and triumphs so far and what’s
on the horizon? From KPRC? 2, this is Houston newsmakers
this is Houston newsmakers
with Khambrel Marshall. Good
Morning and welcome to Houston
newsmakers, where I’m
delighted to welcome Vanessa
Wyche director of the Johnson Space Center Home to our
Space Center Home to our
astronauts and mission Control
for all of our human space
flight director was good to
see you again. I thank you so
much for taking the time to do this. Then the SUV. It’s been
this. Then the SUV. It’s been
a while since I’ve talked to
you. What kind of adjustment
has it been going from? Number
2 to number one. >> Well, think you can roll so
>> Well, think you can roll so
much for having me your show.
Is he’s a really interesting
journey. This summer. I did take over the helm of the
take over the helm of the
center in July. And since that
time, we’ve been very busy and
human space flight and getting
ready for our upcoming Artemis
mission. I so I’ve just been head down a busy. I’m trying
head down a busy. I’m trying
to focus on the job and I so
the transition is that been a
difficult one, but it has just required me just really
required me just really
focusing on on getting ready
for a 10 minute. Hopefully get
to share with you all the many
things that are becoming up
over the spring into the
summer.
>> that’s great. You know, I didn’t know this when I first
didn’t know this when I first
started asking to get on your
schedule. But here we are
National Women’s History Month
and it’s great because you’re
in the process of continuing
to but history in place as far
as women are concerned. But most recently, a big milestone
most recently, a big milestone
for NASA. Lot of attention
this week as the rollout of
this huge Artemis Artemis one
rocket, ISIL Ventura least
going to take astronauts back to the moon. talk about what a
to the moon. talk about what a
big step this is and the main
stages of Artemis that the
program that hopefully will
get us back to the moon. >> Yes, so super excited as
>> Yes, so super excited as
you the footage the Artemis
one and that is the rollout
that happened on yesterday. Well, Thursday, I am from the
Well, Thursday, I am from the
Kennedy Space Center. so right
now on its way. And at the
launch pad, what’s going to
happen is on this particular mission. This is an uncrewed
mission. This is an uncrewed
test flight and this will be a
test of all the systems in order for us go to the
order for us go to the
vicinity of the moon make all
of the It exercises that you
will of the system to be able
then to test the for us. The
Orion spacecraft. return of
that to through the
atmosphere, what it will
experience and make sure that
we have the proper heat
shields, everything that we
will then be able to next on Artemis to fly our astronauts.
Artemis to fly our astronauts.
So what’s happening right now
is we’re this rollout to that
to the launch pad in few
weeks, we’ll do what we call a
wet dress rehearsal. So we
will test being able to load
the fluids and everything that
it takes to actually launch and do a countdown. We’ll even
and do a countdown. We’ll even
practice if we have a weather
delay or we have to spread so
that our technicians can being ready for when we actually do
ready for when we actually do
the mission. rolled it out do
this wet dress rehearsal and
then the next step will be to
launch it. And that is going
to happen sometime in early summer. So it’s just so that
summer. So it’s just so that
people don’t get confuse
Artemis is the name of the
overall project correcting the
Orion.
>> Is a spacecraft that’s
sitting on top. That’s going
to be the home for the Talk about what makes Orion. And I
about what makes Orion. And I
know that there is a big
difference between Ryan and
other vehicles used during a
previous like Apollo. Another
kind of it’s a whole different ballgame. Is it with the Ryan?
ballgame. Is it with the Ryan?
>> Yes. So is is a larger a
spacecraft. And so we’ll be able to are a larger crew.
able to are a larger crew.
Then we did with Apollo to the
moon and one of the things
that will be able to do with
the Ryan is we’ll be eventually, you know, when we
eventually, you know, when we
go to do our landing missions
first, we’re going to do a
test landing mission where
Ryan is going rendezvous what
we call human landing system
and the crew will transfer
over to the lander and then
they will go had 2 crew that will stay on for Ryan and then
will stay on for Ryan and then
to that will go to the surface
whereas previously on Apollo
11, one percent and then to
went to the So that expands capabilities that we have.
capabilities that we have.
We’re also responsible here at
the Johnson Space Center
another segment of this
overall Artemis campaign called the Gateway and the
called the Gateway and the
Gateway will be a small
platform that will be near the
surface. I mean, sorry, knee
in orbit. And the gateway will allow us to be able to send
allow us to be able to send
crew members on will call 30
day stays the gateway and then
also have crude and happy ability to go to the surface
ability to go to the surface
and come back to the gate way.
And so Ryan being a larger
spacecraft allows us to take
more people that will be able to go to the surface of the
to go to the surface of the
time. And one thing about our
has said, you know, I like to
said, are the the reason we
gave it that name. She was a twin sister in Greek mythology
twin sister in Greek mythology
to Apollo. And so with our
astronaut corps be and diverse, we’re now going to
diverse, we’re now going to
have women and men and an
people of color. Now going to
the surface of the moon. And
so that is really what we’re
excited about. Kimbrel is that now when we go this time, we
now when we go this time, we
will go with our international
partners will be went before
as a country. We’re just Americans. It’s only American
Americans. It’s only American
to walk to the service of the
but now we’re going to take
the whole world with We’re
going to have international
partners and along with our astronauts and eventually
astronauts and eventually
they’re going to be commercial
activities that go on on the
surface in the Mon as well.
You mentioned about the
diverse makeup of the
astronauts and the likelihood now that someone
now that someone
>> of color women will likely
be on the move everything goes
like it supposed to go, what
does it mean for to see that
starting to happen with you at
the helmet? You represent another milestone for NASA and
another milestone for NASA and
space flight. Oh, you know, I
have been fortunate to and the
NASA community for over 30 years.
>> have seen as transition
from shuttle. now the
International Space Station to
moving forward with its Artemis as well. And I’m
Artemis as well. And I’m
seeing the changes that we’ve
had in terms not only by and
our astronaut corps, but within our engineering
within our engineering
community was our science
community, our business
community that supports and makes all of this Now seeing
makes all of this Now seeing
that everyone has a role and
everyone can move into
leadership of these programs
as well. I want full
disclosure. I’ve known the
director before she’s been in
this position on there for a
while now. And I want to take
you back the Knesset to a time
we spoke a few years ago when
I came to NASA.
>> To speak to you about this
little girl from South
Carolina and what how it got
us talking. I want you to take
a listen to this about you
being in leadership at NASA
and how you came to that
position, wrote it. >> Was a little girl. I was
>> Was a little girl. I was
very interested and how plants
grew animals. I could just sit
outside and amuse myself. I
think it was just from there
just just a curiosity. And so
coming here to where we’re
really looking at, you know,
what is the origins of the
universe? You know, this is
like big, big playground for me. I get to come here every
me. I get to come here every
day and having wonderful time.
>> So are you still have that
wonderful time? >> Absolutely have. And that
>> Absolutely have. And that
wonderful And you know, as as
you said, be in the league
leader this organization and being responsible mission
being responsible mission
control, all of these
programs. It’s a big
responsibility. I have a
wonderful team and how we all come to work every day,
come to work every day,
passionate about what we do.
And yes, I’m having a great