NASA Ames Research Center has announced its Stars of the Month for November 2026, highlighting the contributions of Alyssa Villanueva, Steve Howell, and Samuel LeBlanc. These individuals were honored for their technical expertise and dedication to the agency's mission.
Alyssa Villanueva, an engineer at Blue Marble working within the Space Biosciences Division, was recognized for her role on the Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications team. Her work focused on engineering validation testing and daily support for the project.
Steve Howell received recognition for his leadership in international space missions and his development of astronomical instrumentation. His contributions to telescope imaging were recently acknowledged by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific with the Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal.
Samuel LeBlanc, a research scientist at the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, was honored for his work in the Earth Science Division. He led advancements in flight planning for airborne science missions, improving the efficiency and scientific output of these operations.
