Angelita Castro-Kelly

Angelita Castro Kelly (born Angelita Albano Castro, August 26, 1942 - June 7, 2015) was a space scientist and physicist. She is the first female Mission Operations Manager (MOM) of NASA. She spearheaded and supervised the Earth Observing System missions during its developmental stage.

Castro was born in Jones, Isabela in 1942, but she grew up in Sampaloc, Manila. Her mother was pharmacist Eufemia Albano and her father was Dr. Miguel Castro, who served as Captain of United States Army Forces in the Far East until he was killed in World War II. She was the youngest of seven children.

NASA Castro worked at NASA for 37 years, from 1977 to 2015. In 1977, she began as a data analyst of the team that planned and executed the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Spacelab Data Processing Facility (SLDPF). The SPDF is a core space shuttle mission that aims to investigate microgravity, solar physics, crystal growth, and other scientific inquiries.

Awards In 2006, Castro was granted the Goddard Space Flight Center Exceptional Service Award. In 2007, 2008, and 2009, she received the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal. She is also a recipient of the Austronauts' Manned Flight Program Launch Honoree, Astronauts’ Manned Flight “Snoopy” Award, Flight Project's “Mission Impossible” award, GSFC Exceptional Performance Award, and NASA Honor Group Achievement Award for the Constellation Mission Operations Working Group.