Mrs.

Crews,
Hello, my name is Rachel Johnson. Im in sixth grade at Gulf Breeze Middle School in Gulf
Breeze, FL. Im doing a National History Day project for my gifted class. The National History
Day theme for the year is Leadership and Legacy in History. I chose to do my project on the
Space Shuttle program. Your interview is very important to my project, and I really appreciate
you agreeing to answer my questions.

Q1: What is your current job title? Please give a brief description.
I am currently an engineering and calculus teacher at Columbia High School in Lake City,
FL. I previously worked as an aerospace engineer at Kennedy Space Center and at
Johnson Space Center. At KSC I tested elements of the International Space Station (ISS)
prior to launch. At JSC, I worked in the Mission Evaluation Room of Mission Control. I
supported ISS assembly and operation flights. I basically helped ensure the electrical
system was working properly and helped troubleshoot problems when they happened.
Q2: How long have you been in this job?
I worked at NASA for 2-1/2 years and have been a teacher for about six years. I spent
some time in-between as a stay at home mom and helped my husband start a civil
engineering firm here in Lake City before becoming a teacher.
Q3: Have you had any other jobs at NASA? If so, please describe.
When I was in college I worked on a design project that involved developing a test bed
and testing procedures to assess the effects of trace gases on the vacuum jacketed
smart connectors that are used to connect the fuel lines near the launch pad at KSC. I
worked with a group of engineering students and we got to visit the space center and
climb around on the launch pad and inside a couple of the shuttles. This was before
9/11 so it was easier to gain access to everything.
Q4: Did work at NASA during the space shuttle program? If so, what was your role in the
space shuttle missions?
Yes I did. When I worked at KSC, part of my job was to make sure the elements of the
ISS were secured and connected properly inside the cargo bay of the space shuttle prior
to launch. This allows engineers to monitor the health of the elements to ensure a
successful mission.

Q5: In what way(s) do you think that the Space Shuttle program lead space exploration
during its 30 years of missions?
The space shuttle was unique in that it had a largo cargo bay with a robotic arm that
allowed for transportation and release of other spacecraft. Rather than being launched
into space autonomously by rocket, the items released to space from the shuttle had
the added benefit of humans being there to set them on their way and to perform
troubleshooting if necessary.
Another thing that comes to mind is the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) repair mission.
This was an amazing accomplishment for a human space crew to capture and repair an
orbiting telescope. Some people believe humans have no place in space and that we
should not risk human life for space missions. However, I believe there are some things
humans will always be able to do better than robots. Being able to make split second
decisions based on input from mission control can be the difference between success
and failure.
Q6: What legacy do you think the Space Shuttle program has left behind?
It is the most successful, longest running space program that ever existed. It was unique
because it was the only reusable space vehicle. I think it paved the way for permanent
inhabitation of space that we now have on the ISS. Even though we had two
catastrophic failures, we had more successful missions than any other space vehicle. I
believe the Space Shuttle is an enduring symbol of human spaceflight and something
every American should be proud of.
Q7: How do you feel about the government shut down the space shuttle program?
As hard as it is to let go of things we love, I think it was time. The shuttle long surpassed
its intended lifespan and I believe it was extended mostly because of the delays in
building the ISS. (The ISS was designed around the dimensions of the shuttles cargo
bay.) The technology that existed in the space shuttle was old and outdated. Any time
you push something beyond its intended lifespan, you increase risk of catastrophic
failure.
I hated to see it go just as much as anyone but I dont think NASAs budget is funded
enough to support an existing program along with developing a new one. I could go on
about how it was all handled but its easy to say what someone should have done when
you werent the one making the decision. Moving on to the next program allows NASA
to focus its efforts on harnessing newer, more efficient technologies and was probably
needed at the time.

Q8: What is your opinion of the possible privatization of the space shuttle program?
I get asked this question a lot. I always find it interesting because the space programs
was privatized many years ago. When I worked at NASA, I was technically employed by
Boeing and worked on a NASA contract. In fact, many of the people I worked with on
the ISS program were employed by private contractors. We had NASA counterparts but
most of the operations at KSC were led by Boeing and United Space Alliance. There was
NASA oversight but it was not a 100% government-run project by any means.
One could argue that companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic running their own
private space program is equivalent to full privatization of space travel. I get that its
different but I dont believe the government will ever completely hand over control.
One argument against it is that private companies are motivated by profit and therefore
will sacrifice safety in the name of making money, thereby increasing the number of
lives lost in pursuit of space. I think the recent loss of SpaceShip Two by Virgin Galactic
will have some implications although Im not sure what they will be. Space travel is
dangerous regardless of who is running the show.
An argument for privatization is the idea that a private company, since they are focused
on profit, will work more efficiently than a government entity thereby spending less
taxpayer money. I think there is definitely something to be said for this. In the long run
though, I think we will see a continued hybrid model of government and private industry
working together.
Q9: Could you please share any thoughts, memories, feelings about the Challenger and
Columbia disasters?
This is a big question that I could carry on about for a long time. Ill start with the
Challenger disaster. I was in elementary school in Bradenton during this launch. In fact, I
was standing outside Bashaw Elementary along with every other student and teacher in
the school. We had TVs outside so we could listen to the launch broadcast while we
watched the shuttle lift off from the horizon. We were all watching and cheering on this
historic flight that was to carry the first teacher into space when it became obvious to us
all that something went terribly wrong. I remember the complete silence followed by
the sobs of all the teachers. Later that week as we all absorbed what happened, I asked
my teacher what could be done to make sure that never happened again. Her words to
me were this: I think NASA needs some new engineers.
That one sentence from a teacher possibly changed my life. By the end of elementary
school I was determined to become an Aerospace Engineer and work at NASA. I went to
space camp, kept my grades up, and stayed focused on my goal. I graduated from high

school in 1994 and headed to the University of Florida to study Aerospace Engineering. I
graduated from there in 2000 and realized my dream as I accepted a position with
Boeing working on the ISS program at KSC.
The Challenger disaster will always be a very vivid memory for me. I can revisit that day
in my mind even now and remember exactly where I was standing and what the sky
looked like. I kept a poster of the crew up in my bedroom with a memorial pin and
ribbon until I went off to college. I didnt know the crew but I cried for them many
times.
Fast forward many years and I find myself working at Johnson Space Center in Houston,
TX. The Columbia was the oldest and heaviest space shuttle so it couldnt make it all the
way to the International Space Station. Hence, it wasnt used for ISS assembly flights.
Since I worked strictly on an ISS contract I did not have much interaction with Columbia,
however, its final mission was one that I was very familiar with.
A friend of mine from college worked for United Space Alliance on the space shuttle
program at KSC. He was a structures engineer assigned to the Columbia. On the day of
launch I received an email from him. The email contained a short video clip with no
explanation. That video clip showed a chunk of foam hitting the leading edge of
Columbias wing during liftoff. I thought it was a bit odd but really didnt think much of
it. I knew there was some concern but this had apparently happened many times in the
past and became something that was accepted and deemed to not be a problem for the
shuttle and crew. This would prove to be a fatal mistake about two weeks later.
The building I worked in had TVs in the wall in several key spots in the building that
displayed live feeds from space. They were usually space station feeds but with the big
science mission going on aboard Columbia, the feeds mostly showed what that crew
was up to. I remember watching the crew floating around performing experiments and
having a grand time playing with their food. (astronauts like to do that) They all looked
like they were absolutely loving the mission.
I remember it was a Saturday morning, February 1st, 2003 when my phone started
ringing. That is another day I will never forget. I remember a feeling of utter disbelief
that we suffered another catastrophic failure. I remember worrying about what would
happen when I returned to work on Monday. I wept for the crew and their families and
for the damage to the program. I thought about that video clip I viewed the day of the
launch. I had no idea what was going to happen.
I will always remember walking into my office that Monday morning. We had an allhands meeting in the cafeteria. The managers assured us all that everything would be

okay. There had already been a lot of talk over the previous few years about the aging
shuttle fleet and how we were destined to have another failure that may shut down the
space program. I was young and one of the newest hires so I had no idea what all of this
was going to mean for me. I had no idea if I would still have a job in the weeks to come.
It was a very emotional experience.
I ended up leaving the space program in May of that year but it had nothing to do with
the Columbia disaster. I miss it dearly but Im pretty sure I ended up where I was meant
to be. I will always remember my experiences with these two flights and will share these
stories with my children and their children. I hope the United States maintains its
position as the leader in space exploration and that the shuttles replacement gets off
the ground soon with many successful missions ahead. It will be interesting to see how
it all plays out over the next few years.