NASA Ames recognizes Alyssa Villanueva, Steve Howell, and Samuel LeBlanc for contributions to space biosciences, astrophysics, and Earth science.
NASA Ames has named its Stars of the Month for November 2026. The NASA Ames Science Directorate recognizes the outstanding contributions of Alyssa Villanueva, Steve Howell, and Samuel LeBlanc. Their commitment to the NASA mission represents the entrepreneurial spirit, technical expertise, and collaborative disposition needed to explore this world and beyond.
Alyssa Villanueva is an engineer at Blue Marble in the Space Biosciences Division on the LEIA (Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications) team. She is recognized for technical excellence, dedication and boundless support to the rest of the team. She goes above and beyond in contributing to LEIA every day and has been essential in all the test efforts, in particular with preparation and execution of engineering validation testing.
Steve Howell is recognized for his leadership of scientific teams for numerous international space missions. His pioneering work in astronomical instrumentation has significantly advanced both space- and ground-based telescope imaging. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific has recognized Steve’s lifetime of major contributions to the field with the prestigious Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal.
Samuel LeBlanc is a research scientist for the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute in the Earth Science Division. He is recognized for exceptional technical leadership and innovative thinking in advancing Ames’ flight planning capabilities for NASA airborne science missions. His contributions have placed Ames at the forefront of airborne science flight planning within and outside the Agency, enabling successful and cost-effective missions that maximize scientific returns.
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