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By NASA
To put boots on the Moon—and keep them there—will require bold thinkers ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
That’s why NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement at Johnson Space Center in Houston is on a mission to empower the next generation of explorers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Through the High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) program, Texas juniors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in space exploration through interactive learning experiences.
“HAS is such an important program because we introduce students to the multitude of careers and experiences that contribute to space exploration,” said NASA HAS Activity Manager Jakarda Varnado. “We go beyond asking students who they want to be when they grow up and ask what problems they want to solve.”
Meet Former HAS Student Madeline King
Madeline King always knew she wanted a career in STEM, with a dream of working at NASA influencing her decision to pursue a degree in Engineering.
Before joining HAS, King thought scientists mainly worked in labs and engineers focused on design. But the HAS program revealed a different reality—scientists and engineers often collaborated on interdisciplinary projects, sometimes even sharing roles.
Official portrait of Madeline King.NASA The program broadened King’s perspective on the diverse paths a STEM degree can lead to. It showed her that careers at NASA offer opportunities across various fields and disciplines.
King said participating in HAS helped to strengthen her problem-solving skills and ability to think creatively. The program required students to tackle complex technical tasks independently, emphasizing self-directed learning. King describes HAS as fun, challenging, and engaging, which helped her excel in technical roles.
“Learning to digest and internalize this information is a skill I continue to use when getting up to speed in new groups or taking on projects outside my current skill set,” said King.
Though King joined HAS during COVID-19, which limited in-person interactions, the experience still made an impact. Her mentors also offered insights into graduate school options, helping her weigh the benefits of advanced degrees against gaining hands-on experience at NASA.
The program opened doors to internships at Johnson in the Engineering Robotics and the Avionics Systems Integration Division. Now, she is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Houston, bringing passion and experience in electronics, robotics, education, project management, and aviation.
“Early on in my internship journey, HAS shined on my resume,” she said. “It demonstrated that I already had experience with NASA’s culture, values, and mission.”
Looking forward, King envisions herself as a flight controller, contributing to both the International Space Station Program and the Artemis campaign. Driven by her passion for NASA’s mission, King is just beginning her journey and is eager to be part of the future of space exploration.
“My internships since HAS have allowed me to make small contributions to both of these missions, and I’m excited to specialize as a full-time engineer,” said King.
Meet Caroline Vergara
As a first-generation student, Caroline Vergara lacked the resources to fully explore her interests in aerospace engineering, let alone envision what that career might look like. That all changed when she was accepted into NASA’s HAS program.
“The exposure to real-world innovation ignited my desire to be part of something bigger, something that pushes the boundaries of human knowledge and capability,” she said.
Caroline Vergara announces the launch of the model rocket she built during her time in the HAS program. NASA/David DeHoyos Touring NASA facilities and watching engineers work on projects opened her eyes to the possibilities in STEM. Today, Vergara is a propulsion design engineering intern at United Launch Alliance, contributing to the Vulcan rocket as a Brooke Owens Fellow.
Vergara initially thought working in STEM was mostly about writing equations or running simulations but HAS showed her it is so much more. “A STEM career is about curiosity, collaboration, and the power to change the world,” she said.
During the program, Vergara joined a team of students to tackle a mission simulation project. They called themselves “Charlie and the Rocket Factory” and designed a prototype rocket together. Working with peers from all over the country showed her the power of diverse perspectives. She experienced firsthand what it was like to be part of a team with a shared vision, working toward something bigger than themselves.
Vergara also discovered her love for 3D printing and computer-aided design through HAS. She spent hours fine-tuning designs, fascinated by the process of turning digital models into physical reality.
Her experience with HAS also sparked a desire to give back. She returned to her hometown to share her story and encourage other students to pursue STEM. Partnering with Johnson Community Engagement Lead Jessica Cordero, she organized video conferences with NASA engineers on International Women in Engineering Day to inspire a new wave of students to be part of space exploration.
“The aerospace industry is entering a new space age, and we have the unique opportunity to put humans back on the Moon and explore beyond,” she said.
Her advice to the Artemis Generation is: “Go for it! You could be part of the generation that changes humanity’s destiny.”
Caroline Vergara, University of Houston Class of 2025. As a mechanical engineering honors student at the University of Houston and chief engineer of Space City Rocketry, Vergara envisions contributing to the Artemis campaign and advancing NASA’s mission to explore the cosmos.
“My dream is to contribute to space exploration efforts that put humans back on the Moon and beyond, and to one day work in Mission Control Center, where I can help guide those historic missions into the future.”
Meet Iker Aguirre
For Iker Aguirre, the spark that ignited his journey toward a career in aerospace was lit by a passing conversation during his freshman year of high school. A senior classmate described the HAS program as a once-in-a-lifetime experience that cemented his passion for aerospace. That moment stayed with Aguirre, and when the opportunity arose, he did not hesitate to apply.
Iker Aguirre inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “HAS showed me that in order to accomplish something as complex as Artemis, you need a well-rounded set of teams and individuals,” he said. “You don’t need to study aerospace to be in the aerospace industry!”
In 2020, Aguirre participated during the remote-only version of HAS, but he recalls that the program still gave him a much deeper understanding of the spaceflight industry.
Despite already being interested in aerospace, Aguirre says HAS broadened his horizons, showing him the diverse pathways into the field. Through collaborative projects with peers across Texas, he discovered that solving the challenges of space exploration requires more than just aerospace engineers.
The program’s emphasis on teamwork left a lasting impression. During his time with HAS, Aguirre found himself working alongside students from different backgrounds, each bringing unique perspectives to problem-solving. It introduced him to dedicated and passionate people with various personalities and cultures who all shared similar dreams and aspirations as him.
Aguirre credits HAS with not only refining his technical skills but also shaping his approach to innovation and teamwork. That experience paid off as he moved through his academic and professional journey, including Pathways program internships with NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
“Getting connections at NASA through HAS helped me open many doors so far,” said Aguirre. “I met many good friends through HAS and my internship at Johnson, which I value to this day.”
Now pursuing a degree in rocket propulsion, with a focus on turbomachinery design, Aguirre remains committed to advancing space exploration. He hopes to contribute to humanity’s mobility in space, tackling challenges in rocket engine feed systems.
Iker Aguirre at NASA’s Johnson Space Center during his HAS internship. Through HAS, Aguirre found not just an educational program, but a community and a purpose. “My journey will forever be interlinked with NASA’s core values of benefiting humanity on and off the Earth,” he said. “I hope to inspire others just as much as the people who inspired me through my journey!”
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By NASA
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Heather Seagren grew up near NASA’s Stennis Space Center and visited for field trips as a child. Now, as a financial management specialist, Seagren coordinates work trips for NASA employees at the south Mississippi NASA center. NASA/Danny Nowlin A leap of faith for Heather Seagren eight years ago brought the Gulf Coast native to something new, yet also returned her to a familiar place at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Following graduation from Pearl River Community College, Seagren worked as an office manager at a pediatric office. Seagren anticipated a full career in the medical field until an opportunity at the south Mississippi NASA center “kind of fell in my lap,” she said.
The NASA Shared Services Center, located at NASA Stennis, was hiring for its travel department, so Seagren applied.
“There are many different roles here, and my biggest thing was, do not second guess your decisions,” she said. “It was a big change for me, and I made the leap and ended up where I am today, even though it was a completely different career field.”
A new career field, yes, but not a new place. Seagren grew up in Pearlington, Mississippi, less than 10 miles from the nation’s largest propulsion test site. Her grandfather, Grover “Shu-Shu” Bennett, retired from NASA Stennis as a tugboat captain, helping to deliver rocket propellants along the site canal system to the test stands at NASA Stennis.
Just as her grandfather ensured the rocket engine fuel made it to its destination on time, Seagren does the same for NASA employees by coordinating travel plans. She now is in a similar role as a NASA Stennis financial management specialist.
Working with astronauts, engineers, and many other NASA employees, no two trips are alike, which is a part of the job Seagren enjoys.
What is similar is the trips coordinated by Seagren align with NASA’s mission to explore the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all.
The Kiln, Mississippi, resident plays a vital role in the NASA mission by bringing together the details of booking flights, arranging accommodations, and managing schedules.
“The best thing about working at NASA Stennis is getting to experience everything,” she said. “It is always interesting to see what other projects and duties everybody is doing. The process kind of starts with the travel department. … It is a small step, but we are involved, making sure everybody is where they need to be, when they need to be there, so, I think that is pretty cool.”
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By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector, or NGLR-1, is one of 10 payloads set to fly aboard the next delivery for NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative in 2025. NGLR-1, outfitted with a retroreflector, will be delivered to the lunar surface to reflect very short laser pulses from Earth-based lunar laser ranging observatories. Photo courtesy Firefly Aerospace Apollo astronauts set up mirror arrays, or “retroreflectors,” on the Moon to accurately reflect laser light beamed at them from Earth with minimal scattering or diffusion. Retroreflectors are mirrors that reflect the incoming light back in the same incoming direction. Calculating the time required for the beams to bounce back allowed scientists to precisely measure the Moon’s shape and distance from Earth, both of which are directly affected by Earth’s gravitational pull. More than 50 years later, on the cusp of NASA’s crewed Artemis missions to the Moon, lunar research still leverages data from those Apollo-era retroreflectors.
As NASA prepares for the science and discoveries of the agency’s Artemis campaign, state-of-the-art retroreflector technology is expected to significantly expand our knowledge about Earth’s sole natural satellite, its geological processes, the properties of the lunar crust and the structure of lunar interior, and how the Earth-Moon system is changing over time. This technology will also allow high-precision tests of Einstein’s theory of gravity, or general relativity.
That’s the anticipated objective of an innovative science instrument called NGLR (Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector), one of 10 NASA payloads set to fly aboard the next lunar delivery for the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative. NGLR-1 will be carried to the surface by Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander.
Developed by researchers at the University of Maryland in College Park, NGLR-1 will be delivered to the lunar surface, located on the Blue Ghost lander, to reflect very short laser pulses from Earth-based lunar laser ranging observatories, which could greatly improve on Apollo-era results with sub-millimeter-precision range measurements. If successful, its findings will expand humanity’s understanding of the Moon’s inner structure and support new investigations of astrophysics, cosmology, and lunar physics – including shifts in the Moon’s liquid core as it orbits Earth, which may cause seismic activity on the lunar surface.
“NASA has more than half a century of experience with retroreflectors, but NGLR-1 promises to deliver findings an order of magnitude more accurate than Apollo-era reflectors,” said Dennis Harris, who manages the NGLR payload for the CLPS initiative at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Deployment of the NGLR payload is just the first step, Harris noted. A second NGLR retroreflector, called the Artemis Lunar Laser Retroreflector (ALLR), is currently a candidate payload for flight on NASA’s Artemis III mission to the Moon and could be set up near the lunar south pole. A third is expected to be manifested on a future CLPS delivery to a non-polar location.
“Once all three retroreflectors are operating, they are expected to deliver unprecedented opportunities to learn more about the Moon and its relationship with Earth,” Harris said.
Under the CLPS model, NASA is investing in commercial delivery services to the Moon to enable industry growth and support long-term lunar exploration. As a primary customer for CLPS deliveries, NASA aims to be one of many customers on future flights. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the development of seven of the 10 CLPS payloads carried on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander.
Learn more about. CLPS and Artemis at:
https://www.nasa.gov/clps
Alise Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2546
Alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2546
Alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov
Corinne Beckinger
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Jan 02, 2025 EditorBeth RidgewayContactCorinne M. Beckingercorinne.m.beckinger@nasa.govLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related Terms
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By NASA
Ken Freeman (center) receives the ATCA Award for ATM-X Digital Information Platform (DIP) from Rachel Jackson, Chair ATCA Board of Directors (left) and Carey Fagan, President and CEO ATCA (right).NASA Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) Award to the NASA ATM-X Digital Information Platform (DIP) Team
In November 2024, the Digital Information Platform (DIP) team received the prestigious Industry Award from the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) at the annual ATCA Connect Conference in Washington, DC. The award recognized the team’s efforts in supporting NASA’s Sustainable Flight National Partnership (SFNP), which aims for net-zero carbon emissions from aviation by 2050. The DIP sub-project focuses on increasing access to digital aviation information to enable efficient and sustainable airspace operations. DIP team has been conducting live operational demonstrations in North Texas Metroplex environment since 2022 with commercial airlines on the Collaborative Digital Departure Reroute (CDDR) tool that applies machine learning to make predictions on runway availability, departure times, and arrival times. DIP has signed Space Act Agreements with five major US airlines to carryout operational evaluation of CDDR in complex metroplex environments and is now deploying the CDDR capability to Houston. CDDR machine learning algorithm intelligently provides re-routing options to the operators by using real time weather and operational data reducing delays, fuel burn and carbon emissions. DIP is part of the Air Traffic Management – eXploration (ATM-X) project, which is focused on transforming the air traffic management system to accommodate new air vehicles. More information on the ATCA award is at: https://www.atca.org/detail-pages/news/2024/11/15/atca-presents-annual-awards-at-atca-connect-recognizing-exceptional-efforts-made-to-the-worldwide-air-traffic-control-and-airspace-system.
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By NASA
“Trying to do stellar observations from Earth is like trying to do birdwatching from the bottom of a lake.” James B. Odom, Hubble Program Manager 1983-1990.
The third servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, placed in orbit in 1990, occurred during the STS-103 mission in December 1999. During the mission, originally planned for June 2000 but accelerated by six months following unexpected failures of the telescope’s attitude control gyroscopes, the astronauts restored the facility to full functionality. During their eight-day mission that featured the first space shuttle crew to spend Christmas in space, the seven-member U.S. and European crew rendezvoused with and captured Hubble, and four astronauts in rotating teams of two conducted three lengthy and complex spacewalks to service and upgrade the telescope. They redeployed the telescope with greater capabilities than ever before to continue its mission to help scientists unlock the secrets of the universe.
Schematic showing the Hubble Space Telescope’s major components. Workers inspect the Hubble Space Telescope’s 94-inch diameter primary mirror prior to assembly. Astronauts release the Hubble Space Telescope in April 1990 during the STS-31 mission. The discovery after the Hubble Space Telescope’s launch in 1990 that its primary mirror suffered from a flaw called spherical aberration disappointed scientists who could not obtain the sharp images they had expected. But thanks to the Hubble’s built-in feature of on-orbit servicing, NASA devised a plan to correct the telescope’s optics during the first planned repair mission in 1993. A second servicing mission in 1997 upgraded the telescope’s capabilities until the next mission planned for three years later. But after three of the telescope’s six gyroscopes failed in 1997, 1998, and 1999, mission rules dictated a call up mission in case additional gyroscope failures sent Hubble into a safe mode. NASA elected to move up some of the servicing tasks from the third mission, splitting it into missions 3A and 3B, planning to fly 3A in October 1999 on Discovery’s STS-103 mission primarily to replace the failed gyroscopes. Delays to the shuttle fleet resulting from anomalies during the launch of STS-93 in July 1993 slipped STS-103 first into November and ultimately into December. Technical issues with Discovery itself pushed the launch date to mid-December, and raised concerns about having a shuttle in orbit during the Y2K transition. Once the launch had slipped to Dec. 19, mission planners cut the mission from 10 to eight days, deleting one of the four spacewalks, to ensure a return before the end of the calendar year. The servicing mission couldn’t come soon enough, as a fourth gyroscope failed aboard Hubble in mid-November, with Discovery already poised on the launch pad to prepare for STS-103. Controllers placed Hubble in a safe mode until the astronauts arrived.
The STS-103 crew of C. Michael Foale, left, Claude Nicollier, Scott J. Kelly, Curtis L. Brown, Jean-François A. Clervoy, John M. Grunsfeld, and Steven L. Smith. The STS-103 crew patch. The mission patch for the Hubble Servicing Mission-3A. To execute the third Hubble Servicing Mission, in July 1998 NASA selected an experienced four-person team to carry out a record-breaking six spacewalks on the flight then planned for June 2000. The spacewalkers included Mission Specialists Steven L. Smith serving as payload commander, John M. Grunsfeld, C. Michael Foale, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Claude Nicollier from Switzerland. The addition in March 1999 of Commander Curtis L. Brown, Pilot Scott J. Kelly, and Mission Specialist ESA astronaut Jean-François A. Clervoy of France rounded out the highly experienced crew with 18 previous spaceflights among them. Brown earned the distinction as only the fifth person to fly in space six times. For Kelly, STS-103 marked his first spaceflight. Smith, Clervoy, and Grunsfeld each had flown two previous missions, Foale four including a long-duration mission aboard Mir, and Nicollier three. Smith participated in three spacewalks during the second Hubble Servicing Mission and Nicollier served as the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) or robotic arm operator during the first.
The STS-103 crew at the traditional prelaunch breakfast at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Suited up, the STS-103 astronauts leave crew quarters for the trip to Launch Pad 39B. Space shuttle Discovery on Launch Pad 39B, awaiting launch. Discovery arrived back to KSC at the end of the STS-96 mission on June 6, 1999, and workers towed it to the Orbiter Processing Facility the same day to begin readying it for STS-103. The vehicle rolled over to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Nov. 4, where workers mated it with its external tank and twin solid rocket boosters, before rolling the stack out to Launch Pad 39B on Nov. 13.
Liftoff of space shuttle Discovery on the STS-103 Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission 3A. The Hubble Space Telescope as Discovery approaches. The STS-103 crew berthing the Hubble into the payload bay. Beginning its 27th trip into space, Discovery lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at 7:50 p.m. EST on Dec. 19 to fix the ailing space telescope. Two days later, Brown and Kelly maneuvered Discovery to within range of Hubble so Clervoy operating the 50-foot-long RMS could grapple the telescope and berth it into the payload bay.
During the first spacewalk, astronauts John M. Grunsfeld, left, and Steven L. Smith replacing one of the Rate Sensor Units containing two gyroscopes. Smith gives a thumbs up with his image reflected in the Hubble Space Telescope. Smith and Grunsfeld conducted the mission’s first spacewalk on Dec. 22, the flight’s fourth day in space. The duo, aided by Clervoy operating the RMS from inside Discovery, completed two of mission’s highest priority objectives. They replaced the failed gyroscopes, installing three new Rate Sensor Units, each containing two gyroscopes, to return control to the ailing telescope. They also installed six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits to prevent the telescope’s batteries from overheating as they aged. The excursion lasted eight hours 15 minutes, at the time the second longest spacewalk.
During the second spacewalk, astronauts C. Michael Foale, left, and Claude Nicollier during the changeout of the fine guidance sensor. Foale at the end of the Remote Manipulator System services the Hubble Space Telescope. The next day, Nicollier and Foale conducted the mission’s second spacewalk. The main task for this excursion involved installing a new computer aboard Hubble, replacing the original 1970s vintage unit. The new radiation-hardened system ran 20 times faster and carried six times more memory while using one-third the electrical power. They also installed a fine guidance sensor before concluding the eight-hour 10-minute spacewalk.
Astronauts Steven L. Smith, left, and John M. Grunsfeld begin their servicing activities during the third spacewalk. At the end of the third and final spacewalk, Grunsfeld, left, and Smith provide closing comments about the work the mission accomplished to service the Hubble Space Telescope. Smith and Grunsfeld ventured outside for a second time to complete the flight’s third and final spacewalk on Dec. 24, the first spacewalk conducted on Christmas Eve day. First, they replaced an old reel-to-reel tape recorder with a solid state unit providing a 10-fold increase in recording capability and replaced a failed data transmitter. They installed seven new covers on Hubble’s electronics bay doors for added protection of the telescope’s insulation. This third spacewalk lasted eight hours eight minutes.
The first space shuttle crew to celebrate Christmas in space, the STS-103 astronauts pose wearing Santa hats. The Hubble Space Telescope shortly after the STS-103 crew released it. The next day, the STS-103 astronauts earned the distinction as the first space shuttle crew to spend Christmas Day in space. Clervoy grappled Hubble, lifted it out of the payload bay and released it to continue its mission. Hubble Space Telescope Program Manager John H. Campbell said after the release, “The spacecraft is being guided by its new gyros under the control of its brand new computer. [It] is now orbiting freely and is in fantastic shape.” After deploying Hubble, the astronauts enjoyed a well-deserved Christmas dinner, with Clervoy providing French delicacies. The crew spent Dec. 26 readying Discovery for its return to Earth, including testing its reaction control system thrusters and aerodynamic surfaces and stowing unneeded gear.
Astronauts Steven L. Smith, left, Claude Nicollier, and John M. Grunsfeld complete their fluid loading protocol and put on their launch and entry suits prior to reentry. Space shuttle Discovery makes a perfect night landing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew welcome home ceremony at Ellington Field in Houston. On Dec. 27, the astronauts donned their launch and entry suits and prepared for the return to Earth. They closed the payload bay doors and fired Discovery’s engines to bring them out of orbit. Just before landing, Kelly lowered the craft’s landing gear and Brown guided Discovery to a smooth night landing at KSC, concluding a flight of seven days, 23 hours, 11 minutes. They circled the Earth 119 times. The flight marked Discovery’s last solo flight as all its subsequent missions docked with the International Space Station. Workers at KSC began readying it for its next mission, STS-92 in October 2000.
The Hubble Space Telescope continues to operate today, far exceeding the five-year life extension expected from the last of the servicing missions in 2009. Joined in space by the James Webb Space Telescope in 2021, the two instruments together continue to image the skies across a broad range of the electromagnetic spectrum to provide scientists with the tools to gain unprecedented insights into the universe and its formation.
Watch the STS-103 crew narrate a video of their Hubble servicing mission.
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