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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Tim Stiglets’ work at NASA’s Stennis Space Center gives him a front-row seat to the growth and opportunity potential of NASA Stennis. His work ranges from managing data for how a test stand is configured to tracking the configuration of NASA Stennis buildings and utilities systems that make up the infrastructure for America’s largest rocket propulsion test site.NASA/Danny Nowlin Two words come to Tim Stiglets’ mind when he thinks about NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi – growth and opportunity.
The Waveland, Mississippi, resident has experienced both in his career at the south Mississippi NASA center.
He started as a summer intern onsite with Lockheed Martin in 2002. When The University of Southern Mississippi graduate joined the NASA team in 2019, he really started to understand how much activity happens at the unique federal city.
NASA Stennis is home to more than 50 companies and organizations sharing in site operating costs.
As a management and program analyst in the NASA Stennis Engineering and Test Directorate, Stiglets serves as the manager of the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Program. He describes the program as a one-stop shop for engineering data.
Product lifecycle management (PLM) consists of technology, people, processes, and tools to track a product throughout its lifecycle.
Think of it in terms of building a LEGO set. From the time one gets the idea of building the set, to when it is finished, played with, and taken apart, there is a lot to track.
Stiglets’ work involves much bigger pieces, ranging from managing data for how a test stand is configured to tracking the configuration of NASA Stennis buildings and utilities systems that make up the infrastructure for America’s largest rocket propulsion test site. NASA Stennis facilities are valued at more than $2 billion.
His work gives him a front-row seat to the growth and opportunity potential of NASA Stennis.
“The cool thing about PLM is I get to be involved, in some small way, with NASA’s Artemis work, commercial test customers and all the Center Operations projects that support the federal city,” he said.
The center tests rocket engines and stages to power future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. NASA Stennis also works with such commercial test customers as Relativity Space, Blue Origin, Rolls-Royce, Evolution Space, and Vast (formerly Launcher Space).
“PLM is a center capability that we have evolved, so it does not matter if it is a water system, a test stand or building that is involved. It all kind of relies on, and ultimately somewhere down the line, hits the PLM system that has the drawings and engineering data needed for the project. That is probably the coolest thing about my work. I get to see a lot of different things that are going on in different areas.”
Stiglets said it feels like every time he turns around, there is someone leasing a new building or joining the NASA Stennis federal city. The center has lease agreements for use of land and infrastructure with Relativity Space, Rocket Lab, and Evolution Space.
“We have a get-it-done kind of attitude,” Stiglets said. “We are going to do whatever it takes to get the job done. If it is testing engines or anything else, we are going to get it done. From a propulsion testing standpoint, commercial companies that lease areas onsite can come in and have access to contract support and to the NASA folks who have decades worth of knowledge. The companies can leverage all of that expertise and tap into the knowledge.”
The Long Beach, Mississippi, native speaks with enthusiasm when describing his time at NASA Stennis, where growth and opportunity continue forward.
“How cool is it to work for NASA, even coming in as a contractor,” Stiglets said. “You get to be involved with something bigger and much beyond south Mississippi. The excitement of being involved with NASA so many years ago was very cool for me, especially being a college student. I still have that same excitement. Many years have passed, and day-to-day work changes, but ultimately, you are still looking to achieve big goals.”
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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Tessa Keating is a public affairs specialist in the Office of Communications at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. Keating plans onsite logistics, serves as a protocol officer, and coordinates the Space Flight Awareness Program for NASA Stennis and the NASA Shared Services Center.NASA/Danny Nowlin Every task at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, is not simply work for Tessa Keating – it is a meaningful step toward a part of something great.
“It has been a dream career. I count it an honor to share the NASA story and humbled to know our team witnesses a part of history,” said Keating, a NASA public affairs specialist in the NASA Stennis Office of Communications. “Every day is an opportunity to contribute to the NASA legacy that will last beyond today. “
Keating plans onsite logistics, serves as a protocol officer, and coordinates the Space Flight Awareness Program for NASA Stennis and the NASA Shared Services Center. In fact, she organized much of the recent Space Flight Awareness Silver Snoopy Award ceremony at NASA Stennis in August, except for one part. As the ceremony finished, NASA Stennis Director John Bailey said one more award was to be given.
No one was more surprised than the logistics coordinator herself when Keating’s family joined her on stage. The 21-year NASA Stennis employee was honored for her outstanding contributions in sharing the NASA story of exploring the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all with a diverse audience and for equipping everyone with a broader knowledge and appreciation of the center’s vital role within NASA.
“I am not sure I will ever be able to top that in my NASA career,” Keating said.
It became a full-circle moment that she described as a great honor. The Silver Snoopy is the astronauts’ personal award and is presented to less than 1 percent of the total NASA workforce. Reid Wiseman, a NASA astronaut and commander for the upcoming Artemis II mission around the Moon, presented the award to Keating, along with a lapel pin flown aboard NASA’s Artemis I mission.
As NASA returns to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for the Artemis Generation, Keating says it will be extra-special watching Wiseman and the Artemis II crew lay the groundwork for future milestones.
Keating helped lay the groundwork ahead of the successful Artemis I mission. She served as lead logistics for onsite guest operations in 2021 when NASA conducted the most powerful propulsion test in more than 40 years at NASA Stennis. A full-duration hot fire of the first SLS (Space Launch System) core stage and its four RS-25 engines culminated a year-long series of integrated tests. Keating coordinated the viewing of the hot fire for some 200 agency leaders and guests, despite restricted settings due to COVID-19.
“It was truly a highlight. I had grown up hearing my parents and grandparents talk about engines that were tested during the Apollo era, and I had never experienced something of that magnitude,” Keating said. “I was able to live it, feel it, and watch the next part of NASA history onsite.”
For Keating, the groundwork for a NASA career came following graduation with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from William Carey University and a master’s degree in Communications from The University of Southern Mississippi, both schools in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Having grown up in Pearl River County, Mississippi, for most of her life, she knew about NASA Stennis. However, she did not think she could ever work at the center because her strengths were in areas beyond math and science.
Following some additional exploration and conversations with influential people in her life, Keating discovered she, in fact, could be a part of something great at NASA Stennis.
“The possibilities are endless at NASA when you allow yourself to put your best foot forward and research the many opportunities that are available. There is always room for various types of studies,” Keating said. “I credit where I am in my career to God and to the people who have helped to guide my path. I will be forever grateful.”
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By NASA
Bridget Moody stands at NASA’s Stennis Space Center where she is the technical lead for the NASA Stennis Environmental and Health Services Office. Along with supporting the NASA mission at NASA Stennis, Moody supports commercial companies by helping them determine environmental requirements and obtain required permits.NASA/Danny Nowlin Bridget Moody has the future in mind every day she works for NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
The future success of NASA’s Artemis campaign. The future success of commercial companies working at NASA Stennis. The future success of the Artemis Generation to follow.
As technical lead for the NASA Stennis Environmental and Health Services Office, Moody’s job helps ensure work at America’s largest rocket propulsion test site is carried out with the best environmental stewardship in mind.
“This work is important because it helps preserve a legacy,” Moody said. “NASA has a mission, and it is also making sure we do that in the most environmentally sound manner possible. We all have the responsibility to protect and improve the environment.”
The McNeill, Mississippi, resident supports NASA’s Artemis campaign by managing the NASA Stennis air permit, ensuring all federal and state requirements are met.
The south Mississippi center is at the front end of the critical path for future space exploration by conducting hot fire testing for RS-25 engines that will help power NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket.
NASA Stennis also is preparing to test the agency’s new exploration upper stage for future SLS flights. The newer upper stage will help NASA carry larger payloads on future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.
Additionally, Moody’s knowledge of operations and environmental requirements benefits commercial companies working at NASA Stennis by helping them determine environmental requirements and obtain required permits in a timely manner.
“We know what needs to be done and how to get it done, so we can really help facilitate and expedite those processes for them,” she said.
Moody, a native of Slidell, Louisiana, moved to Mississippi from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2005. One year later, she started working as a contractor at NASA Stennis before being hired by NASA in 2016.
The Southeastern Louisiana graduate received a NASA Early Career Achievement Medal in 2021. She was named a Space Hero by the agency that same year and received NASA’s prestigious Space Flight Awareness Silver Snoopy award, the astronaut’s award given to less than 1 percent of the total NASA workforce annually, in 2023.
“NASA is one of the top federal agencies to work for,” Moody said. “Everybody knows about NASA, so it is amazing to be here, to contribute to our mission and be a part of that legacy. At NASA Stennis, we work as a team with everyone contributing to meet all challenges. The work culture at NASA helps everybody realize that their contribution is important to our success, and all can have their voices heard.”
As NASA continues its mission of exploring the unknown in air and space, innovating for the benefit of humanity, and inspiring the world through discovery, Moody will continue working to leave things better than she found it in hopes of inspiring the Artemis Generation to come.
Learn more about the people who work at NASA Stennis View the full article
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By NASA
Kim Johnson supports NASA’s mission as a contracting officer at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA employee Kim Johnson’s desire for growth has taken her many places and continues unabated at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
The D’Iberville, Mississippi, resident is a contracting officer in the NASA Stennis Office of Procurement, where she supports NASA’s mission at the largest rocket propulsion test site.
Johnson oversees natural gas company contracts providing fuel to parts of the NASA Stennis federal city infrastructure, including the test stands benefitting NASA and commercial aerospace companies, and a security contract with local law enforcement to ensure all needs are met.
“What is cool about procurement is interacting with a lot of different people when putting contracts together,” Johnson said. “NASA Stennis has people from different ages and skillsets, from engineers, to scientists, to procurement and finance, I get to work with many people putting contracts together. I love the diversity of it and different levels of knowledge. Everyone brings something to the table.”
Johnson’s travels have exposed her to various people and work environments. She earned an undergraduate degree in London, England and a master’s degree in business administration at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and started her procurement career with a U.S. Air Force internship at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.
Johnson also worked at the NASA Shared Services Center, located at NASA Stennis, for two years. In the process, she earned a master’s degree in acquisition and contract management through the Florida Institute of Technology.
The travel bug then set in once more and the Biloxi, Mississippi, native set off to Afghanistan to work as a defense contractor. The 10-year stint helped pay off student loans, although Johnson stayed in the country a bit longer than anticipated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following a final 13 months of working 84 hours a week in Afghanistan, Johnson took a break for a year before a return to NASA in south Mississippi presented itself.
“I have been fortunate that my experiences have helped me understand contracts from both the commercial perspective and government perspective,” she said. “What I love about NASA Stennis is everybody is so helpful, and you know they will help you get the job done.”
The NASA Stennis contracting officer continues her career development after being selected into a NASA leadership program. The year-long program focuses on NASA employees developing leadership capabilities and understanding how their work contributes to NASA missions. As part of the program, Johnson has visited NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.
“It is encouraging because NASA promotes growth,” she said. “The agency really pushes you to grow in your career.”
For information about NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit:
Stennis Space Center – NASA
Learn more about the people who work at NASA Stennis View the full article
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By NASA
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
An image of a new lodge on Anishnaabe lands in Ontario, Canada, 2023. NASA NASA has been selected by the International Astronautical Federation to receive its 2024 “3G” Diversity Award, which recognizes organizations for their contributions to fostering geographic, generational, and gender diversity in the space sector.
NASA’s Indigenous Community-Based Education (CBE) Program is a consortium of partnerships between NASA and numerous, diverse Indigenous communities which co-create unique educational programs for the youth. Through these partnerships, which have been cultivated for the past two decades, Indigenous Knowledge and Western science come together in a community-based way to support the development of learners’ cultural and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identities.
The Indigenous CBE Program is part of NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) American Indian and Alaska Native STEM Engagement activity and is supported by NASA’s Astrobiology Program and Planetary Science Division.
The Indigenous CBE Program also works toward more equitable practices in science and supports a diverse workforce by offering working groups that connect Indigenous and Western scientists and educators, as well as mentoring for emerging Indigenous STEM scholars.
“Relationships and collaboration are at the heart of this work,” said Daniella Scalice, NASA lead for the Indigenous CBE Program. “This award is shared with all my community-based partners. The women I work with who are serving their youth and community every day – they are the real heroes.”
“NASA has had a longstanding commitment to equity in STEM education and research.” said Torry Johnson, deputy associate administrator of STEM Engagement Programs at NASA Headquarters. “MUREP American Indian and Alaska Native STEM Engagement provides avenues for NASA to build and nurture relationships, new partnerships, and collaborations with Indigenous communities, and to empower the next generation of Indigenous STEM leaders.”
Starting in January, awardees were nominated to the International Astronautical Federation by representatives from other member organizations. NASA will receive the award during the International Astronautical Federation’s annual conference in October.
For more information on NASA’s MUREP American Indian and Alaska Native STEM Engagement program, visit:
https://go.nasa.gov/3vEyhOp
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