Station Nation: Meet Zunayed Abdullah, Dragon Flight Lead in the Transportation Integration Office

2024-01-30

Zunayed Abdullah spent most of his youth unaware of NASA and its mission until he landed a Pathways internship at Johnson Space Center. After tours in engineering and flight operations, Abdullah was offered a full-time position supporting the International Space Station Program. He now works to ensure vehicle readiness for SpaceX Dragon missions to the orbiting laboratory as the Dragon flight lead for the Transportation Integration Office’s Docking Vehicle Branch.

Read on to learn more about his favorite factoid to share with the public, his preference on day or night launches, and his hobbies outside of work!

An image of a space station with a black background and a portrait of a person in the middle.

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Where are you from?

I was born in Bangladesh but raised in Queens, New York.

What International Space Station office do you support?

Transportation Integration Office, Docking Vehicle Branch

What is your job title?

Dragon Flight Lead

How would you describe your job to family or friends who may not be as familiar with NASA as employees reading this?

My job is to ensure vehicle readiness for SpaceX Dragon missions to the International Space Station. I track technical and schedule risks to the program as the vehicle progresses toward launch and I lead closures of issues.

A person smiling in a purple striped button down outside during the day in front of a large building. — *Zunayed Abdullah smiles for a photo outside of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida. Image courtesy of Nicholas Kopp.*

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What advice would you give to young individuals aspiring to work in the space industry or at NASA?

Ensure strong fundamental skills in your discipline, be well-rounded, be proactive and flexible in seeking opportunities, and network, network, network!

How long have you been working for the agency?

7.5 years

What was your path to NASA?

I was a Johnson Pathways intern, and after tours in engineering and flight operations, I was offered a full-time position. I graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering.

What does diversity, equity, and inclusion mean to you? How does it guide you in your work at NASA?

Equitable access to career opportunities, accountability, awareness, and improvement.

What is your favorite NASA memory?

Watching Apollo 13 as a Pathways intern inside the Apollo Mission Control.

What is the most meaningful project you've worked on during your time with NASA?

Supporting multiple increments as an inventory and stowage flight controller inside Flight Control Room-1.

What do you love sharing about the station with general audiences?

We have grown many plants in space: cabbage, lettuce, radishes, and tomatoes!

What are your hobbies or things you enjoy doing outside of work?

Visiting local coffee shops and restaurants, weightlifting, playing sports, and cooking.

Day launch or night launch?

Night

Favorite space movie?

Interstellar

NASA Worm or Meatball logo?

Worm

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Every day we are conducting exciting research aboard our orbiting laboratory that will help us explore farther into space and bring benefits back to people on Earth. You can keep up with the latest news, videos, and pictures about space station science on the Station Research & Technology news page. It is a curated hub of space station research and digital media from Johnson and other centers and space agencies.

Follow updates on social media at @ISS_Research on Twitter, and on the space station accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

Zunayed Abdullah prepares to engage in a live discussion about logistics with the Expedition 57 crew aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

Zunayed Abdullah poses for a photo with two friends at Zion National Park in Utah. Image courtesy of Zunayed Abdullah.