3 min read March 2024 — In an interview with Invest:, Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, shed light on the center’s involvement in the commercialization of low Earth orbit, highlighting partnerships with entities like Axiom Space to develop commercial space stations. She also emphasized Houston’s significant role in the U.S. space exploration narrative, from astronaut training to supporting the diverse workforce behind NASA’s missions.
Can you discuss NASA’s role in commercializing low Earth orbit and Johnson’s contributions to this strategy?
NASA has a strategy to enable a commercial presence in space, focusing on commercial low Earth orbit. The International Space Station (ISS), about 250 miles above Earth, is celebrating its 25th anniversary of the first module launch and has had astronauts living on board for 23 continuous years. Research on the ISS spans life science, materials, Earth benefits, and climate study. It’s also used for technology development for future space endeavors. The ISS is authorized to operate until 2030, but NASA aims to maintain low Earth orbit capabilities beyond that. We’re working with companies to develop commercial space stations, termed commercial LEO destinations. These stations will continue scientific and technological advances, with NASA being one of many customers.
One example is Houston-based Axiom Space, which is developing a module to attach to the ISS and later form the basis of their own commercial space station. NASA provides technical expertise and facilities to these companies. Axiom Space is also pursuing private astronaut missions, like the current Axiom Mission3 crew on the ISS. Our role is enabling commercial platforms for research, while NASA focuses on deep space exploration. The commercialization of low Earth orbit is a significant responsibility and an exciting area of development.
How has Houston contributed to the achievements of the Johnson Space Center and the United States in space exploration?
Houston has been integral to the Johnson Space Center and the United States’ achievements in space exploration. All U.S. government astronauts reside in Houston during their training. When they’re selected, they relocate here and train for missions, like those to the International Space Station. They often refer to “calling home to Houston.”
Moreover, Houston is home to over 11,000 individuals working daily to advance human space exploration. Besides human space activities, we also engage in scientific endeavors. Our local community collaborates on spacecraft development and missions, including the current Artemis programs. Reflecting on the Apollo missions to the moon, which were conducted by all-white male astronaut teams, we now have a diverse astronaut corps, including women and people of color.
Our Artemis program extends the learnings from the International Space Station and involves collaboration with international partners for lunar exploration. Houston’s diversity mirrors this international collaboration, with people from various countries feeling at home in our community. Houston’s strategic location, with two international airports, facilitates easy access for international space collaborators.
Additionally, within Texas, there’s a collective effort to maintain the state’s leading role in spaceflight. The formation of the Space Commission will be critically important for setting forth a strategy for the entire state of Texas. It’s essential for us to work closely together, with the Commission reflecting our academic, industry, and governmental sectors. This collaboration is necessary for us to connect and strategize effectively. I am very glad this is happening, especially now during a huge renaissance in the space industry. To ensure Texas remains at the forefront, it’s vital for us all to understand the plan and work on it together.
Could you elaborate on the diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at NASA’s Johnson Space Center?
At NASA, we recognize that the best solutions emerge when we include everyone and incorporate diverse viewpoints. We strive to recruit from a broad spectrum to ensure our workforce reflects the community and the world we live in. Our focus is on supporting our entire workforce.
One of the ways we promote inclusion is through employee resource groups. These are grassroots initiatives, arising from what our workforce desires. We have groups based on ethnicities, including Hispanic, African American, and Asian and Pacific Islander groups. We also have groups for the LGBTQ community.
Additionally, we have groups formed around common interests or needs. For example, there’s a group focused on sustainability, exploring how we can better support the planet. We have a group for parenting, supporting young parents with resources for childcare. We also address the “sandwich generation” situation, where employees care for their aging parents and children at the same time. By providing resources and information, we aim to ensure that our employees are unburdened from personal life constraints, allowing them to focus effectively on their work here at NASA.
Can you talk a little about NASA’s involvement in educational initiatives?
NASA is deeply committed to STEM engagement from kindergarten through postgraduate levels, with a dedicated organization focusing on a wide range of programs to inspire the next generation. For our younger audience, our website offers a plethora of activities to spark interest in STEM fields. In Texas, we host the High School Aerospace Scholars Program for juniors, facilitated by Texas A&M, encompassing online courses and hands-on projects at the Johnson Space Center. Furthermore, NASA offers internships, challenges, and design competitions that allow students to create tools for extravehicular activities, or spacewalks, testing their inventions in a competitive environment. Notably, San Jacinto Community College once triumphed over several four-year institutions in one of these competitions. We also provide extensive opportunities for graduate and postgraduate studies, ensuring there are programs available for every educational level.
How does NASA collaborate with local institutions?
NASA collaborates closely with local institutions, which is a key part of our strategy to foster advancements in space exploration. Over the past two years, I’ve had the honor of signing Space Act Agreements with our local partners. These agreements formalize our commitment to work together on various projects. For instance, the University of Houston-Clear Lake was originally established to support our need for graduate studies tailored to NASA’s workforce. Although it has since expanded its academic offerings, its inception was closely tied to strengthening our team here.
We also partner with the University of Houston, Rice University, and Texas A&M, focusing on identifying current and future workforce needs. With over 75% of the Johnson Space Center’s workforce holding bachelor’s degrees and a significant requirement for technical skills, we extend our collaboration to local community colleges for technical degrees.
A significant area of our joint efforts includes the Artemis program, where we discuss the training needs of our astronauts and ensure we have the necessary facilities and capabilities. Additionally, we lead in the curation of extraterrestrial samples, like the moon rocks from Apollo missions, but also from recent endeavors like the samples returned from the asteroid Bennu by the OSIRIS-REx mission, and planning for the curation of Mars samples expected to be returned to Earth.
Our collaboration extends to sharing the knowledge and discoveries from these missions with the global community, emphasizing that these achievements belong to everyone, not just NASA. We invite the public to engage with us in this journey of exploration, highlighting the collective ownership of space exploration achievements.
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