What makes your job at NASA exciting or unique?
Realizing that the Near Earth Network (NEN) provides best value communication and tracking services to a multitude of NASA missions. It is exciting to know that the NEN provides reliable services and enables these missions to meet their requirements. Additionally, working with a team of hard-working, highly skilled and dedicated employees who are committed to ensuring success to the NEN and NASA science missions. It is also exciting to visit the various NEN ground stations located throughout the United States and around the world, and to interact with other agencies and international partners.
How does your position contribute to NASA’s mission of exploration?
The NEN is essential for NASA’s mission of exploration by providing telemetry, tracking and commanding services support to the extensive and diverse missions. The NEN enables science data to be transmitted from satellites to the ground stations and then to the Mission Operations Center. By providing the communications link, the scientist are able to perform their research and analyze critical scientific data. The NEN is constantly evolving to ensure we have the new capabilities needed to meet mission requirements. We have accomplished so much throughout the years and we will continue to reach new achievements. By increasing our capabilities, the NEN will be ready to support a new era of NASA science missions.
What is your favorite thing about working for NASA?
I am very fortunate to be on such an exciting project with an amazing team. My favorite things are working the NASA team, the technically challenging work, the travel, and the feeling of accomplishment when we successfully provide support to the current and future NASA missions. I have had a lot of incredible experiences during my time with NASA. In addition to my technical and managerial duties, I have had the opportunity to perform outreach and talk to students ranging from elementary school to college, encouraging them to reach their goals and to think about pursuing careers in the sciences and engineering. It is great to see the excitement in the students’ eyes as you tell them about NASA and future opportunities for their careers.
The NEN is composed of more than 25 antennas worldwide, performing communications links with spacecraft periodically throughout the day. NEN Now shows these passes and the status of the antennas in real time. Check back here throughout the day to see NASA data come down from space!
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