Ashlee Nichols Brookens is a creative executive, producer, and editor with award-winning work on NASA+, Netflix, CBS, Paramount+, Amazon, and PBS.
She has served as Lead Editor for CBS prime-time shows and Staff Producer/Editor for Robert Rodriguez’s El Rey Network, and now leads creative and editorial for NASA+ campaigns and feature documentaries.
Ashlee co-executive produced, co-wrote and edited NASA’s first globally distributed feature documentary, Cosmic Dawn.
“As a lifelong NASA fan and space enthusiast, I was honored to join the writing team on Cosmic Dawn alongside James Tralie and Rebecca Sirmons, where we were tasked with shaping the final narrative. I helped weave together emotional throughlines, especially the tension. Webb can’t be serviced like Hubble, so the team had one shot to get it right. That tension became a major driver of the film. We also wanted to highlight the Webb team’s amazing ability to deal with the pressure. The redemption arc following government scrutiny and public doubt was also important for us to weave in gracefully. It was about capturing the heightened emotions, the stakes, and the human moments that made this more than a technical retelling. The story of Webb is a story of resilience.”
— Ashlee Nichols Brookens
“Cosmic Dawn highlights the human spirit to reach for the stars. It’s a must-watch documentary for students and space enthusiasts alike.”
— Space.com
Ashlee has produced and edited campaigns for Lucha Underground, Criminal Minds, Halo, and The Flash. Her documentaries have screened at the Smithsonian, for Congress, and earned Webby, Anthem, and Telly Awards. She also cut the sizzles that helped Amazon land its NFL streaming deal, and loves to recite Pi to whomever will listen or badly rap “Da Dip” at karaoke.
