Lindy Garay always knew she wanted to develop software. She did not anticipate that her work would contribute to human spaceflight.
The electrical and software engineering degree Garay earned from the University of Texas at Austin paved the way for a 25-year career with NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Her first job out of college was developing software for the International Space Station Program’s original space station training facility simulator. “I had not always been interested in working in the space program, but I became enamored with being able to contribute to such an important mission,” she said.
Today, Garay serves as a training systems software architect and is the technical lead for training system external interfaces. That means she leads the team that helps connect training simulations from NASA’s external partners with simulations run by Johnson’s Mission Training Center (MTC) to support crew and flight controller training. The MTC currently provides training capabilities for the International Space Station Program, the Commercial Crew Program, and Artemis campaign components such as the Orion Program and the human landing system.
Garay said that not having an aerospace background was challenging at the beginning of her career, but she overcame that by leaning on teammates who had knowledge and experience in the field. “Every successful endeavor depends on having a solid team of dedicated people working toward one goal,” she said. “Success also depends on good communication, flexibility, and being willing to listen to different opinions,” she added.
Garay was recently named as a 2025 NASA Space Flight Awareness Program Honoree – one of the highest recognitions presented to the agency’s workforce. Recipients must have significantly contributed to the human spaceflight program to ensure flight safety and mission success. Garay’s commendation acknowledged her “sustained superior performance, dedication, and commitment to the Flight Operations Directorate’s goals” and her instrumental role in the success of several major training systems projects. In particular, she was recognized for contributions to the High-Level Architecture simulation framework, which is used to create realistic simulations of visiting vehicles’ arrival, docking, and departure from the space station.
Garay and 36 other agency honorees were celebrated during a special ceremony in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and had the opportunity to attend the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. “That was quite an honor,” she said.
Outside of work, Garay may be found cheering on Houston’s sports teams. She enjoys traveling to watch the Texans and the Astros play.
Garay is also rooting for the Artemis Generation as NASA prepares to return to the Moon and journey on to Mars. She offered this advice: “Always remember the importance and the magnitude of the whole mission.”
