NASA Ames Honors 4 Women Powering Space Exploration

Four women scientists at NASA Ames Research Center are being celebrated for work that's quietly powering some of space exploration's biggest missions.

The NASA Ames Science Directorate named Lora Jovanović, Tammy Moore, Frances Donovan, and Jaden Ta as their Stars of the Month for May 2026. Each woman brought unique expertise that's moving science forward in meaningful ways.

Lora Jovanović, a research scientist with the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, nearly doubled the number of experimental optical constant datasets available to scientists worldwide. She expanded the Optical Constants Database from 297 to 533 datasets, providing critical information that helps researchers interpret data from major missions like SPHEREx, Cassini, New Horizons, and Juno.

Tammy Moore serves as the Space Biosciences Division's Resource Analyst, where she's become the steady foundation her team relies on. She guided her division through major budget changes with expert knowledge and unwavering determination to support scientists and engineers doing groundbreaking work.

Frances Donovan brought creativity to project management as a scientist in the Space Biosciences Division. As the Contracting Officer's Representative for a major support services task, she invented new approaches that dramatically simplified how the division manages complex projects, making everyone's job easier.

Jaden Ta, a deputy project manager in the Earth Science Division, played a key role in the FarmFlux investigation. She led development of the project's implementation plan and helped determine where research aircraft should deploy to gather the most valuable data about our planet.

Why This Inspires

These four women represent the collaborative spirit that makes space exploration possible. While astronauts get the spotlight, scientists like Jovanović, Moore, Donovan, and Ta build the foundation that turns ambitious missions into reality.

Their work touches nearly every corner of NASA's mission, from understanding distant moons to monitoring Earth's agricultural systems. They're proof that progress happens when dedication meets expertise.

The future of space exploration looks brighter with scientists like these leading the way.