Life at Northrop Grumman Stories

We bring our curiosity and drive to do what’s never been done.

Explore All Stories

Read more about our team, their professional accomplishments, personal passions and victories.
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Engineering Happiness

Morgan Freeman was a junior in high school when she was part of Northrop Grumman’s High School Improvement Program.

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From Cradle to Orbit

Ryan Keller and Ryan Bloodgood were babies when they began their Northrop Grumman journey. Today, both are engineers at Space Park.

Woman sits on desk with toy truck.

The Tale of AI, Alligators, and a Shark

Jessica Ascough is creating a full-scale team of land, air and sea autonomous vehicles equipped with artificial intelligence.

View of man inflating hot air balloon.

Inflate Before Flight

Imagine the thrill of soaring above the Earth in a hot air balloon seeing the world unfold below.

Man looks at lab equipment

From Classroom to Radiation Lab

Radiation Test Engineer Taylor Fry is the only former astronomy adjunct professor in Northrop Grumman’s Radiation Test Operations Lab.

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Switchboards in the Sky

Director Diane Legler ends her welcome speech to interns and college hires on her military satellite communications team with a bit of humor.

Man closely examines cactus outdoors.

Prickly Progress

The prickly cactus plant sparked an idea to fine-tune high-tech avionics for one of the most advanced aircraft in the sky.

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Polar Partners

Hear from the team making this mission possible.

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Changing the Battlefield

Northrop Grumman was in search of someone with Michael’s military background to support its Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS).  

A woman being instructed on how to use a piece of machinery.

Never Lose Hope

Finding a career can be challenging, but ultimately the path leads to the right thing.

Three women outside

In the Right Orbit

Three early-career engineers are carrying the torch of a decades-long program.

Man wearing blue jacket and red hat standing in front of a rocket.

Building Rocket Brains

For over two decades, Chet has supported the development of Northrop Grumman’s GQM 163-A “Coyote” supersonic sea skimming target vehicles.

Man with a brown pilots jacket on standing in front of an airplane.

In His DNA

While on active duty in 2006, Cmdr. Chris Richard flew the last F-14 Tomcat back to Northrop Grumman.

Person in purple overalls, helmet and goggles standing on a mountain top covered in snow.

Carving Out Space on the Mountain

Systems Engineer Cathy Berrouët did as the locals do when she moved to Colorado: she took up skiing.  

Man with robot posed in front of space ship.

Got Bots

Matt builds full-size robots. He uses them to inspire kids about STEM, an often, they inspire him right back.

Large team sits in an industrial space.

Threads for a Cause

“Fashion icon” was not in Rolling Meadows Facilities Team's job description.

Man in blue work jacket sits in yellow testing environment.

Material Transformation

Northrop Grumman Pathways Engineer Ethan Hoben describes himself as a habitual project collector.

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A Bright Thread

Victoria shares of her story of living on the Autism Spectrum and finding a place to thrive at Northrop Grumman.

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Hometown Influencers, Hollywood Storyline

For Systems Engineering Manager LaDawn Randall, it was the women from her hometown of Hampton Roads, Virginia, who opened her eyes to what her future could be.

Five employees stand in an industrial space, some sitting or standing on ladders.

Palmdale Problem Solvers

The F-35 Integrated Assembly Line in Palmdale, California, must run efficiently, with safety and quality top-of-mind.

A woman in a blue tracksuit and sunglasses sits in front of the Grand Canyon.

Homeward Bound

Evelyn Sobierajska’s career journey ultimately led her home.

Two men stand next to each other; the man on the left wears a blue shirt and has his arm around the man on the right, who wears a button-down and sweater.

Safety Through the Storm

Northrop Grumman Safety Systems Fellow Daniel Plawecki not only knows the right answer — he created it.

Woman looks up from virtual reality goggles.

Reality Shift

Systems Engineer Rebecca Peterson wants to bring a new reality to employees across Northrop Grumman.

A blue and orange image of a hallways with servers.

Countering Cyber Threats

Elysia is a cyber intelligence analyst and night shift supervisor.

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Finding Stability

As a kid, I dreamed of becoming an FBI agent.

Woman in graduation cap holding game controller smiling.

Well Played

Kayla's love of gaming started in childhood, and it continues today.

Man wearing navy jumpsuit stands in front of missile with arms crossed.

Testing the Limits

To the untrained eye, the hypersonics test bay in Ronkonkoma, New York, looks like a maze.

Man in navy shirt holds a folder that reads "A.C.T. Project" Activities for Chemo Treatment."

Joining the Fight

Scott founded a nonprofit to support those undergoing chemotherapy, like his sister.

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Innovation on All Fronts

Ken Friend served his country in the U.S. Army for 24 years.

Man sits on World War II footlocker with memorabilia.

The Case of the Missing Key

When CJ inherited his grandfather’s footlocker, he got a dose of mystery.

Black and White photo of woman working on world war 2 airplane.

A Riveting History

Grumman War Production hired its first female employee in 1942. 

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Blackboard to Blueprint

Traci said Northrop Grumman's inclusive culture empowered her to share her authentic self.

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50 Years at the Rocket Ranch

Boyd Udy manages Northrop Grumman's Promontory Ranch in Utah.

An older man wearing a blue Vietnam veteran hat and jacket poses with a red-headed woman in a red Honor Flight Network shirt in front of a green and black memorial statue of three Vietnam soldiers.

A Day to Remember

Pat Cary makes it her mission to give veterans a one-of-a-kind experience.

Man lying on floor with different colored roses around his head and face.

Data in Bloom

Mark Taylor builds interactive dashboards that blend art and information.

Rosibel Diaz wears a white coat, gloves and hairnet and stands at a table in a blue-lit lab, examining a mirrored panel in her hands.

Through the Looking Glass

Rosibel Diaz grew up loving puzzles, but never imagined that would lead to bonding mirrors on the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb).

Female engineer in white labcoat sits at desk and works in lab.

Zooming In

Engineer Kate Nabours and her colleagues uncover mission-critical details that are imperceptible to most people.

 Thomas wears an orange safety uniform and a colorfully graffitied face shield while welding at an industrial workstation

Finding Rainbows in the Fire

As a welder, Thomas has a hard job, literally: he welds iridium, the second-densest material on Earth.

Diego sits at a table with model planes, a Northrop History book and an American flag.

Keeping the Spirit Alive

For Diego Silva Molina, the path to Northrop Grumman was paved by a passion for aerospace and a connection to Jack Northrop.

Man in black t-shirt using hiking sticks to climb a steep trail in a tropical jungle.

Walking the Kokoda Trail

Walking 59.6 miles in the jungle of Papua New Guinea was the challenge of a lifetime for Ben Luke.

Two women in business professional dress and red heels stand, with arms crossed, in front of a Northrop Grumman facility.

Parallel Pathways

There’s no doubt about the direction Alisa Joseph and Eboni Fotang prefer to take: it’s always forward, together.

A dragon boat with 20 rowers is shown in silhouette as it moves along a river.

Making a Splash

Visit any marina and you may spot an ornately carved wooden serpent gliding across the water.

A blonde woman in a navy suit stands in front of a white plane in a hangar.

Stepping Up for Military Families

When Jennifer Sugarman isn't supporting communication efforts, she devotes time to her “cool volunteer side gig.”

Man in baseball cap kneels, placing an American flag at a gravesite with a white cross headstone

In the Footsteps of WWII

Alan Tran’s father handed him a video camera when he was 9 years old, sparking his interest in film and photography.

Kia Ravanfar smiles with mountains in the background.

Reaching New Heights

Kia Ravanfar has climbed to the summit of Mount Everest and skied back down parts of it. 

Stephen Guine smiles while looking directly at viewer.

The Maestro

Not everyone working in defense describes their role like that of an orchestra director.

Archivist looking at media.

Curating a Lasting Legacy

Northrop Grumman has a rich history of defining possible.

Man looking up on black background.

Survival, Strength and Service

Since a young age, I wanted to protect the world.

Melvin Aguirre working on equipment in the manufacturing internship program.

Putting it All Together

Five years ago, Melvin Aguirre was at a crossroads.

female in factory smiling.

A Clean Start

Anahi Solis started her journey at Northrop Grumman right out of high school in 2011.

u.s. navy sailor posed in front of lake.

Serving the Mission

At Northrop Grumman, we don't just respect the members of our nation's military community; we rely on them.

two race cars on track at night

Connection at the Racetrack

Connections between careers and cars brought them together at the racetrack.