Deirdre “DeeDee” Healey's Bio

Deirdre “DeeDee” Healey is the Director, Safety and Mission Assurance, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.  In this position, Ms. Healey provides executive leadership for safety, mission assurance, and technical authority in support of Goddard’s programs, projects, and institutional facilities.  Goddard is responsible for a $3.2 billion portfolio comprised of over 80 missions in both development and operational phases and is home to the nation's largest concentration of scientists, engineers, and technologists dedicated to Earth and space science.  Goddard’s sites include the primary campus in Maryland, Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, the Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility in West Virginia, the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, the White Sands Complex in New Mexico, and the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Texas.

Previously, Ms. Healey worked in the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA Headquarters, where she led safety and mission assurance activities in support of NASA's spacecraft, science payloads, expendable launch vehicles, and aeronautics programs.  Ms. Healey has more than 35 years of experience in space systems safety and mission assurance, program management, engineering, operations, and policy.  Prior to joining NASA, she served in the United States Air Force, where she led development and operations of national and international space systems, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel after 20 years.  Her positions included Program Manager for the Inertial Upper Stage Rocket Booster Program; Director, Titan Program Operations & Integration; and Chief, International Policy Branch for United States Strategic Command.  Ms. Healey has a master’s degree in Government from Harvard University and a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois.