David Petri

Education: Stanford University, master’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering
Hometown: Mt. Prospect, Illinois
What inspired you to join NASA? When I was 9 years old, Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon – been chasing that dream ever since.
Favorite beverage, food, or fuel: Chicago style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches and pizza.

David Petri is the assembly, integration, and test technical discipline lead in the Applied Systems Engineering Branch at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. He has helped guide the integrated avionics and software test campaigns for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle’s Exploration Flight Test-1 and Ascent Abort-2 Flight Test. One of his most rewarding memories is associated with NASA's return-to-flight space shuttle mission following the Columbia accident. While serving on the fault investigation team, he developed a deep appreciation for what an engineering marvel the space shuttle was. Dave plays guitar, goes to concerts, and spends time with his wife, daughter, and two sons.