Sindelar's job is to keep instructors, schedulers, outside partners and facility managers in sync. She says chief training officers see the full training flow and its long-term goals. That coordination brings together the people responsible for preparing crews and flight controllers. [S1]
Time is a practical constraint. Sindelar says teams have a matter of months to train astronauts for hazardous activities or prepare flight controllers who hold responsibility for missions and astronauts' lives. She also values mentoring young professionals, including new employees learning to become confident flight controllers. [S1]
NASA recognized Sindelar in March 2025 for her leadership in its private astronaut mission program. As lead chief training officer for Axiom Mission 3, she managed training and reorganized training resources to make them more accessible. NASA credits her with identifying inefficiencies and improving mission safety and performance. [S1]
Sindelar joined the Johnson team in 2010, working in education and as a crew training instructor before becoming a chief training officer. She credits mentors with helping her gain confidence and learn when and how to speak up. [S1]
Source documents
- Chief Training Officer Teresa Sindelar Touches the Future of Human Spaceflighthttps://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/chief-training-officer-teresa-sindelar-touches-the-future-of-human-spaceflight/