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Summer 2021聽触听By Nicole Dudenhoefer 麻豆精品 S�17

Jenny Lyons 麻豆精品 S�92MS recalls聽watching shuttle launches聽with her father when she聽was in high school and asking聽him, 麻豆精品 S淲hy are there no women in聽the control room? 麻豆精品 S� He didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know,聽but what he said next changed her聽life: 麻豆精品 S淲hy don 麻豆精品 S檛 you do something聽about that? 麻豆精品 S�

Three decades later, Lyons is聽now the deputy manager for NASA 麻豆精品 S檚聽Gateway Deep Space Logistics 麻豆精品 S� an聽outpost that will orbit the moon and聽is a part of the Artemis program,聽which aims to send the first woman聽and person of color to the moon聽by 2024. Gateway will be a crucial聽element for the next wave of space聽exploration that will not only聽establish a sustainable presence聽on the moon but also play a major聽role in landing astronauts on Mars聽in the 2030s.

麻豆精品 S淭he future of humanity depends聽on the efforts that we 麻豆精品 S檙e doing, 麻豆精品 S� says聽Lyons. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檝e been demonstrating聽how to evolve humans off of Earth to live and work in聽space continuously at the International Space Station in聽low-Earth orbit, but I think this is the natural evolution聽that takes us out farther. Being part of building the聽highway that 麻豆精品 S檚 taking us out into space to live is really聽awesome. 麻豆精品 S�

In Greek mythology, Artemis is the goddess of the moon聽and twin sister of the sun god, Apollo. The current program聽name mirrors the Apollo program from the late 麻豆精品 S�60s and聽early 麻豆精品 S�70s when the United States landed 12 men, including聽Neil Armstrong, on the moon. The Artemis mission marks聽the United States 麻豆精品 S� return to moon landings since astronaut聽Eugene Cernan left his footprints on the surface in 1972.

An Intentional Design

Mark Wiese 麻豆精品 S�11MS, manager for Gateway Deep Space聽Logistics and one of 20 Knights on the project, has no聽doubt NASA can do it. The technology has been there since聽the last century. The biggest obstacle, according to Wiese,聽comes down to something far less scientific 麻豆精品 S� public聽approval.

麻豆精品 S淣ASA knows how to do this, 麻豆精品 S� says Wiese. 麻豆精品 S淭he problem聽has been communicating to our stakeholders 麻豆精品 S� the general聽public who funds us 麻豆精品 S� that doing this is the right thing聽to do for our country given the competing economic,聽environmental and public health priorities right now.聽Investing in what NASA is doing will eventually open聽up ways for us to live differently on Earth and advance聽technologies for all of us. 麻豆精品 S�

Decades ago, the Apollo program, which cost about聽$283 billion when adjusted for inflation, came to an end聽when the government could no longer afford to fund the聽program. NASA estimates the Artemis program will cost聽$86 billion through the 2025 fiscal year, with Gateway聽accounting for about $3.8 billion of that cost. To avoid past聽funding issues, NASA is partnering on certain aspects of聽the projects with the Canadian Space Agency, European聽Space Agency, Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency聽and American commercial companies.

麻豆精品 S淣ASA is the research and development leg of the聽people of the United States, so when the government聽invests in NASA, it buys down the risk for things that聽commercial companies can 麻豆精品 S檛 [afford] the resources聽for, 麻豆精品 S� says Wiese. 麻豆精品 S淲e have found ways to let space be a聽platform for new ideas, companies, entrepreneurial ways聽of doing things and mobility that is beyond the reach of聽what we initially thought. 麻豆精品 S�

Gateway is comprised of three pieces: The Power聽and Propulsion Element (PPE) will fuel its orbit and is聽being managed out of NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 Glenn Research Center in聽Ohio. The Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) will聽provide housing for astronauts as well as space to store聽supplies and conduct experiments. It is being developed聽by Northrop Grumman and will be managed out of the聽Johnson Space Center in Houston. And the Human.聽Landing Systems (HLS) that astronauts will use to reach聽the moon 麻豆精品 S檚 surface was awarded in April to SpaceX.

PPE and HALO will come together at Kennedy Space聽Center under the supervision of the Deep Space Logistics聽team, led by Wiese and Lyons. After these two elements聽are launched in 2024, HLS will join them closer to the聽moon landing mission. Deep Space Logistics is also聽responsible for delivering the supplies needed for Artemis聽missions to Gateway prior to the crew arriving, which聽differs from previous moon landing missions.

With any proposed change comes resistance. Critics of聽Gateway note that the Apollo program didn 麻豆精品 S檛 require an聽orbiting outpost, and that NASA made it to the moon just聽fine without a pit stop. But Wiese makes the comparison聽to tourists visiting Central Florida. Their first stop isn 麻豆精品 S檛聽the theme parks. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a hotel or resort from which they can聽visit all the attractions Orlando has to offer.

麻豆精品 S淲e didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have Gateway when we聽had Apollo, but Apollo was limited聽to where on the moon we could go, 麻豆精品 S澛燱iese says. 麻豆精品 S淕ateway gives us a way聽to access any point on the surface of聽the moon 麻豆精品 S� It 麻豆精品 S檚 humbling to sit there聽and realize we 麻豆精品 S檙e standing on the聽shoulders of all the people behind us. 麻豆精品 S�

The Right Team at the Right Facility

NASA has 18 major centers and聽facilities across the nation, but聽Kennedy Space Center (KSC)聽remains the top spot for launches聽with more than 90 commercial聽partners on-site. It 麻豆精品 S檚 one reason聽Associate Manager for Integration聽and Analysis Johnny Nguyen 麻豆精品 S�01聽 麻豆精品 S�05MBA says it makes sense for聽Gateway 麻豆精品 S檚 Deep Space Logistics to be聽based there.

麻豆精品 S淔or Deep Space Logistics, we 麻豆精品 S檙e聽delivering all this stuff to the lunar聽vicinity, and it all has to come聽together at the very end, 麻豆精品 S� Nguyen聽says. 麻豆精品 S淪ome supplies, like clothing,聽you could pack years ahead of聽time, and some cargo supplies, like聽batteries, have to be packed at the聽very last second. Having all of the聽hardware and supplies, the different聽missions and projects happening聽at Kennedy Space Center, and the deep experience of the聽people here creates a really strong聽community to draw upon. So it 麻豆精品 S檚 a聽really vibrant center. 麻豆精品 S�

KSC was selected as the hub for聽Gateway specifically because of the聽employees who work there. Nearly聽30% of KSC employees graduate聽from UCF, which has long been聽the top supplier of aerospace and聽defense graduates in the nation. For聽Nguyen this includes a bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 in聽mechanical engineering that gives聽him technical insight, as well as a聽master 麻豆精品 S檚 in business administration聽that helps him manage the contracts聽and finances, which are a major part聽of Deep Space Logistics 麻豆精品 S� work.

麻豆精品 S淭he team at KSC has vast聽experience executing commercial聽contracts for launch services and聽with the commercial crew program,聽so it 麻豆精品 S檚 a natural fit to bring that聽expertise to Deep Space Logistics, 麻豆精品 S澛爏ays Dan Hartman, Gateway program聽manager, based at Johnson Space聽Center. 麻豆精品 S淢ark and Jenny have聽provided exceptional leadership聽for Deep Space Logistics efforts,聽constantly challenging our entire聽team to maintain focus on simplicity聽and commercial innovation. 麻豆精品 S�

Although in different cohorts,聽Lyons and Wiese pursued master 麻豆精品 S檚聽degrees in industrial engineering聽at UCF through the Professional聽Engineering Management program,聽which is one of several degree聽programs at UCF that hundreds of聽KSC employees have benefited from.聽With bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degrees in aerospace聽engineering from other universities,聽Lyons and Wiese 麻豆精品 S檚 master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree聽studies at UCF focused more on聽management aspects related to聽engineering.

麻豆精品 S淭hey offered us classes outside聽of our traditional bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 because聽understanding aspects of the business聽including human resources were聽not anything we had exposure to, 麻豆精品 S澛燣yons says. 麻豆精品 S淧eople from all different聽organizations at [KSC], such as the聽chief financial officer organization,聽were also represented in this program聽and got the technical classes while we聽got some of the business classes, and聽all of us were stronger for it. 麻豆精品 S�

Tim Kotnour, director of聽UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Professional Engineering聽Management program since 2008,聽says Lyons and Wiese are natural聽leaders who have enhanced their聽core leadership and management聽skills through their studies and聽work experience. In the classroom,聽Kotnour says Wiese was a forward聽thinker who pushed those around聽him to produce greater outcomes.聽While Lyons didn 麻豆精品 S檛 take any courses聽with Kotnour, the two have worked聽together for more than 23 years, and聽he says she has advanced the strategic聽evolution of KSC while using a聽servant leadership approach to聽mentor other women in the aerospace聽industry.

麻豆精品 S淢ark and Jenny have the聽unique ability to balance focus on聽performance, process and people聽to translate the big-picture strategy聽into specific action, 麻豆精品 S� says Kotnour,聽Lockheed Martin St. Laurent聽Professor of industrial engineering.

麻豆精品 S淭heir presence in the room makes聽a difference. They bring calmness聽to situations while also driving聽accountability, which is a tough聽balance for other leaders 麻豆精品 S� but they聽do this well. Folks follow their lead聽not because of their formal positions,聽but because of the people they are. 麻豆精品 S�

Testing Tech Innovation

With a range of skill sets, the聽Deep Space Logistics team is able to聽leverage every member 麻豆精品 S檚 strengths聽to develop innovative solutions聽for challenges with fuel sources,聽propulsion methods and radiation聽protection 麻豆精品 S� all of which have the聽potential to advance life off and聽on Earth.

So far, humans have only been聽able to explore about 5% of the聽moon. Accessing more of the lunar聽surface will allow scientists to take聽advantage of a discovery made in the past decade: millions of tons of water聽ice found beneath the moon 麻豆精品 S檚 surface聽that can be mined and split into liquid聽hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel.聽The water can also be consumed聽by astronauts and used to maintain聽temperatures of spacecrafts.

麻豆精品 S淣ow that we have [liquid]聽hydrogen and oxygen as another聽fuel source, we can use that to power聽deep space travel, so we don 麻豆精品 S檛 have to聽bring everything from Earth, 麻豆精品 S� Wiese聽says. 麻豆精品 S淎lso, locating an energy source聽in space is a great way for us to look聽at continuing to reduce our energy聽consumption on Earth, so we can聽continue to protect our own planet. 麻豆精品 S�

While liquid hydrogen creates a聽chemical propulsion that propels聽spacecrafts, such as Gateway, into聽space, NASA plans to test the ability聽of a different fuel source 麻豆精品 S� the sun 麻豆精品 S斅爐o actually power the lunar outpost 麻豆精品 S檚聽orbit. Once the agency is ready to聽send astronauts to Mars, Gateway聽will be programmed to complete the聽six-to-nine-month journey to the red聽planet 麻豆精品 S� with abort capabilities in聽case anything goes wrong.

麻豆精品 S淭he backbone of Gateway is聽demonstrating new solar electric聽propulsion technologies, which is聽the utmost importance for us to go to聽Mars since we can 麻豆精品 S檛 bring huge fuel聽tanks with us, 麻豆精品 S� says Wiese. 麻豆精品 S淪olar聽electrical propulsion isn 麻豆精品 S檛 as strong聽of a push, but 麻豆精品 S� it 麻豆精品 S檚 more sustainable聽and can actually tug heavier masses聽over longer periods of time. 麻豆精品 S�

While the sun will help propel聽spaceships farther, the powerful聽energy force becomes increasingly聽problematic for hardware and聽astronauts the deeper they go into聽space, says Dawn Trout 麻豆精品 S�12PhD,聽element architecture senior聽discipline lead for Deep Space Logistics.

NASA has developed reboot聽programs, structures and spacesuits聽to protect against radiation. But聽the ability to conduct experiments聽hundreds of thousands of miles from聽Earth will allow the agency to develop聽better protection methods as they聽prepare to travel almost 200 million聽miles to Mars. And it will provide聽commercial companies with insight聽on how to better shield humankind.

麻豆精品 S淏ecause the technologies聽developed for NASA are developed by聽the U.S. government, a lot of time the聽space agency 麻豆精品 S檚 intellectual property聽becomes available to commercial聽companies that produce spinoffs, 麻豆精品 S澛爏ays Ray Lugo 麻豆精品 S�79, director of the聽Florida Space Institute and 颈苍诲耻蝉迟谤颈补濒听别苍驳颈苍别别谤颈苍驳 graduate. 麻豆精品 S淥ver time,聽we as humans get a lot of exposure聽to radiation from different kinds of聽activities, [from using our cellphones]聽to X-rays, MRIs and CAT scans.聽So developing those technologies聽for deep space travel will actually聽[help] protect humans [on Earth]聽during normal activities and medical聽procedures. 麻豆精品 S�

While many of the technologies聽used for Gateway aren 麻豆精品 S檛 necessarily聽new, the way they 麻豆精品 S檙e being applied聽and modified showcases the subtle聽difference between invention and聽innovation. Having the vision and聽willingness to do things differently,聽to find better approaches to old聽problems and foresee emerging issues聽with new methods takes curious聽minds who remain inspired to rise聽beyond the call to action.

麻豆精品 S淢y dad may have laid down聽the initial challenge, but it was my聽UCF education 麻豆精品 S� along with many聽other opportunities provided to me聽by NASA 麻豆精品 S� that has allowed me to聽pursue a career beyond my wildest聽dreams, 麻豆精品 S� Lyons says. 麻豆精品 S淎fter all,聽that 麻豆精品 S檚 what NASA was built to do 麻豆精品 S斅爐o inspire, create and achieve the聽seemingly impossible. 麻豆精品 S�

Before returning to the moon in 2024, NASA must聽finalize everything on land, which recently required the聽space agency to ship the backbone of its tallest rocket聽from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to聽Kennedy Space Center. Traveling on the Pegasus barge,聽the 212-foot Space Launch System 麻豆精品 S檚 core system will聽help propel supplies and astronauts to Gateway.

Header image and portraits courtesy of NASA.