GovExec’s Post

Between work, professional development, personal development, passion projects, college, dad stuff, and life’s curveballs it’s not unusual for my wife to poke her head into my office at 5:30 pm and tell me I still haven’t told her what I want for breakfast. It's also not unusual for a naysayer or two to chime in with a back-handed compliment about how my drive is hurting myself or my family. “Give yourself a break.” “Stop trying to do so much.” “You should spend more time with your family.” But some of us are just driven, and to tell us any of the above is to tell us to stop breathing. Now, I won’t be going to space anytime soon (ever), but I do have a handful of goals across various life domains that seem lofty - borderline arrogant - when listed out, yet perfectly reasonable when taken one-at-a-time. And anytime I feel myself listening to those well-meaning voices, or giving credibility to the naysayers who raise an eyebrow at the scope of my vision alone, I look at guys like Jonny Kim and remember that, big picture, there’s a good chance I’m still aiming low. It's taken me a while to come to terms with my drive. And until I did, I had to navigate both the exhaustion that comes from the actual work and the exhaustion from the guilt and shame of doing so much work. “I love you and I know you mean well, but I’m fine and will let you know when I need a break.” “Let me worry about what I should or shouldn’t want. You worry about yourself.” If you’re driven - to the point friends and family worry about you - and you want to play your own game, get comfortable with some variation of the above statements. You’ll need them if you’re ever going to live true. And that’s the real power of Jonny Kim's story: it gives ambitious people like us permission to ignore the naysayers and try. Driving yourself harder than most people can fathom is just our nature. To listen to the voices, even the well-meaning ones, dishonors that nature. It dishonors our very existence. Only by allowing ourselves to set and pursue these absurdly wide-ranging, sky-high goals without shame or apology do we honor ourselves. Only then do we live true. Have a great trip up there, Jonny.

   Did you know that NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration has a long history of supporting advancements in Wildland Fire Management? Attached is a presentation I delivered to DOI leadership in 2019, highlighting three significant advancements in aerial firefighting in which NASA played a key role in fielding.      NASA continues that support today with initiatives like the Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO - https://lnkd.in/eac_B5pi) and  FireSense (https://lnkd.in/e-ABf8Qq). For more information on NASA's most recent efforts in this space: https://lnkd.in/eU-RQKp5 #wildlandfire #aerialfirefighting #dronesforgood #wildfire

Undocking, returning STORIES to earth! Be sure to follow us on our STORIES of Space official page for the latest updates and events taking place for Mission01 set of stories. 😊🛰️ If you missed Mission01 or Mission 02, don’t worry- there’s still time to submit your storey on our next Mission03 with a launch from Canada this summer! 🚀🇨🇦🍁 All of this and more at www.storiesofspace.com

The first ever all european commercial astrenauts mission will be take place today. This journey will be handle by the cooperation of NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration , European Space Agency - ESA, SpaceX and Axiom Space. It will be first human spaceflight for Türkiye and Turkish Space Agency as well. Life in space more closer than ever. Defense in space is more crucial than ever!

Congratulations to Boeing, NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration and all of the industry partners on their incredible success in launching and docking with the ISS. I take pride in knowing that we have built so many complex system that play an important role in the process. This is a reminder of the limitless possibilities that lie ahead. #SpaceExploration #TeamworkMakesTheDreamWork"

🚀 Historic milestones ahead with tomorrow’s NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration #Crew9 launch! 🚀 This marks three groundbreaking moments in space history: 1️⃣ The first crewed mission to launch from Space Launch Complex 40. 2️⃣ The first U.S. Space Force Guardian to launch into space. 3️⃣ The first Guardian to launch from the first re-designated Space Force installation. Be sure to follow our page for more updates on this monumental step forward for the United States Space Force! 👨🏻🚀🌌 Space Systems Command #PremierGatewayToSpace #HagueMissionToSpace

Welcome back, Chapea's Crew! 🖖 🌎 After 378 days in isolation within NASA's CHAPEA 3D-printed habitat, your return marks a significant milestone in the study of long-duration space missions. To delve deeper into your experiences and the scientific implications, here are some intellectual questions inspired by the mission and the academic paper: #Psychological #Impact: How did prolonged isolation and confinement in the CHAPEA habitat affect your mental health? What coping strategies did you find most effective in maintaining psychological well-being? #Team #Dynamics: Over the course of the year, how did your team's dynamics evolve? Were there any notable changes in communication, conflict resolution, or collaboration? #Food #Growth #Systems: What were the key findings regarding the viability and efficiency of the food growth systems tested? How did the quality and variety of food impact your overall health and morale? #3D-#Printed #Habitat: How did the 3D-printed habitat perform in terms of structural integrity, comfort, and functionality? Were there any unexpected challenges or benefits associated with living in a 3D-printed environment? #Simulated #Mars #Conditions: To what extent did the simulated Mars conditions (such as reduced gravity, radiation exposure, and resource limitations) accurately reflect the challenges of an actual Mars mission? What adjustments, if any, would you recommend for future simulations? #Physical #Health: How did the extended stay in the habitat impact your physical health? Were there any notable changes in muscle mass, bone density, or cardiovascular health? #Technological #Integration: How well did the various technological systems (e.g., life support, communication, waste management) integrate and function over the year? Were there any critical technological failures or noteworthy innovations? #Autonomy and #Decision-#Making: Given the time delay in communication with Earth, how did you manage autonomous decision-making? Were there any critical decisions made independently that significantly impacted the mission? Scientific Experiments: What were the most significant scientific experiments conducted during the mission, and what were their outcomes? How do these findings contribute to our understanding of living and working on Mars? #Future #Missions: Based on your experiences, what recommendations would you make for the design and execution of future long-duration space missions? What aspects of the CHAPEA mission would you suggest refining or altering? These questions aim to explore the multifaceted aspects of living and working in a simulated Mars environment, providing valuable insights for future space exploration missions. If you have some answer DM me or leave a comment! Thanks! Erik https://lnkd.in/d-3jsCEX

"On this episode, Derek sits with Col. E. Michael Fincke.   Mike is a former Air Force Test Pilot and is currently a NASA Astronaut.  He is a veteran of 3 spaceflights, Expedition 9 in 2004, Expedition 18 in 2009 and STS-134 aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor in 2011.  He has logged more than a year in orbit with 9 space walks.  Mike will be discussing his humble origins, how he became an Air Force Test Pilot, his selection to NASA, his various missions, life on the International Space Station, Space Walking and we discuss the future of NASA and what lies ahead for humanity in spaceflight."

The first volume of the Space Sustainability Strategy released by NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration yesterday is more welcomed planning for the increasingly busy orbits around the Earth and beyond. In the document, the overarching goals of NASA are to, "maintain the conduct of space activities indefinitely into the future in a manner that is safe, peaceful, and responsible to meet the needs of the present generations while preserving the outer space environment for future activities and limiting harm to terrestrial life." Lofty goals for certain but it is imperative that the United States and the rest of the world's space powers continue to frame the problem set and cooperatively strategize accordingly. Check out the strategy here: https://lnkd.in/eh3jSdfk

I am happy to see Boeing getting back into the human spaceflight business after more than a decade. Though, I am quite interested to see how Starliner will stand against the Dragon (Which is about 30 to 35 million dollars less expensive for a seat equivalent i.e., Starliner's cost for a seat is equivalent to that of a Soyuz - one of the factors that made it necessary for NASA to shift for a home grown crew spacecraft after the Space Shuttles got retired.) and the overall reusability trends in the industry.