Melanie Saunders

Melanie Saunders is a senior space policy and human spaceflight executive with extensive experience at NASA and now as a subject matter expert at The Aerospace Corporation.

Since May 2025, Saunders has served as a Human Spaceflight Executive at The Aerospace Corporation in Houston, Texas, providing subject matter expert support to NASA’s human exploration programs, the International Space Station (ISS), and the Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Development programs. Her work at Aerospace builds on her deep background in space policy, program management, and international partnerships.

Saunders joined NASA in 1994, initially negotiating international agreements and managing export controls for the ISS Program. She held several key leadership positions.

Saunders has a proven track record in:

• Leading large-scale organizational transformations, including NASA’s shift from autonomous to a hybrid model combining shared services with local expertise.
• Managing complex human spaceflight workforce restructuring during major program cancellations (Space Shuttle and Constellation).
• Negotiating with global partners for the ISS and shaping U.S. space policy.
• Overseeing crisis management during record federal shutdowns and pandemic disruptions.

She holds a B.A. in History from UC Santa Barbara and a J.D. from UC Davis, and is a member of the California and Florida Bars (inactive). She has received the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award, two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, and a Silver Snoopy.