Females of the International Space Station Programs labor force are pioneers and contribute to the success of the orbiting lab in amazing methods. From program management to research or mission integration, the various area station teams are abundant with ladies engineers who strive on the ground to ensure the smooth operation of the orbiting laboratory 250 miles above.
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day was February 24, 2022, a day when NASA acknowledges the contributions of females and seeks to influence the Artemis Generation of women and young ladies to pursue engineering careers and end up being the terrific innovators and problem-solvers of tomorrow. With the strides and advancements ladies have made in recent years, NASA comprehends the requirement to empower females and aims to continue to influence generations of ladies to come.
Satisfy a few of the women of the International Space Station Program and find out about their journeys into engineering for NASA and the orbiting lab.
Rebekah Anchondo is a personal astronaut mission integrator within the International Space Station Programs Commercial Integration Office. Credit: NASA
Rebekah Anchondo is a personal astronaut mission (PAM) integrator within the International Space Station Programs Commercial Integration Office. She holds a bachelors degree in aerospace engineering and masters degree in systems engineering. I did love solving issues and doing puzzles, which is most likely why I love the analytical element of engineering.
Anchondos 12-year International Space Station engineering career started through a college cooperative education (co-op) internship with a NASA specialist. During this time, she trained as a Space Shuttle Propulsion Systems Flight Controller. Three years later, after college, she started her full-time profession as a professional supporting NASA In this function, Anchondo carried out computer-aided design modeling and analysis of space station internal and external setups, and did technical integration and trade research studies on various setups and improvements for space station.
Rebekah experiencing a few seconds of microgravity during a test of her University of Texas teams experiment on a C-9 aircraft. Credit: NASA.
Various promotions, leadership positions, and special engineering functions later on, she was hired by NASA in 2019 to act as the stations car configuration lead. In this position she performed and led systems engineering and integration assessments of future spaceport station configurations and improvements. She transitioned to her current function as private astronaut mission (PAM) integrator in fall 2021.
What inspired you to pursue engineering?
” Early in high school, my love for math pressed me in the instructions of engineering. My mother encouraged me to participate in numerous engineering camps to check out the idea and assistance identify what type of engineering I may be interested in.
The most unforgettable experience was the Space Settlement Design Competition at NASAs Johnson Space Center where we were organized into teams of 40 trainees and tasked with developing a settlement on the Moon. I initially took part as a sophomore in high school. By my senior year, I was president of my design group and had the honor of instruction our results to the panel of judges. This experience exposed me to the thrilling issue resolving required in the aerospace market. I enjoyed the concept of helping check out the uncharted territory of space, especially through human spaceflight missions including in the extra challenge of life support.”
Rebekah serving as a stand-in throughout a space shuttle bus team escape training in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASAs Johnson Space. Credit: NASA
Anyone you appreciate?
” I admire my mommy, Marilyn. My mama served as a good example when I was young, in addition to now. She is a high school math instructor and one of the most fantastic females I understand. She constantly put her best foot forward at work and was dedicated to seeing her students to be successful. Her commitment and love for her task motivated me to pursue a career that I like and enjoy.”
What suggestions would you provide women interested in pursuing engineering?
” Talk to people in various types of engineering roles. In high school I was interested in engineering due to my love for math however was unsure what type of engineering to pursue. By talking to individuals in the petroleum and aerospace engineering industries, I had the ability to gain insight into examples of work that might be performed. Additionally, getting involved in engineering camps throughout high school gave me exposure to different aspects of engineering to even more assist me figure out which specialty to pursue.”
Suzanne Hansen is a Mission Evaluation Room supervisor within the International Space Station Programs On-Orbit Engineering Office. Credit: NASA
Suzanne Hansen is a Mission Evaluation Room (MER) manager within the International Space Station Programs On-Orbit Engineering Office. She holds a bachelors degree in aerospace engineering. Her suggestions for ladies thinking about engineering? “Sometimes it might appear like you are the just one in your class or in a conference that doesnt comprehend what is being gone over. What I have actually found out is that usually if you have a question, others do too. Dont be afraid to raise your hand, stop briefly the conversation and ask.”
Hansen started her NASA profession in the International Space Station Program working for its prime professional, The Boeing Co. (Boeing), initially as a co-op trainee and then complete time. She at first worked for the Vehicle Integrated Performance and Resources (VIPER) console in the Mission Control Centers Mission Evaluation Room (MER) where she was accountable for establishing plans to feather the space stations solar ranges. This operation was established to secure them from being and straining polluted throughout dynamic events such as vehicle maneuvers.
Suzannes papa Robert, left, and Suzanne, right. She says her daddy played a big part in her journey to ending up being an engineer. Credit: NASA
She became a spaceport station Mission Evaluation Room (MER) manager, initially for Boeing, and after that as a NASA civil servant. She is accountable for leading a team of engineering disciplines that consists of experts on every significant International Space Station system. They work carefully with the flight control group to detect and troubleshoot concerns onboard the spaceport station for whatever from tablet computers to the life support systems.
What inspired you to pursue engineering?
” One of my favorite films as a kid was Space Camp and I loved the idea of being associated with the area program. When trying to choose a significant for college, I saw aerospace engineering in the list. It seemed like the best fit, particularly when I saw the list of classes that I would be taking including orbital mechanics and objective style.”
Anybody you admire?” My papa is a substantial part of why I became an engineer. I was easily overwhelmed and irritated by new principles and some of the easiest things didnt make sense when I was very first knowing math. My daddy would take a seat next to me and patiently explain it once again and again– approaching it from different ways and constantly motivating me to be imaginative and attempt a new technique to fixing the problem. I use the methods he taught me to this day when approaching something new.”
Advanced spacesuit designer Amy Ross of NASAs Johnson Space Center stands with the Z-2, a model spacesuit. Credit: NASA
Amy Ross is currently on a task rotation functioning as assistant chief engineer for the International Space Station Program, her usual title is “lead advanced spacesuit pressure garment engineer.” She holds a bachelors degree in aerospace engineering, masters degrees in systems engineering and space research studies.
While Amy Ross has actually worked for NASA for 26 years, shes become part of the NASA household well-before ever being formally hired. Growing up and around the area program, her daddy Jerry Ross is a seven-time space shuttle bus astronaut and mom, Karen, worked as a supervisor for food and item assistance for the Space Shuttle Program along with food processing for the International Space Station. Amy states, “I am a proponent of women in engineering. When I speak with groups of ladies, and actually any group of kids, I interact 2 main points:
The very first thing to do is set that goal and then work for it. She didnt have the benefit, as I did, of knowing the individuals who worked at NASA first-hand as my neighbor, Sunday school teacher, and so on. Individuals in her community didnt understand that somebody like her, from a little town like theirs might do it.
Seen here, in this picture taken underwater at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, is Amy Ross supporting a spacewalk hardware evaluation. Credit: NASA.
I share that I was not a mathematics whiz in high school. Hard work compensates for an absence of innate skill.”
The second thing Amy communicates is that there are a lot of various kind of jobs that you can do with an engineering degree. As a kid, it is hard to understand what an engineer does. “Going into college, I didnt understand what an engineer did. I just knew that being an engineer was a path to work at NASA. I believe a lot of kids are tentative about selecting engineering since they cant see what they would in fact be doing, or they believe engineers being in front of computer systems and style things all the time. While some engineers do precisely that, other engineers test hardware, handle groups, train astronauts, etc. There are as many designs of engineers and their jobs as there are the people that do them. We also have accountants, attorneys, nurses, photographers, human resources people, and editors who work for NASA. Select the path that makes good sense for you.”
While this short article can not acknowledge all the excellent females engineers of the International Space Station Program, countless ladies have actually added to the assembly of the station, the research being conducted aboard, and operation on an everyday basis which in turn, makes it possible for research that benefits all of us here back in the world.
Anchondos 12-year International Space Station engineering career began through a college cooperative education (co-op) internship with a NASA specialist. In this function, Anchondo carried out computer-aided style modeling and analysis of space station internal and external configurations, and did technical combination and trade research studies on various setups and improvements for area station.
The most remarkable experience was the Space Settlement Design Competition at NASAs Johnson Space Center where we were organized into groups of 40 students and charged with designing a settlement on the Moon.” One of my preferred films as a kid was Space Camp and I enjoyed the thought of being included in the space program. Growing up and around the space program, her dad Jerry Ross is a seven-time space shuttle astronaut and mom, Karen, served as a manager for food and product assistance for the Space Shuttle Program as well as food processing for the International Space Station.
