Barrios Technology
Bio
Kerri Knotts is Vice President of Commercial Space for Barrios Technology.
After graduating from West Virginia University’s Aerospace Engineering program in December 1994, Kerri spent 20 years working at NASA’s Johnson Space Center where she focused on advancing Human Space Flight and served in multiple technical and senior leadership roles.
She was a subject matter expert for Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), aka, Space Walks. She trained the Astronauts on the systems, procedures and hardware that they would use to stay alive in space during these complex missions and was instrumental in many mission critical operations as a certified NASA Flight Controller in the Mission Control Center (MCC) for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs.
As NASA’s STS-98 Lead EVA Officer, she spent 5 years passionately committed to developing mission plans, integrating programmatic and mission objectives, launching and executing critical flight activities on a mission to deliver the US Laboratory to the International Space Station. The Discovery Science channel highlighted the efforts of Kerri, the astronaut crew and other mission control center officers that worked to save the mission and space station after a toxic ammonia leak occurred during one of the planned spacewalks.
She was part of many studies, projects and programs related to Moon and Mars Exploration under the NASA Constellation Program. As Systems Engineer and Integration (SE&I) Lead and Deputy Manager for advanced spacesuit development, Kerri led a foundational study to develop an evolvable space suit system for low earth orbit, moon and Mars. As Chief of the Advanced Development and Integration Office in the Constellation Program, she led a technical team of experts setting requirements for new exploration outposts.
Kerri was able to develop business acumen and a strong inclination towards entrepreneurial endeavors during a rotation as the NASA Starport Manager, running multiple profit centers that benefitted the NASA workforce and was serving the NASA Exchange Council Board before she left for private industry. Kerri joined a Houston-based start-up fuel-additives company, as CEO and then went on to create multiple start-ups servicing the oil and gas industry. She has been serving as President and Managing Director.
Kerri returned to her roots of human space flight in 2020 joining Barrios Technology. Barrios, a has lead engineering and operations for NASA and the Aerospace Industry for over 40 years.
