Lago Vista woman set to be first female flight director of commercial lunar landing

Woman to be flight director of moon landing

A Lago Vista woman is set to make history this year, expected to become the first ever female flight director of a commercial moon landing.

LAGO VISTA, Texas - By the end of the year, Firefly Aerospace, out of Cedar Park, plans to send Blue Ghost, a lunar lander, to the moon.

"Some really awesome groundbreaking science that all is eventually going to support the Artemis missions and getting humans back on the moon," said Caeley Looney.

What's even more impressive is its flight director, 27-year-old Caeley Looney.

"I feel like I've worked really hard for this point, and I also come from a family where my mom was also an engineer, so I feel like our generations have kind of like worked really hard to get to this point," said Looney.

If all goes according to plan, she'll be the first female flight director of a commercial lunar landing.

"Phew, it is both horrifying and satisfying as heck at the same time," said Looney.

Cedar Park company develops new rocket

A Cedar Park company has maade another big step in the commercial space business. Firefly Aerospace is developing a new rocket for Northrup Grumman, and completed its first engine test this week.

And as if she couldn't get any more cool, she runs a nonprofit called Reinvented Magazine.

"Put on our tiaras and pick up a power tool and teach girls exactly how to use this while wearing one of these," said Looney.

She teaches girls about STEM with events like princesses with power tools.

"What really stood out about her project was that she was really looking to uplift the next generation," said Dr. Katie Hurley with the JED Foundation.

Looney’s nonprofit was recently recognized at a national level with a $25,000 grant from the JED Foundation and PINK with Purpose.

"She's introducing this information at a very young age so that girls grow up normalizing 'Hey, we're part of STEM too,'" said Hurley.

Looney plans to use the money to go to classrooms.

"It's about bringing stem into those communities in a way that shows girls that they can continue to be everything they want to be while they do it," said Looney.