By Jim Cawley, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
August 13, 2021 • The Landsat 9satellite, targeted for launch on Sept. 23, 2021, will continue the nearly 50-year legacy of previous Landsat missions. It will monitor key natural and economic resources from orbit.
Meet one of the key members of the team:
Name: Matt Johnson
Official title: Senior Vehicle Systems Engineer
Job responsibilities: Vehicle systems engineers are the technical arm of the program. They coordinate the launch vehicle’s qualification, build, and readiness for flight, among the various engineering disciplines.
How long have you worked for NASA: Three years – all in the Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center
Degrees earned: Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Central Florida
Hometown: I was born in Titusville, FL, and live there now.
Family: I’m blessed to have my parents, two sisters, two brothers-in-law, and eight nieces and nephews who live locally. There is never a dull moment when those kiddos are around!
Hobbies: As a former propulsion systems test engineer, I enjoy troubleshooting things that are broken or not working properly. I’m one of the few people who gets a little excited when something at my house or on my car breaks. I love spending time with my nieces and nephews and also enjoy taking the occasional motorcycle ride – especially in cooler weather.
Fun fact: I have a lucky green bow tie with little yellow rubber duckies on it. Every time I wore it on console for a launch attempt, it never scrubbed and always resulted in a successful launch.
Aug. 27, 2021 update: targeted launch date was updated to Sept. 23, 2021.
