When Janelle Wellons graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, she had no idea that it would spark the beginning of an almost decade-long career operating science instruments and spacecraft at the Moon, Saturn, and our own planet Earth. She is currently the Lead Mission Operations Engineer at ispace, inc., leading the team responsible for routine and critical space operations for the companies’ lunar lander missions.

Additionally, she has served as Flight Director and Deputy Mission Director for two missions and has over 100 hours on-console in the Mission Control Center. Previously, Janelle worked at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the Earth observing MAIA, Sentinel-6, and SWOT missions as well as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Cassini mission to Saturn.