Dr. Merri Sanchez became an Increment Manager for the International Space Station Program (ISSP) at NASA, Johnson Space Center (JSC) in 2000. She is responsible for the definition and management of on-orbit program requirements, negotiating these with the international partners, and for coordinating vehicles visiting the space station. She provides multilateral and multidisciplinary leadership, integration, and programmatic technical direction of the teams responsible for requirements development through operations. She is a real-time Program representative in the mission control center to monitor daily operations. After the Shuttle Columbia accident, Dr. Sanchez led her team to completely redefine the space station operations in only two months, ensuring that the station could remain operational with only two crew members and relying only on Russian launch assets.

Dr. Sanchez\’s NASA career began as a co-op. In 1985 she joined the Vehicle Integration Test Office, supporting payload and Shuttle testing, launches and landings. In 1989 she became the Technical Assistant to the Chief Astronaut, where she provided management and technical support, and developed and supervised the 1990 and 1992 astronaut candidate training. In 1995 she was assigned as the X-38 Deputy Project Manager, Operations for the Experimental Crew Return Vehicle. She managed the operational aspects of the design, development, ground test, certification, and flight test of the experimental craft and parachute systems. During the test program she served as Mission Director, lead Flight Test Engineer, Safety Engineer, and Launch Panel Operator in various aircraft including UH-1 helicopters, F16, F18, B52, C-130, and KC-135 0-g aircraft. She also directed the human factors planning of the crew module. In 1998 Dr. Sanchez became the Project Manager, ISS/TransHab Advanced ECLSS Project, where she managed the design and development of advanced biological and physiochemical life support system technologies. In 1999 Dr. Sanchez became the Assistant Manager, ISSP Operations Office.

Dr. Sanchez has received numerous honors and awards, including the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, JSC Director\’s Commendation, and NASA Fellowship to the Smith Management Program for Women. Dr. Sanchez is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and is on the AIAA Board of Directors as the Director of Region IV, chairs the AIAA Precollege Outreach Committee, and is a member of the Student Activities Committee and the Education Activities Committee. Dr. Sanchez is qualified as an ABET evaluator for aerospace engineering, has completed the National Test Pilot School short course for Flight Testing, and taught master\’s level Astrodynamics for the University of Colorado @ Colorado Springs distance learning. Dr. Sanchez is active in the JSC National Management Association. In her personal time, she is an avid pilot and is building her own 4-place aircraft.