We have sympathy from our colleagues at Virgin Galactic. Last week I met with Virgin employees who were here from Mojave Air and Space Port. As the press reported, Virgin Galactic had an unveiling ceremony recently and released videos and photographs of Virgin SpaceShip the VSS Unity. The VSS Unity is being built by the […]
Anticipation
Anticipation I like to compare the holiday season with the way a child listens to a favorite story. I can tell already people are anticipating the season. Fred Rodgers, said anticipation is the pleasure of enjoying the familiar way the story begins, the anticipation of familiar turns it takes, the familiar moments of suspense, and […]
The Company You Keep
The company you keep will define the opportunities you meet. Years ago, it seems a lifetime ago, I had a meeting with the Director of the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS), Dr. Peter Wegner. Dr. Wegner had recently arrived at Kirtland Air Force base in Albuquerque to set up Chile Works, a Skunk Works type […]
I love being surprised
I love being surprised except when I hate it. On the way back from our recent launch at the spaceport, the 2 New Mexicans in the car agreed, we wanted our out of town guests to experience lunch at Sparkys in Hatch. We spent a year working on this Student Launch campaign with Las Cruces […]
Getting pushed over to the side of the road
Have you ever owned a jalopy and had to push it over to the side of the road? Remember what it’s like, drivers side door open, traffic stopped and you huffing and puffing to get it out of everyone’s way. When I was young my parents did not give me a car when I came […]
When the going gets tough, that’s when the tough get going
Be Proactive, Put First Things First, Start with the End in Mind. These three directives are concise instructions for project manager. They come from Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. They can apply to any project, large or small, short or long term. A key word in the book title is effective. One […]
Making Little Bets on a Big Future
Are you willing to try little bets, maybe a thousand times and fail most of the time in order to succeed? I am and I have failed plenty of times. How about you? Early in my sales career, one of my mentors said No, means sell me again. The loudest NOs I hear are in […]
Sitting on the sidelines is not an option
NASA may make the announcement this week on the final selection of the private company or companies they will work with to return American astronauts to the International Space Station on space vehicles Made In America, not Russia. This is part of the NASA Commercial Crew Development program. I have written about women from New […]
Good News may be coming to Dona Ana Community College
Good News. Dona Ana Community College (DACC) is embarking on the establishment of an Associate’s Degree in General Engineering. Many of us followed the events over the last two years, particularly related to the Nursing Program and the Presidential search. With all that behind us, the College is now positioning itself to expand its offerings. […]
International Space Station: Good for another 10 years and great for Las Cruces
2014 started off with an especially positive announcement for our community. NASA announced the extension of the orbiting outpost through 2024. Why does this matter to our community? NASA White Sands Test Facility (NASA WSTF) is a support facility for the International Space Station (ISS). NASA WSTF does failure analysis on micro-meteoroid orbital debris impacts […]
