Cathy Telles

Cathy Telles is on a six-month detail as Technical Assistant to the NASA Johnson Space Center Deputy Director. Cathy has eighteen years of experience at White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) in the Propulsion Department.

Cathy began her career supporting acceptance testing of the Shuttle Reaction Control engines and the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) Fleet Leader Project. She initially served as a system engineer, where she maintained test systems, and later advanced to the role of a Test Conductor. In this capacity she designed test systems and directed hot-fire acceptance testing of hypergolic engines.

In addition to acceptance tests, Cathy also led Research and Development (R&D) testing for NASA, the Missile Defense Agency, and commercial partners. After thirteen years as a contractor, she transitioned to a civil servant role, continuing to support test activities as a project manager overseeing hypergolic engine testing for NASA and commercial projects.

Cathy also serves as the alternate WSTF representative to the Rocket Propulsion Test Management Board (RPTMB) and as a WSTF representative to the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Propulsion Technical Discipline Team. Originally from Thoreau, New Mexico, Cathy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from New Mexico State University, with minors in Mathematics and Communication Studies.