Rizwan Merchant

Systems Engineer • Cybersecurity Engineer
NASA Johnson Space Center
Houston, Texas, USA

Professional Summary

Systems Engineer and Cybersecurity Engineer with over 15 years of experience developing mission-critical aerospace software, leading multidisciplinary engineering teams, and securing complex spaceflight systems. Currently serving at NASA Johnson Space Center as the Spacecraft Software Engineering Branch Cybersecurity Lead.

Throughout my career, I have led CubeSat development programs, conducted cybersecurity research for the U.S. Department of Energy and Idaho National Laboratory, performed software safety and mission assurance for NASA human spaceflight programs, and contributed to aerospace research and development spanning flight software, systems engineering, cybersecurity, and mission operations.

Professional Experience

NASA – Johnson Space Center

Spacecraft Software Engineering Branch Cybersecurity Lead
January 2025 – Present
Houston, Texas

Provides cybersecurity leadership for the Spacecraft Software Engineering Branch, supporting secure software engineering practices and cybersecurity integration across spacecraft software projects.

Current Program Assignments


Commercial LEO Destinations Office Cybersecurity System Manager
April 2026 – Present
Houston, Texas

Serving as the Cybersecurity System Manager for NASA’s Commercial LEO Destinations Office, providing technical leadership for cybersecurity engineering across commercial low-Earth orbit destination activities. Responsible for cybersecurity requirements development and integration, risk management, architecture assessment, and coordination with NASA stakeholders and commercial partners to support secure integration of commercial space systems and services.

Previous Assignments

Flight Software Deputy System Manager – Lunar Gateway
January 2025 – July 2026

Served as Deputy System Manager for NASA’s Lunar Gateway Flight Software organization supporting the Artemis Program. Responsible for technical leadership, software integration, systems engineering coordination, and mission planning across Gateway flight software development.

Lunar Command & Control Interoperability (LuCCI) Cybersecurity Lead
January 2025 – October 2025

Led cybersecurity activities supporting NASA’s LuCCI initiative focused on secure interoperability between lunar vehicles, habitats, and surface infrastructure.

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)

Senior Systems Safety Engineer
March 2020 – January 2025
Houston, Texas

Supported NASA’s Safety and Mission Assurance organization as a contractor performing software safety analysis for multiple human spaceflight and exploration programs. Primary responsibilities focused on the Lunar Gateway Program, with additional support for Orion (Artemis II) and the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU).

Worked closely with NASA engineering organizations to identify software hazards, evaluate mission risk, and ensure compliance with NASA safety standards throughout the software development lifecycle.

Cajun Advanced Picosatellite Experiment (CAPE)

Program Manager – Student Research Program
January 2008 – March 2020
Lafayette, Louisiana

Led and contributed to CubeSat and high-altitude balloon research missions over twelve years at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, progressing through software development, systems integration, flight operations, and program leadership roles.

Responsibilities included:

  • Program Management
  • Embedded and Application Software Development
  • Systems Integration
  • Ground Station Development
  • Flight Operations
  • Launch Coordination
  • Technical Team Leadership

Major Projects

Later Involvement: Continued supporting the CAPE program as a mentor following my graduation, providing technical and project guidance to student teams working on ESG-Grid, CAPE-4, and CAPE-TWIGGS through March 2026.

Idaho National Laboratory

Software / Reverse Engineering Intern – Cyber Security Research & Development
May 2018 – July 2018
Idaho Falls, Idaho

Conducted cybersecurity research involving electric vehicle charging infrastructure and industrial control systems.

Projects included:

  • DC Fast Charging Security
  • Wireless Inductive Charging Security
  • IEEE 802.11p Communications
  • SAE J2735 Message Standards
  • Software Defined Radio Development

Developed an IEEE 802.11p packet sniffer and transmitter using GNU Radio and HackRF while also implementing programmable logic controller solutions for charging infrastructure testing.

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Graduate Research Assistant
September 2016 – December 2019

Conducted cybersecurity research through the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Informatics Research Institute in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Research focused on:

  • Electric Vehicle Security
  • Charging Infrastructure Security
  • Building Energy Management Systems
  • Cyber-Physical Systems
  • Trusted Authentication

Techneaux Technology Services

Student Project Manager & Software Developer
2015

Managed development of a mobile Help Desk Ticketing System while serving as lead Android developer.

Also maintained and expanded internal business applications using Microsoft .NET and LightSwitch technologies.

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Research Assistant – Andy-X Project
2013 – 2016

Conducted robotic swarm research while developing the Android application, embedded robot controller software, and wireless UDP communications used to interface the mobile application with the robots.

UL Lafayette Upward Bound Program

Web Development Instructor
2011 – 2014

Taught introductory web development courses to high school students through the Upward Bound Summer Enrichment Program.

Education

Master of Science in Computer Science

University of Louisiana at Lafayette • 2019

Areas of Research:
Cybersecurity • Electric Vehicles • Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Authentication • Cyber-Physical Systems

Thesis:
Improving Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Security Through Trusted Authentication: Application to Electric Vehicles

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

University of Louisiana at Lafayette • 2016

Minor: Psychology

Publications

Cyber-Physical System Security of Vehicle Charging Stations

Merchant, R., Gottumukkala, R., Tauzin, A., Leon, K., Roche, A., & Darby, P.

Published in the 2019 IEEE Green Technologies Conference (GreenTech), Lafayette, Louisiana.

Honors & Awards

Louisiana Clean Fuel Leader Award

Most Innovative Project of the Year (2017)

Awarded to the Diagnostic Security Module Team in collaboration
with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the Informatics
Research Institute, and Idaho National Laboratory.

Louisiana Clean Fuel Leader Award

Receiving the Louisiana Clean Fuel Leader Award for Most Innovative
Project of the Year on behalf of the Diagnostic Security Module
research team.

IEEE Region 5 East Area Student Paper Contest

Second Place (2015)

Awarded for the research paper:

Android Smartphone-Based Robotic Swarm Technology

National Society of Leadership and Success

Inducted November 2018

Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society

Inducted April 2018