Dorothy Ruíz Martínez facts for kids

Dorothy Ruíz-Martínez is a Mexican-American aerospace engineer. She works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Her job is at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

About Dorothy Ruíz-Martínez

Dorothy was born in Texas. She grew up in Matehuala, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, with her grandparents. When she was 16, she moved to the United States.

As a child, Dorothy saw the Space Shuttle Challenger accident on television. This event made her very curious about rockets and how things fly in space. It inspired her to learn about aerospace engineering.

Dorothy's Education Journey

Dorothy went to high school in Texas. She started college at the University of Oklahoma. Later, she transferred to Texas A & M University in College Station, Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Aerospace Engineering. This degree is all about designing and building spacecraft and aircraft.

Working at NASA

In 1998, Dorothy had an internship at NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia. This was part of the Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars program.

After college, she became an instructor. She taught flight controllers and astronauts about the Space Shuttle's guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) systems. She also taught about its propulsion systems.

Later, Dorothy worked on 12 Space Shuttle missions. She was a Real-Time Planning Engineer (RPE). In this role, she helped with the final assembly of the International Space Station. She worked with many other engineers and scientists.

In 2008, she worked in Moscow, Russia. She was at the Russian Mission Control Center. Her job was to be the main contact between NASA and the Russian Space Agency.

Since March 2013, Dorothy has worked as a Ground Controller (GC) in the Mission Control Center. This flight controller position is known by the call sign "Houston-GC." The Houston-GC team manages the communication systems on Earth. They connect space vehicles with the ground.

Four years later, she became a GC Instructor. Then, she became the GC Training Lead for the Ground Control group. Currently, she works in the Mission Control Center Systems branch. She helps manage and maintain the ground systems that support space flight operations.

Other Projects and Recognition

Dorothy also volunteered for the Engineers Without Borders, Johnson Space Center Chapter. This group helps communities around the world with engineering projects.

Her story was included in the book Stories for Rebel Girls (Editorial Planeta) in 2021.

See also

In Spanish: Dorothy Ruíz Martínez para niños