Lisa Barrick

Lisa Barrick

I graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, never thinking that I would spend my career in the aerospace industry. I started working at Orbital Sciences Corporation in 2004 as a Thermal Engineer in the Mechanical Engineering department. I spent 12 years as a Thermal engineer working on a wide variety of satellites: Geosynchronous, Science & Exploration, Deep Space and everything in between! Thermal engineering is a “cradle to grave” subsystem; engineers support from Day 1 of the program until all testing in orbit (aka in Space!) is completed. Towards the end of my Thermal Engineering career, I was the IPT manager for all of the Geosynchronous satellites we designed/manufactured/launched.

In 2016 I moved from Thermal Engineering into Systems Engineering to broaden my experience. Since being in Systems Engineering, I’ve been able to work on some amazing programs! I have worked on our Cargo Resupply Spacecraft (CRS) which takes cargo to the International Space Station, Research & Development for continuing and extending operation of robotics in space as well as building a mock-up of the lunar gateway for astronaut testing, in Houston, TX. In parallel to all of this, I became a Systems Engineering Manager as well. In this role, I was able to help young engineers develop their career paths and provide them with guidance and assignment opportunities to reach their goals.

My primary job is being a Systems Engineering Manager for Geosynchronous Satellites and Space Logistics business units. I continue to work on Human Exploration programs (for instance, HALO) and have developed a passion for helping engineers with career development. I balance my time at work with my kids, friends and hobbies. I have 3 children (ages 6, 8 and 11) who are back in school! I’ve developed a love for hiking but enjoy being active with my kids outside, when it’s not freezing…

Company Site: https://www.northropgrumman.com/