Janet C. Karika

Jacobs Director of Interagency Launch Programs
NASA Launch Services Program

• Print

Janet C. Karika, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.), is the Jacobs Director of Interagency Launch Programs for the NASA Launch Services Program (LSP). She is tasked to provide senior-level support to the NASA Launch Services Program to coordinate and facilitate program-wide partnerships and interchanges with the United States Air Force (USAF), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and other government agencies, such as DARPA and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA).

Previously, she served as the Jacobs Sverdrup senior engineering technical manager and executive advisor to the director of Space Acquisition, Secretary of the Air Force (SAF). She was a member of the National Space Transportation Policy Team and the Position, Navigation, and Timing Policy Team. She was the focal point in Washington, D.C., for U.S.-Russian Atlas V/RD-180 rocket engine program.

Ms. Karika earlier served as TASC senior principal member of the Technical Staff; assistant for Launch Systems, Space Systems, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). In this position, she was the principal advisor to the Office of the Secretary of Defense on space launch and range issues. She co-chaired the President's Space Policy Coordinating Committee on National Launch Strategy and served as the OSD focal point for space launch program execution, budgeting, policy, and licensing for both government and commercial space launch programs.

Ms. Karika holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Central Florida, and a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University. In addition she was an in-Resident Student at Squadron Officers School, and has studied at the Air Command and Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College, and the Defense Systems Management College.