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By NASA
“When I was around 16 or 17, I came across this book by Arthur C. Clarke called Space Odyssey 2001. That was actually the first science fiction book that I’ve ever read. I was just so captured by what he had written because the things that he wrote about weren’t [happening] in the far-off future, but in the year 2001. In the book, he talks about a lot about space stations, and space shuttles that go up to the space station, and vehicles that go to the Moon or the Moon base, and all that. I mean, these are terms that you hear now all the time, right? And Arthur C. Clarke actually envisioned it at that time. So that was interesting to me. I hoped that someday I could work on something like that.
“In terms of my education, I was actually going to go into the space engineering, but then someone advised me that mechanical engineering would give me a broader background. So I followed the advice, and it was the right thing to do. I ended up learning a lot of things, not just mechanical engineering but also a lot about electrical engineering and systems engineering at the same time.
“…Then an opportunity came with NASA. It was at that time that they started talking about the space station. Ronald Reagan at that time was the President, and he proposed this initiative to develop the space station. At that time, he called the space station ‘Freedom.’
“I thought, ‘Wow, what an exciting concept; it would be great if I could work on that.’
“And of course, one thing led to another, and [I ended up working on the International Space Station.] So you never know what you’re going to end up doing.
“I believe in synchronicity sometimes. The things that you do, one way or another, lead to your final destination. Some invisible forces push you in that direction. When you look back, you realize that everything fits together.”
— Douglas Wong, Systems Engineer, ISS CRS Visiting Vehicle Safety & Mission Assurance Integration Focal, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
Image Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford
Interviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos
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By NASA
Chris Barnett-Woods is shown at the E-1 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where NASA Stennis accelerates the exploration and commercialization of space and innovates to benefit NASA and industry.NASA/Danny Nowlin Chris Barnett-Woods’ favorite movie growing up – Back to the Future – led him to dream of one day building a DeLorean automobile. Instead, the electrical engineer is doing something never imagined as he helps NASA support the commercialization of space for the benefit of all.
“If there is any interest, always apply to work at a place like NASA because you never know where it will take you,” said Barnett-Woods, who is approaching two decades of work at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. “In college, I never thought I would work for NASA. I thought it was a far-off fantasy and could not be a reality. Turns out, it was closer than I thought.”
The Diamondhead, Mississippi, resident is in his 10th year as a NASA engineer and 17th overall at NASA Stennis, following seven years as a contractor before joining NASA.
Barnett-Woods is the electrical lead and instrumentation engineer at the E-1 Test Stand. It has four test cell positions and is a part of the versatile four-stand E Test Complex at NASA Stennis. Overall, the complex includes 12 active test cell positions capable of various component, engine, and stage test activities.
He describes the customer-focused approach at E-1 as a fast-paced workflow in a constant phase of testing while always keeping safety at the forefront.
“Safety is priority number one, followed by collecting data to help our customers,” said Barnett-Woods. “We ensure everyone goes home in the condition they entered. There is no hesitation that if we are entering an unsafe process or configuration, we will stop right there and make sure we are doing it the right way.”
A typical day for the engineer includes running a system calibration, which ensures all sensors on the facility and test article are reading accurately, followed by red line checks.
The red line checks help maintain a safe work environment in the event a pressure or temperature goes too high. If that were to happen, this process will safely shut down the engine.
Once checks are complete, the hot fire test begins with flowing fuel and oxidizer through the test article to facilitate firing and record data. The data tells the story of performance and allows for design analysis as engineers determine the most optimal way to run the test article.
“It is a fun environment,” the NASA engineer said. “We have a lot of very dedicated people that know the job, love the job, and would do nearly anything for it. We are one big, happy team, like family.”
A hot fire can range between one second to 200 seconds, depending on what is tested. The 2023 NASA Silver Achievement Medal recipient has supported hundreds of hot fires for commercial customers, including companies brand new to the aerospace industry and those more experienced that are looking for specific parameters.
“NASA Stennis is a one-of-a-kind facility in the world,” Barnett-Woods said. “This is the only place where we can do a ground level test of an actual engine hot fire and if you like rockets, this is the place to be.”
For information about NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit:
Stennis Space Center – NASA
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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Danielle Koch, an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, was honored by the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio as a 2024 Woman of Distinction. She accepted the award during a ceremony on May 16. Credit: Girl Scouts of North East Ohio/Andrew Jordan You’d think a NASA aerospace engineer who spends her days inside a giant dome researching how to make plane engines quieter and spacecraft systems more efficient would have a pretty booked schedule. Still, advocacy and mentoring, especially for women and girls in STEM, is something Danielle Koch always tries to say yes to.
For decades, Koch has tutored students, volunteered as a mentor for engineering challenges, and engaged Pre-K through Ph.D. classes with stories from her career at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Koch also works to recruit women and others from underrepresented groups to the field and find ways to remove barriers to their advancement.
For her efforts, Koch was recently recognized by the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio as a 2024 Woman of Distinction. The award, presented to Koch during a ceremony on May 16, celebrates women whose leadership contributes to the community, providing girls with positive role models. Koch says that diverse people and programs have similarly shaped her own career path.
“None of this is anything I’ve done myself; there are huge groups of people who are making change and making things better for all of us,” Koch said. “Every story I tell about me being a woman at NASA is really a story about them.”
Danielle Koch (right) is an aerospace engineer in the Acoustics Branch at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, where she works to make flight quieter and spacecraft systems more efficient.Credit: NASA/Jef Janis A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Case Western Reserve University, Koch began her career as a test engineer at NASA Glenn in 1990 as the only woman in her work group. While there were women around her, Koch says she did not see many senior-level female engineers or scientists “working ahead of her.” With determination and the “rock-solid” support of colleagues, family, and friends, Koch forged ahead, becoming a research aerospace engineer in NASA Glenn’s Acoustics Branch in 1998.
“She’s somebody that goes above and beyond almost all of the time, while using her knowledge and career to bring others up to her level,” said John Lucero, Koch’s supervisor and the chief of the Acoustics Branch at NASA Glenn.
Koch realized the landscape around her was evolving in 2016 when she sat down in one of NASA Glenn’s biggest conference rooms for the center’s annual Women Ignite workshop. It was the first time she’d seen the space entirely filled with women.
“It was striking,” Koch said. “Learning from each other and being visible to each other, it’s so huge.”
Koch points to insights gleaned from these workshops — which are focused on networking, skill-building, and empowerment — as propelling her forward, along with the center’s Women in STEM Leadership Development Program, launched to help the women of NASA Glenn connect and grow as leaders.
NASA Glenn Research Center aerospace engineer Danielle Koch gives a tour of the Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory to a group of students in 2017.Credit: NASA/Marvin Smith Koch also spotlights the value of the Women at Glenn employee resource group, which organizes events and panels, shares job and volunteer opportunities, and provides a platform for addressing issues in the workplace.
“The employee resource group offers a great sense of community for women at the center,” said Women at Glenn co-chair and aerospace engineer Christine Pastor-Barsi. “When you feel like you’re unique, it’s good to know that there are others out there like you, even if you don’t always see them in the room.”
Koch says she’ll continue working as a mentor in the community and advocating for the diverse range of people who choose to take the leap into the STEM fields.
“It’s difficult to be the only one that’s visibly different in a room; it changes the way you communicate, the way you’re perceived,” Koch said. “It’s really important to reach out to people who are different from us and invite them to consider engineering as a career. We all benefit when we work with someone who’s different from ourselves.”
Get Involved + More Resources
Learn about the Girls in STEM program at NASA Glenn, designed to inspire middle school students’ interest in STEM fields. The event features women working in STEM fields at NASA Glenn, an engaging STEM activity, and tours of NASA Glenn facilities. Continue celebrating International Women in Engineering Day with more inspiring stories of Women at NASA. Explore content from NASA’s observance of Women’s History Month. Discover how to engage with NASA experts. Explore More
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By NASA
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
AIAA Executive Director Daniel Dumbacher, left, and AIAA President Laura McGill, right, present NASA Space Nuclear Propulsion Chief Engineer Kurt Polzin with the Engineer of the Year Award at the AIAA Awards Gala on May 15 at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.Courtesy of AIAA By Daniel Boyette
Advanced space nuclear propulsion systems are critical to NASA’s Moon to Mars vision. On May 15, one of the individuals at the forefront of those future exploration efforts was honored for his contributions.
Kurt Polzin, chief engineer for the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, received the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Engineer of the Year award during its awards gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington.
“The use of nuclear technologies will become increasingly important as the nation returns humans to the Moon and then goes onward to Mars, and realizing these benefits will take not just a NASA effort, but a national effort,” Polzin told the audience. “It’s a privilege to work with and lead some of the best people in government, industry, and academia, bringing the nation closer to a future where nuclear power and propulsion technologies in space become common. What we do today will enable science missions and human exploration beyond anything humans have ever achieved for current and future generations of scientists and explorers.”
Since 2021, Polzin has overseen NASA’s nuclear propulsion technology development and maturation efforts. He’s also the chief engineer for the agency’s partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program, which aims to demonstrate a nuclear thermal propulsion system in space as soon as 2027.
“To live and work on the Moon, we’ll need a power and transportation infrastructure, and nuclear space systems offer key capability benefits over current state-of-art,” said Anthony Calomino, NASA’s Space Nuclear Technologies portfolio manager under the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. “Kurt’s leadership in this journey to mature our space nuclear propulsion technology is what will get us there. We are proud to see him recognized as AIAA’s Engineer of the Year.”
Q&A with Kurt Polzin
Q: What were your emotions when you went to accept the award?
Polzin: The list of those who have previously received this award is long and illustrious, so it is an honor to be nominated for it. Being selected by my peers as the recipient was a very thrilling and humbling experience. Receiving it at the Kennedy Center, in the presence of many aerospace leaders and my wife in the audience, made it a truly unique and memorable experience.
Q: You’ve previously stated that individual awards are really team awards. How has being a member of a team helped you to be successful?
Polzin: Realizing big ideas requires the contributions and expertise of many people across a range of skills and disciplines, and using nuclear technologies in space is about the most significant idea there is. The team we assembled and continue to grow consists of true experts in their disciplines. I constantly rely on them to ensure we are asking the right questions and making investments to advance our capabilities and position the nation for success.
Q: What excites you most about the future of space exploration?
Polzin: In my lifetime, we have never been closer to fully realizing the benefits of nuclear power and propulsion in space. We now have the potential to cross the threshold and open a new era where nuclear technologies will bring about truly transformational change in how we approach all aspects of space exploration.
Polzin delivers his acceptance speech.Courtesy of AIAA Before his current role, Polzin was the Space Systems Team lead in Marshall’s Advanced Concepts Office. He joined NASA in 2004 as a propulsion research engineer.
Polzin has a doctorate and a master’s in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University in New Jersey and a bachelor’s in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Ohio State University in Columbus.
He authored or co-authored over 140 publications, including a recently published monograph, and he holds six U.S. patents. He has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville for many years, teaching graduate-level courses in physics and engineering.
Polzin’s other honors include the AIAA Sustained Service Award, the AIAA Greater Huntsville Section’s Martin Schilling Outstanding Service and Earl Pearce Professional of the Year, and multiple NASA Patent, Special Service, and Group Achievement awards. He is an associate fellow of AIAA and a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate funds the SNP Office.
With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries and 95 corporate members, AIAA is the world’s largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession.
For more on Space Nuclear Propulsion, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/tdm/space-nuclear-propulsion/
For more on Marshall Space Flight Center, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/marshall/
Ramon J. Osorio
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
256-544-0034
ramon.j.osorio@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Jun 05, 2024 Related Terms
Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP) Marshall Space Flight Center Technology Demonstration Missions Program Explore More
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By NASA
“[My proudest moment] was deciding post-college what to do [in my life] and not asking for advice anymore. It’s one of those things where I love asking for advice but sometimes almost too much where I feel like it over influences what I want to do. And in my career, it was the same way. People would keep telling me, ‘Oh, you’re really good at this. You should probably go into this position, or you should try this.’ Now, I sit in certain moments and decide, is this a position I want to take and pursue, or do I really want to do [something else] instead? And then, if I fail or succeed, at least it was my choice.
“So, that moment, that first time [post-college], I realized I had built enough confidence to pursue and do things I wanted to do, whether or not it was something that other people could see me succeed at. I am the type of person where I can succeed at a lot of things because I work hard. I’ll put in my effort, but if I don’t have that interest in it or if it doesn’t align with my current values, I’m not going to get very far in it, and I’m going to be miserable, so I don’t know why I kept trying to entertain that idea.
“These days, I can still take advice from people but not let it totally dictate or control the path that I want to go down or the decisions I want to make because it’s my choice. Much of my path stemmed from my confidence in making the decision, filtering out the judgment of certain people, and realizing that someone might think differently about me this way, but does that really matter?”
– Anh Nguyen, Parachute Engineer, Commercial Crew Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
Image Credit: NASA/Glenn Benson
Interviewer: NASA/Tahira Allen
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