Cathy Barclay – Project Manager – Acting, NASA

Cathy Barclay is currently serving as the Acting JWST Project Manager. Her regular role is serving as the Deputy Program Manager for the Physics of the Cosmos (PCOS) and Cosmic Origins (COR) Programs as well as the Deputy Associate Director for the GSFC Code 440 Astrophysics Projects Division. In the regular role, she oversees operations of the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope and over 20 additional missions. With a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech, and a project management certification, she has over 38 years of experience in support of NASA as both a civil servant and a contractor. Over her career, she has served as project manager or the deputy for a data services management center, three 18 meter antenna/ground station development for the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and sustaining upgrades to the Space Network ground system (>$1B). She has supported the integration of commercial services into the network services achieving 60% reliance on commercial providers for the direct to earth services. She supported the highly successful Lunar Laser Communications Demo launched in 2013, achieving broadband data rates from the moon with this game-changing new technology. After becoming the GSFC Code 450 Deputy Program Manager for Exploration and Space Communications in 2013, she oversaw NASA’s communications networks (SN, NEN, NSN), served as the lead for the GSFC center Comm and Nav line of business team, and established the SENSE Contract (largest and most complex at GSFC ($1.8B ceiling). She led the efforts for the initiative to double the science data return from the International Space Station. She also led a team to integrate cloud services into the end to end communications services process. She has been recognized with the 2021 Robert H. Goddard Award, 2018 Exceptional Service Medal, 2017 Robert H. Goddard Award, 2001 Space Flight Awareness Award and the Silver Snoopy Award among others. She enjoys sporting events with her husband and three grown sons and also volunteers at Anne Arundel Medical Center.