In this mission, NASA offers worldly advice

Inquiries to the panelists at a Black History Month event in Houston on Saturday ranged from college-age budding astronomers and astrophysicists to a small boy who approached the microphone to ask: "Is there a job that lets you go out there without being an astronaut?"

Precisely. There are lots of careers that allow people from many disciplines to have roles in space exploration. All kinds of people, too.

That was the message from the black NASA professionals who addressed students at Houston Community College's West Loop campus after a pioneering astronaut who is history in the flesh - NASA Administrator Charles Bolden - offered his own inspirational message.

The upshot to the assembly of more than 100 students, who represent the African-American and Hispanic majority of students in Houston: Hard work is the path to success.

"Do all you can with what you have in the time that you have in the place that you are," Bolden said, quoting a South African child with HIV who died in 2001. "You can make a tremendous difference in Houston and Texas and in the world."

The administrator is the first black person to lead the nation's space agency on a permanent basis and was the fourth black American to travel to space.

Given NASA's evolving role in manned space flight, the half dozen speakers talked about agency roles by experts in engineering, business, medicine, information technology and education. They particularly emphasized the importance of fields collectively described as STEM - science, technology, engineering and math.

Students also learned that NASA has invested resources to build a pipeline of talent from underserved and underrepresented populations through four steps: inspire, engage, educate and employ.

In one-word answers, the panelists described working for the agency as collaborative, inclusive, fun, flexible and - stretching that request to a hyphenated adjective - "melting-pot."

Biggest misconception

Camille Alleyne, an associate program scientist for the International Space Station who holds a doctoral degree, said she didn't know about NASA growing up in Trinidad with a love of math and science. The 1986 Challenger explosion became a pivotal moment in her life.

"I didn't know what a space shuttle was. I didn't know there was a job of being able to fly in space as an astronaut. … It was there that I set my sights on working for NASA, designing spacecraft and wanting to fly in space," she said. "Literally five or six years after that, I was driving into the gates of Kennedy Space Center to start what has been an amazing 20-year career. It's all hard work, believing in yourself, putting your blinders on and, in the face of adversity, just moving forward and doing what you know you want to do."

Spacecraft designer Robert Howard, manager of NASA's habitability design center and president of the local chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, has a nearly lifelong fascination with space. He knew the time and channel of Star Trek at age 3.

He said the biggest misconception about NASA is that opportunities evaporated with the end of the space shuttle program in 2011.

Howard, whose degrees include a doctorate, explained that he is designing service rovers for planetary exploration and transit vehicles for the International Space Station.

"It's like working in a science fiction movie," he said.

Skills necessary at NASA

When a young woman asked about the attributes that make the best astronaut candidates, Howard said human Mars explorers will need skills ranging from nursing for medical incidents to mechanics for transport vehicle and rover preservation.

"If anything happens to your body, there's no hospital," he said. "There's also no AAA, so if it breaks down you have to be able to fix anything."

Herbert Juppe, a 27-year-old welder, asked whether his technical training plus the biochemistry degree he plans to earn could equal a NASA opportunity.

Howard told him that fabrication and science knowledge would be helpful in developing propulsion devices or products to shield humans from radiation in space.

Other panelists were Dynae Fullwood, who was teaching science at Madison High School before starting her career with NASA. Since then, she's earned a doctorate and works in educator professional development at the Johnson Space Center - illustrating how the agency assists and encourages the educational advancement of its workforce.

Procurement specialist Lawrence Miller and Willie Williams, an International Space Station research portfolio manager who has been with the agency for three decades, rounded out the slate of speakers. Pamela Denkins, a research engineer and manager in NASA's health and human performance directorate, also spoke. She was raised in Houston, holds a doctorate and received her undergraduate degree from Texas Southern University.

Internship opportunities

Karen Souza, 23, an HCC information technology student from Brazil who wants to develop computer applications, attended to learn more about the agency and its internships.

"To apply my knowledge in computers to help them would be beautiful," she said.

Alexander Sargon, a former mechanical engineering student now majoring in architecture at HCC, leaned in when Howard began talking about his job. The 23-year-old was thrilled to hear someone who began his NASA career as an intern describe a pathway to space through design.

"I wanted to get more into the design field and design the vehicles rather than compute the possibilities," he said. "I love the idea that technology keeps growing and advancing. I really want to learn more about it and to be part of that development. My passion is to be able to benefit the future of the world."

Bolden's presentation was the first leg of a Black History Month celebration that culminated with the HCC system's 10th annual Black History Scholarship gala on Saturday evening.