Hi, I’m Pam Melroy and I had the incredible honor and privilege of having been sworn in recently
by Administrator Nelson to be Deputy Administrator of NASA.
So help me God. So help me God.
Congratulations!
I’m grateful to Administrator Nelson, the Senate who confirmed me,
and President Biden and Vice President Harris for having the confidence in me to help lead the agency forward.
And that’s exactly why we’re here – me, Administrator Nelson, and Associate Administrator Bob Cabana.
We’re committed to leading NASA as a team with a shared goal: not just to lead today’s NASA, but to look toward the future,
to turn science fiction into science fact, and to uncover stunning developments and discoveries that will change the world as we know it.
When I was a little girl, America’s big, bold mission was landing on the Moon as part of the Apollo program.
And watching the Saturn V blast off, seeing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on the Moon,
it inspired me, and a generation of astronauts and engineers.
I always dreamed of flying up into the clouds.
Back in the 60s, girls were expected to play with dolls, not toy planes, but I always knew I wanted to fly.
I’m incredibly grateful when I look back and realize how difficult it would be in any other country in the world
for a little girl to grow up, and go into the Air Force, and become a test pilot, and an astronaut.
I owe so much to the Air Force for inspiring me,
but also for providing opportunities, and also providing me with leaders to learn from.
Throughout my training, first in the ROTC program, then in the Air Force as a pilot and test pilot,
and later at NASA in astronaut training, and over the course of my three amazing space missions on the Space Shuttle to the International Space Station,
I learned that the first duty of a leader is to listen, and the second duty is to act.
Being an astronaut is much more than actually flying in space. Although, granted, it always is our favorite part.
We have the opportunity to get to work with people all around NASA,
support missions that are on orbit or to come, to prepare and plan for the future.
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to also have served at DARPA, which is an amazing organization, and shares DNA with NASA.
They were both formed after Sputnik, and the realization in this country that first, we needed to up our game in space,
and second, we needed to prevent strategic surprise in the future.
As a result, some of the smartest people I’ve ever worked with are at NASA and at DARPA.
The innovation was very rewarding, and in many ways, I felt completely unleashed there,
and I’m excited about bringing some of that thinking back to some of the future challenges that we have at NASA.
At an agency with so much talent, skill, and knowledge, it’s critical that we hear directly from our teams –
to hear about what works; what needs improvement; and where we can better integrate.
And after we’ve listened, we will act to support you.
And that holds true for all NASA leadership
because it’s our workforce that makes this agency so special, capable, and resilient in the face of adversity.
So much of what NASA does is inspire the next generation.
But in order to be successful in that inspiration, we have to continue to be leaders when it comes to diversity and equity.
At NASA, we do not see only what has been, we see what can be.
These shared set of core values – equity, safety, integrity, teamwork, inclusion,
they’re evident in all we do, and they’re central to NASA’s success.
But NASA couldn’t carry out any of our missions without our most important asset: you. The NASA workforce.
I always like to say, it’s not just rocket propellant that launches spacecraft, its people,
and that’s why it’s critical that NASA invests in the future,
providing the tools and opportunities to ensure our team continues to be the best of the best.
We have a lot of work to do – incredible, exciting work – and I can’t wait to see what we can, and will, accomplish together.