Huy Tran

Ms. Tran, as the Director of Aeronautics (2015-Present) at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center (ARC), provides technical and management oversight of research disciplines in air traffic management, airspace simulation and operations, autonomous systems, computational fluid dynamics analysis, vertical flight vehicle technology, experimental fluid mechanics, and wind tunnel operations. She ensures the safe operations of the world’s largest wind tunnels and Vertical Motion Simulator.  She has also served as the Aeronautics Research Director representing NASA Ames at the Aeronautics Mission Directorate. She works closely with the office of the Associate Administrator and its program directors to develop strategic plans and directions for Aeronautics, including several critical initiatives such as Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) or Drones Traffic Management (UTM) and airspace operations and safety technologies to enable more efficient and safe commercial aviation as well as the integration of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in the national airspace systems.  Her organization also develops new portable ATM systems for wildland fire aerial suppression during degraded condition and nighttime operations.  Ms. Tran is the lead inventor of the Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) heat shield material that was successfully protected sample return to earth from comet Wild II (Stardust) and asteroid Bennu (OSIRIS-Rex), four Mars missions and currently used as the primary heatshield for Space-X cargo and crew Dragon capsules.  Ms. Tran holds three patents, numerous publications and awards.  She earned five NASA achievement medals including the highest recognition from the agency – the Distinguished Service Medal in 2023.