Christina Kneis Wolfenden
Driving project success through systems thinking, technical rigor and operational excellence
Systems Thinking & Lifecycle Ownership
Solve the right problem. 10 years developing deep context and owning requirements, architectures, implementation, testing, and iterative operational improvement for mission-critical NASA systems.
Technical Rigor & Depth
Solve it well. Hands-on fluency across hardware, software, infrastructure, data analysis, development, operations, and cloud. Data-driven decisions with traceability from requirements to test.
Operational Excellence & Delivery
Deliver results. Building trust and momentum across technical teams, leadership, and customers. Clear choices and tradeoffs that keep programs moving.
Experience
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CALead Mission Operations & Ground Data Systems Engineer
INCUS Cubesat Constellation- Defined & owned mission operations and data system requirements, translating them into system designs, ops workflows, mission planning strategies, timelines, and executable procedures.
- Led cross-functional delivery across engineering, software, and planning teams to ensure requirements are fully realized in system design, execution, and testing.
- Owned the architecture and delivery of the AWS GovCloud Ground Data System (GDS), with traceability to safety-critical requirements controlled through Terraform IaC.
Mission Operations Systems Engineer
Europa Clipper- Developed, standardized, and maintained the spacecraft parameter update process, ensuring consistent and efficient implementation across mission phases.
- Designed the systems telemetry display, synthesizing data from across teams to support rapid spacecraft health assessments, fault detection and anomaly response.
- Led cross-team coordination for onboard activities and supported real-time console ops.
Ground Data Systems & Cyber Security Engineer
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)- Owned day-to-day operational readiness of ground systems, including risk-based maintenance prioritization and fault-tolerant configuration design.
- Led the end-to-end process to maintain Authorization to Operate (ATO): drove NIST 800-53 documentation, gathered inputs across software, infrastructure, and ops, and guided stakeholders through reviews and approvals.
Mission System Manager
Lunar Flashlight- Led end-to-end mission operations during Lunar Flashlight's flight, through a persistent propulsion anomaly, using real-time fault analysis, risk assessment, and contingency modeling to redesign how the spacecraft was flown while protecting mission safety.
- Successfully demonstrated the novel green propulsion technology and all other L1 technology and science objectives despite the anomaly.
- Validated science instrument performance metrics and data quality, ensuring the mission delivered scientific value despite propulsion constraints.
Spacecraft Systems Engineer
Mars 2020 Rover- Owned real-time rover operations across launch, cruise, EDL, and surface (living on Mars time!), coordinating commands, telemetry analysis, and anomaly response to protect vehicle safety and mission objectives.
- Shaped core operations workflows, such as refining the parameter update process and analyzing parallel onboard activities in support of NASA's first-ever attempt at robotic automation on another planet.
- Developed automation tools to support rover operations & flight software updates including scripting automated downlink telemetry tools and automating regression testing of flight software behaviors.
Mission Operations and Ground Data Systems Engineering Team Lead
NEA Scout- Built ground data pipelines and telemetry tools; owned VM setup and inter-organizational data flows.
- Authored and certified key ops docs (ICDs, CONOPs, ops handbooks) and coordinated multi-org testing, ensuring end-to-end requirements traceability and verification coverage.
- Managed subsystems (science, MDNAV, PDS) and served as a general liaison between JPL and MSFC for mission operations and ground data systems engineering.
MIMU Data Analyst & Operational Subject Matter Expert
NASA Engineering & Safety Center- Authored two studies on long-term IMU behavior and failure mechanisms (one public, one NASA-internal). See publications below.
- Built and maintained reliability models to estimate component lifetime, failure probability, and risk thresholds for ring laser gyroscope MIMUs.
- Advised flight projects (MRO, ODY, OCO-2, SMAP) on MIMU health and risk, using data-driven risk analysis to turn telemetry into clear operational decisions.
Spacecraft Operations & Payload Systems Engineer
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)- Ensured spacecraft health and performance by generating and uplinking command products and analyzing downlinked telemetry for trends and anomalies; led investigations and responses when issues arose.
- Improved and automated spacecraft operations processes, including tools and scripts for sequence generation, and automated telemetry trending for anomaly detection and consumables tracking (Python, Perl, MATLAB).
- Coordinated across subsystem engineers, science teams, and operations to execute special activities and meet mission objectives.
Early Career
Software Development Intern
Mars Sample Transfer Testbed (MSTT) - NASA JPL- Developed robotic mast camera control module (C, XML) with inverse kinematics and collision avoidance logic.
Lead Research Assistant
CRAFT 3D Printing Research Laboratory - USC- Contributed to the mechanical, electrical and computational design of a Metal and Ceramic Zero Gravity Selective Separation Sintering 3D Printer project funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation.
Education
Publications
- Kneis C.M. et al. (2024). Long Term Behavior of Miniature Inertial Measurement Units Onboard Extended Mission Mars and Earth Orbiters. Advances in the Astronautical Sciences, vol. 179, Springer.
- Cohen, B. A., et al. (2024). Lunar Flashlight science ground and flight measurements and operations using a multi-band laser reflectometer. Icarus, 413.
- Dennehy, C., et al. (2022). Miniature Inertial Measurement Unit (MIMU) Operational Life Investigation. NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Technical Assessment Report.
Skills & Tools
Programming & Scripting
Cloud & DevOps
Systems Engineering
Operations & Leadership
Product Management
Awards & Recognition
Recipient of multiple NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Voyager, Honors, Group Achievement, and Directorate awards recognizing leadership, dedication, and outstanding engineering contributions across various missions.
Europa Clipper Mission Support
"For exceptional dedication and effort in providing critical support for the Clipper Mission System re-architecture work in preparation for Launch."
NASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryLunar Flashlight Mission Leadership
"For Outstanding Leadership and Support as Mission Manager of the Lunar Flashlight Mission."
NASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryNear-Earth Asteroid Scout Team
"For outstanding accomplishments in the design, development, and delivery of the Near-Earth Asteroid Scout Spacecraft for flight on Artemis I."
NASA HonorsMars 2020 Engineering Operations Development Team
"For exemplary development of the Mars 2020 engineering operations systems and processes, culminating in a successful test campaign and readiness for surface operations."
NASA HonorsMars 2020 Entry, Descent and Landing Team
"For outstanding achievement in developing and delivering Mars 2020's robust and uniquely capable landing system, resulting in the safe landing of the Perseverance rover on Mars."
NASA HonorsMars 2020 LCAE Mission Operations Team
"For the planning, development, and execution of launch, cruise, approach, and EDL (LCAE) in the face of significant challenges, resulting in the successful landing of Perseverance."
NASA HonorsMars 2020 Mission Ops Systems Development
"For developing and implementing an uplink and execution process post-launch in response to critical issues to accomplish the shortest Cruise to date."
NASA HonorsMRO Relay Throughput Anomaly Investigation Team
"For outstanding innovative effort during the investigation of the MRO Relay Throughput Anomaly, resulting in a successful resolution."
NASA HonorsMaROS Team Award
"For working tirelessly in developing a test paradigm to significantly increase the testing, test automation and tracking efficiency."
NASA JPL Interplanetary Network DirectorateMRO Flight Data Analysis
"For Outstanding Engineering Analysis of MRO Flight Data in Support of the MRO HiRISE Image Blur Working Group and the MRO Battery Working Group."
NASA JPL Mars Exploration DirectoratePhoto Highlights
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