Hi y’all! My name is Eva Estrada, and this past month I was in Hunstville, Alabama for the Von Braun Space Symposium with Space Mom Michelle and fellow Space Kid, Tori.
Although I wasn’t sure what to expect from this conference, it was nothing short of stellar. This was my fourth conference overall and my first time in Rocket City. I came into this conference in search of a roadmap of the future of human spaceflight, and I certainly learned much about the efforts NASA is making towards our off-world future. More than that, I was hoping to get a behind-the-scenes look into the industry, and develop my own opinions about the paths we are taking. Spoiler alert: I came home to Midland with more information and a buffet’s worth of food for thought about the industry. With this blog, I hope to give you a glimpse of my wonderful time in Hunstville and everything I learned at the conference.
As I mentioned, this conference heavily focused on missions to the moon, specifically for NASA. Since the symposium is only about ten minutes away from NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, most of the panelists and attendees work there. Funnily enough, asking basic questions such as “Where are you based?” or “What company do you work for?” became completely pointless because the majority of the time the answer was “Here… at NASA.” However, it was really interesting to learn the range of departments at MSFC. Aside from what you’d expect - propulsion, materials, and SLS - you can also find Earth science and astrophysics research, as well as nuclear energy. It was highly enlightening to learn the everyday lives of people who work at a place as awe-inspiring as NASA, and the careers that brought them there. But more importantly, speaking to people in higher-level roles makes you realize how much more attainable those goals are. Like in any conference, at first you feel shy or maybe even unworthy of speaking to important people. But as time goes on, you realize they are people too, and definitely less intimidating and more approachable than you first imagined.
During this conference, I connected with people from Scot Forge, Firefly, KBR, MITRE, NASA, and the University of Alabama Hunstville. I am especially grateful for the people at Scot Forge, who were introduced to me by Michelle and took me under their wing for the rest of the conference. It was also really nice to speak to students at UAH, and learn about the opportunities available to them given that they are in a major space hub. I’d like to emphasize that sometimes students underestimate the power of connecting with peers, but I would like to think that it may be as important as speaking to seniors. Just as professionals become friends and move through the industry together, students can connect and create that camaraderie as the next generation. The young people I meet at conferences will navigate college and industry with me, and it is important that we support each other as the sprouting buds of space. I fantasize about a future in which I go to a conference and find old friends who journeyed through the ups and downs of work life with me. This leads me to my next point: every connection is valuable. This conference was very technical and primarily spoke about lunar architecture, space systems, and the economics behind the Artemis missions, which is far away from my interests in space medicine. However, I found that people always want to help, so even though they didn’t know much about the field, they often tried to connect me with someone who did.
Some of my favorite sessions from this conference focused on the Space Reactors Division, and how NASA is overcoming the technological, economic, and political bottle necks behind nuclear power. My favorite part about this conference was hearing conflicting opinions and interests about the path forward to the Moon. With topics such as insourcing, governmental changes, and all within an increased cadence, it was interesting to hear people’s opinions and how they differed within NASA and with commercial industry. The goal for me was not to pick a side, or even formulate a complete opinion, but to understand the context. Not to mention, I was glad to see people debate in a professional manner, and realize that friction allows for better decisions, and in turn better decision-making.
Nevertheless, it isn’t a Higher Orbits conference without some harmless fun. Space Mom, Tori, and I had the joy of getting to tour the U.S Space and Rocket Center. At first, Michelle quickly walked us through the museum and gave us all the fun facts about the rockets and exhibits. After that, Tori and I spent hours taking in every detail and doing some classic Space Kid bonding. The highlight of our tour was our visit to Miss Baker, the squirrel monkey that went to space, and her husband. We dropped some food for her and a few hours later we headed to a Brazillian restaurant that is meant for the toughest of carnivores. Sufficient to say, this restaurant had every meat known to man and I am surprised my clothes fit me the next morning.
I always enjoy writing these blogs because they bring back such good memories. With such a fast-paced school year, this conference actually felt less intense. I am happy to say that I came back to Midland stuffed with meat, knowledge, connections, and love from my Space family. With that, I’d like to thank Michelle Lucas, affectionately known as Space Mom, for bringing me on yet another adventure. I will never get tired of running around with you wherever you will take me! As for my fellow Space Kid, Tori, I had such a fun time with you! You are an inspiration and I can’t wait to see you at another event. As for you, dear reader, I hope this has inspired you to take that next step to a life-changing opportunity. You never know unless you try, and remember that regret is more painful than failing. I, for one, have come home with no if only’s or what if’s, just great memories and even better friends.
Written by Eva Estrada
