Women at NASA are making history every day by contributing to groundbreaking missions and projects in the areas of space, science and aeronautics. They’re also dedicated to inspiring the next generation of explorers to break new boundaries. We’re celebrating Women’s History Month by recognizing their stories and contributions to exploration and beyond.
Michelle Lynde is an aerospace engineer who conducts aerodynamic analysis of configurations using Computational Fluid Dynamics tools, wind tunnel experiments and flight tests. Her work at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, mainly focuses on aircraft design methods to improve aerodynamic performance. As an early-career professional, she’s already helped develop a new computationally-based design method to reshape aircraft wings to enable natural laminar flow technology on typical commercial aircraft.
How long have you worked at Langley?
I worked as an intern at NASA Langley Research Center during the summers of 2012 and 2013, before being hired into the Pathways Student Program in 2014. I’ve worked full time in the Configuration Aerodynamics Branch since 2015, after I completed my graduate degree.
What’s your first memory of NASA?
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know what NASA was. I have no strong first memory, but I have always viewed NASA as a place where groundbreaking advancements in science and technology were happening. When I first heard that I was going to get to work for NASA, I was so excited and a bit nervous to get the opportunity to join a team that I viewed as being on the forefront of technical innovation. Since working here I’ve learned that NASA does so much more than I had ever imagined. NASA really is leading the way in so many different fields including aeronautics, human exploration, science and space technology.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
I am a very analytical person by nature, so I particularly love the parts of my job where I get to analyze the results of a recent study and then try to come up with a potential solution. I find aerodynamic design to be a very rewarding field. I get to perform aerodynamic computations on a vehicle, which I enjoy, but then I also get to analyze them in more depth to try to find a way to improve the vehicle. It’s as creative as it is technical. I find it so satisfying that when I try out one of my design ideas, regardless of if it works or not, I always get to learn something new about aerodynamics.
How do you want to be seen throughout your career?
I would love to be viewed as someone who consistently works hard to produce high-quality work. So far in my short career, I’ve focused on asking lots of questions and absorbing as much knowledge as possible from the experts around me. I would love to use that knowledge shared with me, as well as my experience on various projects, to develop into a subject matter expert in my technical field. I also want to be an advocate for others and to always promote the success of my coworkers. I would love for others to view me as someone they can come to when they need support, both with technical problems and general life challenges.
Meet more women of NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/women