NSS North Houston Space Society

Adam Hawkins has been a long time member of the NSS North Houston Space Society.  And I have wonderful news to share.  He has just landed a job at Blue Origin.  Join me in congratulating Adam as his career in the space industry clears the launch pad.   

Email: achawkins@gmx.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhawkins2012/

Checkout Adam’s Space Communicator speeches: https://www.northhoustonspace.org/2020-space-communicator-program/participants/adam-hawkins/

Here are some insights that Adam shared regarding his transition from Oil and Gas into the Aerospace sector:

I was seeking to retire from Oil and Gas industry and transition into space industry sometime between 2021-2025. Things happened to get fast tracked with me getting laid off from my Oil and Gas job on March 20^th. I then began applying to jobs at four companies (NASA, Blue Origin, Space X, and Lockheed Martin). I would go on their website and apply from all things I remotely would qualify for from internships to entry level to higher up roles. The types of jobs I was applying for included Project Engineering, Project Management, Structural Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering (internship level only).

So I went to Blue Origin’s career page and looked at their roles in Florida, Alabama, and West Texas. There were only a handful of roles I qualified for so I applied to a couple of technical roles, a project management role, and an internship. I applied at 11pm at night and when I woke up at 8:30am I had received an email saying they would like to have a phone interview and everything went on from there.

The theoretical knowledge in managing projects is pretty translucent between industries, so they were really excited to having someone with a diverse background as mine in both construction management and project management. I have worked on some pretty prestige and record breaking projects in Oil and Gas industry which also aided in humblebragging my achievements through the interview process.

The interview consisted of a three step process which totaled 6 interviews, a writing assignment, and a 60 minute long presentation (the North Houston Space Communicator Award helped out tremendously in preparing and going through this).

My title will be Project Manage II and I will be helping Blue Origin get their Huntsville facility up and running. I am sure you are well aware Blue Origin is ready to start their mass production of rockets and so their Huntsville facility will be a rocket production and test facility. They currently only have about 50 ppl on board in the Huntsville location and the first few months to a year of the job will be mostly construction related getting things ready to start rocket production. Then once rocket production is ready to commence, the role will be more of a manufacturing management role implementing six sigma, kaizen, and lean methodologies to improve efficiencies and speed up rocket production. The exciting thing is I’ll be able to walk around the floor and see the rocket production and testing aspects so I should be able to see some cool things and as the company grows, I am sure there will be more diverse aspects to the role.

My advice to others would be to follow your passions and dreams and even if you do not think you will get the role or be able to chase your dreams, the ultimate defeat is not trying and who knows what might happen when you put yourself out there. Ensure that when you are going through the process, people can see that passion flowing through your voice as you discuss your plans for your future role and really make it transparent that you would rather be doing nothing else.

People are more than welcome to add me/message me on LinkedIn or email me if they would like to discuss more or have any questions for me.

If you (or someone you know) is looking to move into aerospace, here are some job listings that you could check:
NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/careers/search-and-apply
Blue Origin: https://www.blueorigin.com/careers
Space X: https://www.spacex.com/careers
Lockheed Martin: https://www.lockheedmartinjobs.com/space
Intuitive Machines: https://www.intuitivemachines.com/careers
ULA: https://www.ulalaunch.com/careers
Boeing: https://jobs.boeing.com/

Join NASA Solar System Ambassador Dr. Guilette for a YouTube Live event Tues May 19th @6pm while he discusses NASA’s past, present, & future programs, Space Shuttle programs, current missions Hubble & Mars 2020, ending with some upcoming events like the SLS rocket, Orion capsule & the James Webb Space Telescope. Q/A will go on throughout. https://www.youtube.com/user/mjguillette/featured

I watched the last presentation that Mark did and he did an amazing job. The presentation was informative, inviting, and interesting. He included videos and pictures to supplement what he was talking about. I think it would be great for older kids, teens, and adults. In addition to the session listed above, he will also have one on Thursday, June 25th from 2-3pm Central. Here is his bio page – https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/ambassadors/1885/  and YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/mjguillette

Join us for our Monthly NSS North Houston Space Society (http://NorthHoustonSpace.org) meeting. Come join others who are excited about exploring the cosmos, learning how to use the resources of space to improve human life, and who want to go and spread humanity to the rest of the universe.

The meeting will be on Saturday, May 2, 2020 at 2PM ONLINE Via ZOOM:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84552456852

Featured Speaker: Lee Hutchinson
Senior Technology Editor, Ars Technica

Lee has an extensive background in enterprise storage and security, having spent nearly a decade at The Boeing Company as an enterprise architect.  Lee also writes the occasional longform piece on manned space flight.

Lee says “My favorite parts of the Apollo Program – the technology that got us to the moon.  Ever wonder what all those people did in the control room while Neil and Buzz were walking on the moon?  Learn details about the spacecraft and mission control that made the moon landing happen.  Especially interesting as NASA plans to put humans on the moon in 2024.”

Meetings open to all age groups and interest levels. Come explore with us the potential that developing and exploring space has to better life here on earth and to open up new frontiers creating new perspectives that can help enrich the human experience.

The Vision of NSS is people living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth, and the use of the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity.

The Mission of NSS is to promote social, economic, technological, and political change in order to expand civilization beyond Earth, to settle space and to use the resulting resources to build a hopeful and prosperous future for humanity. Accordingly, we support steps toward this goal, including human spaceflight, commercial space development, space exploration, space applications, space resource utilization, robotic precursors, defense against asteroids, relevant science, and space settlement oriented education.

Website:  http://NorthHoustonSpace.org
MeetUp: https://www.meetup.com/Future-North-Houston-National-Space-Society-Chapter/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/NssNorthHoustonSpaceSociety/

Join us for our Monthly NSS North Houston Space Society (http://NorthHoustonSpace.org) meeting. Come join others who are excited about exploring the cosmos, learning how to use the resources of space to improve human life, and who want to go and spread humanity to the rest of the universe.

The meeting will be on Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 2PM ONLINE Via ZOOM: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/536065082

Vickie Kloeris

ISS Food System Manager

Vickie Kloeris has a BS in microbiology and a MS in food science and technology from Texas A&M University.  She came to work at Johnson Space Center as a food scientist in 1985. She worked on space food processing and provisioning.  She has worked on the Shuttle and later the ISS food management systems.

Meetings open to all age groups and interest levels. Come explore with us the potential that developing and exploring space has to better life here on earth and to open up new frontiers creating new perspectives that can help enrich the human experience.

The Vision of NSS is people living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth, and the use of the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity.

The Mission of NSS is to promote social, economic, technological, and political change in order to expand civilization beyond Earth, to settle space and to use the resulting resources to build a hopeful and prosperous future for humanity. Accordingly, we support steps toward this goal, including human spaceflight, commercial space development, space exploration, space applications, space resource utilization, robotic precursors, defense against asteroids, relevant science, and space settlement oriented education.

Website:  http://NorthHoustonSpace.org
MeetUp: https://www.meetup.com/Future-North-Houston-National-Space-Society-Chapter/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/NssNorthHoustonSpaceSociety/

Join us for our Monthly NSS North Houston Space Society (http://NorthHoustonSpace.org) meeting. Come join others who are excited about exploring the cosmos, learning how to use the resources of space to improve human life, and who want to go and spread humanity to the rest of the universe.

The meeting will be on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at Barbara Bush Library (6817 Cypresswood Dr.; Spring, TX 77379) at 2PM.

Featured Speaker: Kaci Heins
Space Center University Director at Space Center Houston

Kaci Heins is passionate about sharing the wonders of space exploration with all generations and getting students excited about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. She has a background in science education, loves learning, life and all things related to space exploration. Heins manages Space Center University, a five-day engineering design program, Stars & STEM evening programs and Camp-In’s, where guests sleep over at Space Center Houston. She has launched numerous high altitude balloons across the country, sent an experiment to the International Space Station and flew on the Zero-G plane twice with student experiments. Kaci is always excited to Dare Mighty Things!

Meetings open to all age groups and interest levels. Come explore with us the potential that developing and exploring space has to better life here on earth and to open up new frontiers creating new perspectives that can help enrich the human experience.

The Vision of NSS is people living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth, and the use of the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity.

The Mission of NSS is to promote social, economic, technological, and political change in order to expand civilization beyond Earth, to settle space and to use the resulting resources to build a hopeful and prosperous future for humanity. Accordingly, we support steps toward this goal, including human spaceflight, commercial space development, space exploration, space applications, space resource utilization, robotic precursors, defense against asteroids, relevant science, and space settlement oriented education.

Website:  http://NorthHoustonSpace.org
MeetUp: https://www.meetup.com/Future-North-Houston-National-Space-Society-Chapter/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/NssNorthHoustonSpaceSociety/

Nathan started the meeting with a bit of space news

Our recent tour to Nanoracks

Launches since our last meeting: https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-log/

Definitely worth watching the press conference afterwards:

Next up in its lunar campaign, China is preparing to launch its Chang’e-5 sample-return mission late this year. Chang’e-5 will launch on the huge Long March 5 rocket and will be the first mission to retrieve samples from the moon since the Soviet Union’s Luna 24 mission in 1976. ” ( https://www.space.com/china-moon-far-side-lander-rover-photos-14th-lunar-day.html )

1794 days till the end of 2024 by which time NASA will have astronauts return to the moon as part of the Artemis program.

Progress is being made testing Artemis I.

If you know someone qualified and passionate about getting humanity into space, please have them apply: https://blueorigin.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/BlueOrigin/0/refreshFacet/318c8bb6f553100021d223d9780d30be

Other companies are also putting in a bid for human lunar landers

Dynetics, Sierra Nevada partnering on human-rated lunar lander proposal

It is worth reading the text and the amendments:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5666/text

As well as watching the markup session.

And it is also worth reading Jim Bridenstine’s response to the bill: https://blogs.nasa.gov/bridenstine/2020/01/27/nasa-authorization-bill-update/

The bill still has a long way to go before it becomes law. But it gets things off on a wrong foot. Please write your representative, senators, and the people on the Science committee.

We then talked about the 2020 Space Communicator program

And Adam Hawkins gave his first speech.

He received a “2020 Space Communicator Candidate” certificate

Then we rearranged the room for group discussion on “Why Space” from Robert Zubrin’s “A Case for Space”

Join us for our Monthly NSS North Houston Space Society (http://NorthHoustonSpace.org) meeting. Come join others who are excited about exploring the cosmos, learning how to use the resources of space to improve human life, and who want to go and spread humanity to the rest of the universe.

The meeting will be on Saturday, February 1, 2020 at Barbara Bush Library (6817 Cypresswood Dr.; Spring, TX 77379) at 2PM.

We will have a group discussion to look into the question “Why Explorer Space”. We will be using the 2nd part of Robert Zubrin’s book “The Case for Space” to guide the discussion. Each section will be lead by one of our members. Come even if you have not read the book. (But you will get more out of it if you do.)

Meetings open to all age groups and interest levels. Come explore with us the potential that developing and exploring space has to better life here on earth and to open up new frontiers creating new perspectives that can help enrich the human experience.

The Vision of NSS is people living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth, and the use of the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity.

The Mission of NSS is to promote social, economic, technological, and political change in order to expand civilization beyond Earth, to settle space and to use the resulting resources to build a hopeful and prosperous future for humanity. Accordingly, we support steps toward this goal, including human spaceflight, commercial space development, space exploration, space applications, space resource utilization, robotic precursors, defense against asteroids, relevant science, and space settlement oriented education.

Website:  http://NorthHoustonSpace.org
MeetUp: https://www.meetup.com/Future-North-Houston-National-Space-Society-Chapter/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/NssNorthHoustonSpaceSociety/

We started the meeting by looking at where we are right now. What is the alignment of the planets. TheSkyLive.com shows the configuration of the solar system at this point in time. It is good for us to develop an intuitive sense of the solar system that we wish to go explore and expand to.

The orbits of Jupiter and Saturn are much, much bigger than the orbits of mars and the earth. Also, right now, Saturn and Jupiter are behind the sun and are not visible. in another 3-4 months, it will be possible to see them at night as the earth moves over to the same side of the sun. And in about 6 months time they will be visible high overhead at night as they are in complete opposition.

The moon is only half lit up at night. Right near the terminator (where the light changes to dark) the shadows of the craters helps to see the relative heights.

We used to have only an earth central view of the universe. And since we all live here, this view still resonates with us. But we must keep in mind that this is a very limiting and inaccurate view of the solar system.

This meeting was our third Januar meeting. Our first meeting was January 6, 2018.

And we have many things in store for 2020 including:

We the looked at some recent space news. How many launches since our last meeting on December 14, 2019?

8

For the year China (34) had the most launches, and with the inclusion of RocketLabs (6), the US (21 + 6) came in second, followed by Russia (25).

And we reflected that there are 1822 days till the end of 2024. This is when NASA will put the first woman and the next man on the moon as part of the Artemis program. Jim Bridenstine, the NASA Administrator, and Doug Loverro, the Associate Administrator of Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate are both strongly committed to making it happen. Vice President Mike Pence said that if the current contractors are not up to it, then lets get contractors who can. It was great to see this update from Jim Bridenstine on New Years day:

Then John Diiorio went through the details of the Lunar Gateway.

After John’s presentation, we talked about the 2020 Space Communicators program. This gives an opportunity for each of us to contribute to the meeting by giving three speeches. Participants that successfully do this in 2020 will receive a personalized trophy to commemorate their efforts.

We are going to have 2 workshops between the next meeting to help people with their speeches. Feel free to stop by even if you are not giving a speech to encourage and help others.

Loosely structured meeting to help you with your speeches.  We can help you come up with ideas, create an outline, review your speech and offer feedback, help you put together a PowerPoint presentation, give you a chance to practice. 

Monday, January 13, 2020 – 7PM – 9PM – Barbara Bush Library

Monday, January 27, 2020 – 7PM – 9PM – Barbara Bush Library

Barbara Brown was visiting for the first time and she won the drawing for the space shuttle mug.

Gil won the drawing for the Falcon Heavy landing poster.

After the meeting people stuck around for informal conversations.

Our next meeting is February 1, 2020 at 2PM at Barbara Bush Library. We will be having a group discussion into the question “Why explore space”. We will be basing the discussion the second part of Robert Zubrin’s Book “The Case for Space”.

See you there!