NASA is collaborating with commercial and international partners to establish a sustained human presence near the moon’s South Pole, utilizing the lunar surface as a testing ground for future Mars missions.

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Teresa Kinney, a 2011 Master’s graduate in industrial engineering from the University of Central Florida (UCF), serves as the transportation office program lead engineer in NASA's Moon Base Program. In this role, she is instrumental in shaping systems necessary for delivering cargo and vital resources across the lunar surface.

In her capacity as project chief engineer for the Liquid Oxygen Methane Assessment Project, Kinney oversees technical evaluations in partnership with NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the U.S. Space Force. This project focuses on assessing the explosive risks associated with next-generation spacecraft that transport liquid oxygen and methane.

As an accomplished engineer, Kinney has expressed the significance of her work. She notes that the logistics of maintaining a permanent presence, similar to experiences with the International Space Station, require careful consideration of many factors.

"I make sure technically that the design is worthy of moving forward to the next phase," Kinney stated, emphasizing the importance of evaluating thermal, dynamic, and radiation conditions.

Kinney’s role within the Moon Base Program aims to transition from robotic missions to establishing semi-permanent infrastructure, ultimately enabling continuous human habitation on the moon. Each phase of this initiative depends on reliable transportation systems to deliver the essential supplies needed for long-term sustainability on the lunar surface, which is approximately 238,855 miles from Earth.

Kinney’s journey into engineering began at a young age when she assisted her father with car repairs, sparking her fascination with solving complex problems. After earning a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, she joined NASA in 2005, where she applied her expertise to various space programs.

Understanding that technical skills alone aren’t enough for leadership, Kinney pursued her master’s degree at UCF while balancing full-time work at Kennedy Space Center. She remains dedicated to encouraging the next generation to engage in science and engineering careers, sharing her belief that challenges should be viewed as opportunities.