A woman in glasses stands in front of a mock-up, or training version, of a deep space habitat.

About

Emma Lehnhardt is a space nerd and aerospace executive with 15+ years experience, including leading multibillion-dollar space and technology initiatives. She left NASA in 2025 to start a small business and is also an aspiring science fiction author.

At NASA she managed business operations for the $7B+ Lunar Gateway Program—the first international human spaceflight platform beyond Earth orbit. Prior NASA experience includes leading agency-wide strategic initiatives, policy formulation, and budget planning for NASA’s $20B+ portfolio, as well as five years in the defense and aerospace consulting sector.

She loves reading exercising, nerd culture, traveling, scuba diving, and spending time with her husband Kris Lehnhardt and their dog - a chocolate lab named MECO.

Pronunciation: E-muh LAYN-harrt

Executive Resume

Resume

Education

The George Washington University

M.A., International Science and Technology Policy (concentration: Space Policy)

International Space University

Space Studies Program

Mount Holyoke College

B.A. Politics, minor in Astronomy

Lehnhardt Space & Strategy

Emma is now offering consulting services through Lehnhardt Space & Strategy, an LLC established in TX. She can assist with:

  • Strategic perspectives for the aerospace industry (in Texas, nationwide, and internationally)

  • Market posture for commercial spaceflight initiatives

  • How NASA operates and how decisions are made at the agency

  • Space policy

  • Program formulation, set-up, and execution

  • Best practices and tools for program control (PP&C)

  • Cost and schedule estimation

  • Acquisition strategy and procurement practices (especially U.S. government contracts)

  • Subject matter expertise on how the U.S. federal budget process works

Contact