Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site
Ken Freeman Receives Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) Award for ATM-X Digital Information Platform (DIP)
-
Similar Topics
-
By NASA
As an IT security administrator at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Mechele Elliott protects the information systems that support astronaut health and mission readiness.
The encouragement of a family friend set her on this path, leading to a rewarding and somewhat unexpected career in human spaceflight.
Mechele Elliott stands in front of a space shuttle cockpit mockup in the lobby of the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Image courtesy of Mechele Elliott “While I was caring for my son during his cancer treatment—living in the hospital with him and supporting his recovery at home—a family friend who worked at NASA took notice,” Elliott said. “She quietly observed my strength, organization, and unwavering dedication to my son. One day she called and said, ‘Get your resume together.’”
Elliott doubted she was qualified for a position at NASA, though the friend was certain she could learn and handle anything after caring for her son. “Her belief in me gave me the courage to take that first step—and it changed the course of my life.”
The friend’s endorsement helped her land the position. Elliott was nervous at first, since she did not know much about NASA’s operations and had limited prior experience. With time and training, she grew more certain of the value she brought to the team.
“Reflecting on the numerous personal challenges I have encountered has reinforced my confidence in my ability to overcome obstacles while maintaining a positive outlook throughout my journey,” she said. “I am proud to have successfully adapted and become a productive member of my team.” In her role today, Elliott safeguards NASA’s information systems. She develops, implements, and maintains security policies, procedures, and systems in the Human Health and Performance Directorate, ensuring compliance with federal and NASA-specific security standards. Her work includes managing access control protocols and responding to security incidents.
Mechele Elliott in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at Johnson Space Center. Image courtesy of Mechele Elliott One of her most challenging tasks involved assessing, revitalizing, and implementing four outdated security plans through collaboration with a diverse team. “We successfully aligned the security plans with established standards and garnered commendations from NASA leadership,” she said.
Outside of work, Elliott enjoys several hobbies that help her relax and maintain balance. She began painting at a young age and continues to find calm through her art. She is an avid gardener, in spite of the Houston summer heat, and feels fulfilled by the beauty of her flowers and sharing homegrown fruits and vegetables with her friends and family. She has also earned a reputation as an excellent baker. “I enjoy making cheesecakes for workplace celebrations and I’ve discovered that many of my coworkers enjoy this hobby of mine, as well!”
Elliott is profoundly grateful for the opportunity to serve at NASA for over 25 years. Looking ahead to the agency’s future, she offers an important piece of advice to up-and-coming team members. “Remain authentic to yourselves, pursue your aspirations with determination, and uphold a commitment to excellence in all your endeavors.”
Explore More
7 min read Life After Microgravity: Astronauts Reflect on Post-Flight Recovery
Article 5 days ago 3 min read Jeni Morrison Continues a Family Legacy of Service at NASA
Article 7 days ago 3 min read NASA Seeks Industry Input on Next Phase of Commercial Space Stations
Article 1 week ago View the full article
-
By Space Force
The Department of the Air Force is aligning with a new federal initiative to overhaul how government services are designed and delivered, a move leaders say will sharpen warfighting readiness, increase lethality and save taxpayer dollars.
View the full article
-
By Space Force
Air Force Reservists in space-related career fields interested in volunteering to join the U.S. Space Force as Guardians serving in a part-time capacity can apply.
View the full article
-
By NASA
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Library
Scientific papers, industry forum presentations, and videos covering the concepts used in the digital information platform are available to the public. For those interested in a deeper understanding of the technical workings of DIP, please refer to these resources.
Newsletters
April 2025
December 2024
August 2024
June 2024
March 2024
November 2023
NASA Feature Stories
NASA Partners With Airlines to Save Fuel, Reduce Flight Delays
NASA Flight Rerouting Tool Curbs Delays, Emissions
NASA Cloud-Based Platform Could Help Streamline, Improve Air Traffic
NASA Machine Learning Air Traffic Software Saves Fuel
Technical Papers
View the Technical Papers
Events
View all the Events
Fuser information from Airspace Technical Demonstration-2 industry day workshop
Fuser Architecture Overview
Video recordings of the presentations at the ATD-2 Industry Days
Online Videos
2023 Jan 21 – AIAA LA LV NASA’s Digital Information Platform DIP to Accelerate NAS Transformation
DIP Collaborative Digital Departure Reroute Overview
Digital Information Platform
Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More
1 min read DIP Events
Article 11 minutes ago 1 min read DIP Request for Information (RFI) Information Session
Article 11 minutes ago 2 min read DIP RFI Outbrief Session
Article 12 minutes ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
Missions
Humans In Space
Aeronautics STEM
Explore NASA’s History
Share
Details
Last Updated Jun 18, 2025 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related Terms
Digital Information Platform Air Traffic Management – Exploration View the full article
-
By NASA
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Start
April 14, 2021 at 11:00 AM EDTEnd
April 14, 2021 at 1:00 PM EDT NASA’s Digital Information Platform (DIP) sub-project as part of Air Traffic Management -eXploration (ATM-X) project has recently released the Request for Information (RFI) to obtain information to define collaboration strategy and identify community needs and goals. As a follow-on activity, DIP hosted an online information session to provide the stakeholder community with background of DIP sub-project, example use cases, collaboration approach, and areas of potential contributions both from NASA and interested parties. The purpose of the information session was to help the community understand the scope of the sub-project and thus respond to the RFI in a meaningful way.
Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2021 Time: 11 am – 1 pm (Pacific Time) Agenda
DIP Vision and Motivation Example Use Cases Collaboration Approach Demonstration Progression Information Requested RFI Instructions to Submit Question & Answer Resources
Presentation slides Session Recording Request materials via email (arc-dip-ext@mail.nasa.gov) Digital Information Platform
Digital Information Platform Events
Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More
1 min read Digital Information Platform Library
Article 10 minutes ago 1 min read DIP Events
Article 11 minutes ago 2 min read DIP RFI Outbrief Session
Article 12 minutes ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
Missions
Humans In Space
Solar System Exploration
Eyes on the Solar System
Explore NASA’s History
Share
Details
Last Updated Jun 18, 2025 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related Terms
Digital Information Platform Air Traffic Management – Exploration
View the full article
-
-
Check out these Videos
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.