues in preparation for flight readiness. Other work involving the Shuttle program included certification of the integrated avionics testing in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory, and validation of the flight-critical situational awareness displays in conjunction with Cockpit Avionics Upgrade. She was the Boeing Lead Engineer on the STS-107 Launch and Mishap Investigation Imagery Analysis Team, which determined wing impact location, analyzed amateur entry imagery and generated the reentry timeline. During her time with the Shuttle program, Lohrli-Kirk was temporarily relocated to St. Petersburg, Russia in the capacity of Special Consultant for the Sea Launch program, where she evaluated liftoff clearance analyses performed by Yuzhnoye and conducted critical reviews of liftoff clearance methodologies prior to first launch. After Shuttle, Lohrli-Kirk worked on the Delta IV program, where she developed Stage I/II clearance analyses and controllability assessments in support of the first flight for each vehicle configuration, before moving to Ground-based Midcourse Defense Weapon Systems to perform European Capability battlespace coverage analyses. She then led a NASA IV&V team that performed life-cycle analyses for HEO, which included aligning requirements with technical constraints; performing multifaceted analysis of system and software architecture, requirements, risk assessments and related components; and developing and implementing independent software test plans. Currently, Lohrli-Kirk serves as the JETI Co-Lead and imagery integration backup for the Orion MPCV, providing imagery integration across the Exploration Ground Systems/KSC, Space Launch System/MSFC, and Orion MPCV/JSC Programs.