By Jim Cawley
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
Arthur Muir is completely enamored with space.
“How can you not love the concept of exploration? It’s the most exciting thing that we do as people,” Muir said. “There are other adventures throughout the world – but not like space. It’s something for all people, for all mankind.”
Muir knows something about adventures. Mount Everest’s oldest American summiteer engaged leaders on a panel at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Cross-Program Connection event, “Explorers Inspiring Explorers,” held recently at the Florida spaceport. He gave Kennedy employees a first-person account of his impressive feat of climbing the world’s tallest peak during a 63-day trip in 2021 at the age of 75.
“Mr. Muir’s summit accomplishment is symbolic of our objective in Gateway Program’s Deep Space Logistics (DSL) and provides our team daily motivation to continue pushing toward our first logistics flight as part of the Artemis IV mission,” said DSL Manager Mark Wiese.
DSL is based at Kennedy and is the agency’s commercial supply chain for deep space. The team adopted Mount Everest as a metaphor, a tribute to the perseverance required to reach the highest point on Earth, and deep space.
Muir’s message hit home with leaders of other programs as well. Exploration Ground Systems Program Manager Shawn Quinn, an avid mountaineer who has climbed some of the biggest peaks in the Americas, moderated the event and panel discussion.
“Arthur’s talk and experience summiting Everest was something that resonated with me not only as a fellow mountaineer, but as a leader at NASA as well,” Quinn said. “Whether it’s returning to the Moon, launching humans to the space station, or performing scientific research, we are leading teams to our own collective ‘summit’ and we see many parallels in preparation, teamwork, and doing the impossible.”
During his presentation, Muir compared the degree of danger involved in mountain climbing with that of space exploration. In particular, he stressed the importance of team building and striving to accomplish a goal among people with whom you may not be well-acquainted. It is human nature to judge initially, he said.
“But the question is, ‘Are you willing to change those judgements as you gather more facts and for the benefit of the group?’” Muir asked. “You are much more powerful as a team.”
Dana Hutcherson, deputy program manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, felt a strong connection while serving on the event panel.
“I was really inspired by Mr. Muir’s experiences and saw many parallels between his feats of exploration and what we strive to achieve in Commercial Crew with routine crewed missions to International Space Station,” she said. “Preparation and dedication go hand-in-hand in overcoming challenges as a team, with commitments to a safety-focused culture from top to bottom.”
Muir has shared his story with several groups in his hometown of Chicago, and other parts of the country, since reaching the peak of the Himalaya mountain range. He also has conquered Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Denali in Alaska, and Aconcagua in Argentina – the highest mountain in South America. And he’s not done yet. An expedition to Antarctica’s highest peak, Vinson Massif, is in the planning stages.
“People have this visceral connection with Mount Everest, and I think it’s the type of thing that many people have with the idea of exploring outer space,” Muir said. “We know it’s there, we know it’s dangerous – but it’s so exciting to think about all the things we can learn.”