LWON Goddard – MADELINE JUSTINIANO BUTLER

lwonlogoheader


MADELINE
JUSTINIANO BUTLER

NASA
[Formerly Goddard Space Flight Center]

FORMER Deputy Chief Engineer [Retired]
Applied Engineering and Technology

Ms. Madeline Butler serves as the Deputy Senior Engineer of the Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate and the Data Systems Standards Manager at GSFC. She also serves as the Engineering Technical Authority for the Space and Ground Networks. She was among five other NASA engineers selected to go to NASA Headquarters in Washington DC to design and architect the telecommunications infrastructure that will be used to support the Missions to the Moon and Mars.

In her 32 years at GSFC, Madeline has served as the Head of the Telemetry and tracking Systems Section; Project Manager for the Automation of the NASA Ground Terminal at White Sands, New Mexico; Senior Systems Engineer for the Mission Operations and Data Systems Directorate; Head of the Mission Implementation and Technology Management Office of the Mission Operations and Systems Development Division. In this position she managed sixteen senior engineers responsible for mission data systems design, development, testing, operations and planning of NASA missions.

Awards & Recognitions:

Throughout her carrier, Madeline has received numerous awards for Outstanding Performance in engineering and management. She was awarded the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in 1995 for the design of integrated science and mission control centers; the Silver Snoopy Award for outstanding support to Space Transportation System (Space Shuttle) Program; the Manned Flight Launch Awareness Honoree, Award of Merit, for the achievements in support of the manned space program; and t he NASA Equal Opportunity Award for the contribution towards reaching the Equal Opportunity goals. In addition she is the author of several technical publications in the field of mission operations, data standards and telemetry systems. She is also a Senior Fellow of the Council for Excellence in Government.

Educational Background:

Madeline was born in Maricao, Puerto Rico. Since she was a little girl she was fascinated with everything that relates to space. She was always looking at the stars with her telescope. When she was watching the man landing on the moon, she decided that she was going to work for NASA even if it was as a janitor. Later on she obtained a Bachelor in Mathematics from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus in 1971 and she was hired to work at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in January 1977. Madeline was one of the first women to be hired from PR by NASA, opening doors for others to come to work for NASA. Later she obtained a Master Science in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD in 1981. She has spent 32 years working for the NASA space center at Greenbelt, MD, the Goddard Space Flight Center. Madeline went to PR to recruit 10 years in a row hiring a number of the “Boricuas at NASA”.

Madeline is married and has two daughters. She enjoys playing golf. And although she could retire, she is plans to continue working at NASA for a few years.

JANUARY 2009


 

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), located in Greenbelt, Md., manages many of the space agency’s Earth observation, astronomy, and space physics missions.

NASA GSFC was established on May 1, 1959 in memory of an American Rocket Pioneer named Robert H. Goddard.

For more information, visit NASA Goddard Space Flight Center home page.