Fil-Am mom gets NASA medal

MANILA, Philippines - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Medal for Exceptional Achievement, one of the most prestigious awards for outstanding contribution to the space mission agency, was awarded to Angelita Castro-Kelly, recently in Maryland, USA.

Castro-Kelly has provided outstanding support, dedication, and leadership to NASA, serving in a dual role as the Earth Science Mission Operation Science Interface Manager for the past 12 years and the Earth Science Constellation Manager for the past six years.

As the Constellation Team Manager, she ensures that missions flying together in the same orbital path operate safely and in cooperation with each other. Displaying leadership and diplomatic skill, she works with various groups and organizations including the Jet Propulsion Lab, Kirkland Air Force Base, Langley Research Center, and the International French Space Agency. She was instrumental in getting two key documents signed by all parties, including the various project science/scientist teams and the mission operation teams.

As the Earth Observing System (EOS) Mission Operation Manager (MOM) during the development phase of all the EOS missions (Terra, Aqua and Aura), her extensive knowledge of EOS end-to-end system (spacecrafts to and user/customer) and her excellent communication skills have contributed to the development of EOS Memoranda of the Understanding documents with the Japanese and the Netherlands space agencies, and many other instruments. She creditably represents NASA in meetings with international partners and has earned the respect of her peers, and the domestic and international teams that she interfaces with. She was the project manager for the highly successful multi-mission Shuttle/Spacelab Data Processing Facility before joining EOS.

Born in Jones, Isabela, Angelita Albano Castro is the youngest of the six children of Dr. Miguel Castro, a medical doctor and Captain in the US Armed Forces in the Far East, who was killed in action in WWII, and Eufemia Lagasca Albano, a pharmacist. Her late brother Pacifico Castro was a former ambassador and acting minister of Foreign Affairs. She graduated summa cum laude major in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Sto. Tomas.