Jump to content
Join the Alien Search, login or register FREE on Aliens and Space Forum
Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site

Edward Gonzales Fosters a Culturally Safe Workplace for Current, Future Employees

NASA

By NASA
in NASA

 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Publishers
NASA Mentor

NASA

Posted
  • Publishers
Posted

7 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

As the program manager for people, culture and equity, “people whisperer” Edward Victor Gonzales helps ensure people’s wellbeing, comfort, and safety.

Name: Edward Victor Gonzales

Title: Program Manager for People, Culture, and Equity

Organization: Heliophysics Division, Science and Exploration Directorate (Code 670)

Eddie Gonzales smiles at the camera with a red and orange image of the Sun behind him. He is wearing blue-framed glasses, a dark blue blazer, and a white undershirt.
Eddie Gonzales is the program manager for People, Culture, and Equity for the Heliophysics Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
NASA

What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard?

As the program manager for people, culture, and equity officer for heliophysics, I am responsible for people’s wellbeing, comfort, and safety. What is most interesting to me is the vast diversity across Goddard.

How did you come to Goddard?

I went to college late in life, but never graduated. After high school, I started at Mount San Antonio Community College in Walnut, California, but had to work full time when my then-girlfriend became pregnant. I started in the mail room of an international law firm, gradually working my way into director of the support staff. I worked there for 15 years, often staying overnight. I could not attend night school and there were no online learning options at the time.

In 2001, Warren Christopher, who was the managing partner at the law firm and later became secretary of state in the Clinton administration, wrote me a recommendation that helped me get a job at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California as a business administrator. Apollo 13 inspired me to want to work for NASA. After obtaining the job at NASA JPL, I took a few classes at Pasadena Community College.

In 2009, I was detailed to NASA Headquarters to work in the Office of STEM Education. After two years, I returned to JPL to work on minority-serving programs.

In 2014, I returned to Headquarters for a fellowship to work in the Minority University Research Educational Programs. After a year and a half, I returned to JPL to manage underserved, underrepresented undergraduate programs.

In 2018, I came to Goddard to do outreach for NASA Goddard’s heliophysics division. Three years later, I became the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility officer for heliophysics and now, my current role as people, culture, and equity officer.

As the people, culture, and equity officer, what are your responsibilities?

First, I observe. There are a lot of cues and things that happen in the world that others, including leadership, can sometimes miss. We need to be conscious of these things. We need to be respectful and kind — always.

When something happens in the world that impacts a colleague, I make sure to check in with them daily. On a broader scale, when something happens in the world that affects a particular culture, I check in with that particular group.

I also go to underserved, underrepresented national conferences across the country. At the American Indian Science and Engineering Society conference, I talked about employment opportunities at NASA. It was important for those students to see someone who looked like them. I am half Native American and half Latinx [a gender-neutral term for those with Latin American heritage].

Edward Gonzales sitting with his hands folded on the steps in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.
“I was labeled a troublemaker. Teachers wouldn’t help me. My career counselor said I would do amazing work at a car wash and that’s what I should consider doing and not to continue my education. But I didn’t listen.” — Edward Gonzales, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Lead, Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA/Taylor Mickal

In August 2024, the NASA administrator appointed you to the NASA Advisory Council. What do your duties there entail?

The council has five committees: aeronautics, human exploration, science, STEM, and technology. I am a member of the science committee. My plan is to discuss the cultural role we all play at NASA.

What skills do you use in speaking with underserved, underrepresented communities?

I test the waters and the temperature of leadership. I am very active with the employees. I have an open-door policy.

In addition, I think I am highly culturally aware overall. At conferences, I try to dress, speak, and act approachably for the students who attend.

Most importantly, my cell phone is never to be seen. When interacting with someone, I am very observant of the other person’s body language overall, which helps me understand the other person better. Sometimes body language rather than words will tell you what you need to hear. My wife calls me a “people whisperer.”

What does cultural awareness mean to you?

Know your audience. I do not think about how I do things: I focus on how the next generation will do things. I try to speak their language. And listen, very important to listen.

Typically, when I go to a national conference, students will approach me with a résumé. But at a Native American national conference, the elders may approach me with a student and a résumé. It is important to address the elder first and ask permission to speak to the student. Also, you would say that the student could bring knowledge learned at Goddard back to their reservation instead of saying that the student could leave their reservation. I also always acknowledge the tribe associated with where I am speaking.

Whenever we send a team to a national conference, we send people who are culturally aware of that particular group’s culture.

I also conduct cultural awareness training at Goddard.

What are your hopes for Godard’s DEIA programs?

I want to continue to create a pipeline of future employees that is more diverse, filled with great ideas and solutions, with a safe and welcoming environment for them.

What advice do you give students?

The path to NASA is not linear. You have to find your path.

Eddie Gonzales poses with a group of four people with the MUREP, Minority University Research and Education Project, banner behind them.
Eddie Gonzales looks out for colleagues wellbeing, comfort, and safety within NASA Goddard’s diverse workforce.
Courtesy of Eddie Gonzales

You’ve mentioned that DEIA is essentially about kindness. How do you define kindness? How do you teach it?

Kindness in my humble opinion is about grace, integrity and understanding. And the willingness to learn about others and their cultures. To agree to disagree and have a polite conversation, to create that understanding.

Teaching starts in the home, bad behavior, lack of understanding and racism are taught traits. We must do better and lead by example. To treat others how we want to be treated.

Who are your mentors?

One is Christopher Gardner, whose life was portrayed in “The Pursuit of Happyness.” I recently brought Christopher Gardner to Goddard to do a keynote speech and he even stayed with me. I met him because I saw his movie, read his book, and contacted him.

I teach this lesson to students: Everyone is interested when you take the time to learn what is important to them. If there is someone you want to meet, network to try to meet them. All you have to do is ask. But first, research them so that you can talk to them about themselves and their work. If they say no, then you can move on to the next person.

Gardner told me to focus on my plan A because plan B is not good. If you know that you have a plan B, then you won’t put everything you have into plan A. Tread forward as if there is nothing that you can fall back on.

Another mentor is José Hernández, the first Hispanic astronaut. I proposed to my wife while staying at his condo. He told me to find my “yes” and to never give up. He applied to the astronaut program 13 times before he was finally selected.

What are the next big things on your bucket list?

I want to see the Northern Lights and continue to travel. I just lost 70 pounds and want to lose 20 more. I gave up meat for about six months and now eat chicken and turkey, but no longer eat red meat. I also exercise and now feel great.

I want to continue to attend concerts around the country. 

By Elizabeth M. Jarrell
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

A banner graphic with a group of people smiling and the text "Conversations with Goddard" on the right. The people represent many genders, ethnicities, and ages, and all pose in front of a soft blue background image of space and stars.

Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage.

Share

Details

Last Updated
Dec 03, 2024

Related Terms

Explore More

bonal2.jpg?w=300
6 min read

Alfonso Delgado Bonal Has His Head in the Clouds — for Research

Article 7 days ago
sanaa-oli-20240608-1440.jpg
5 min read

NASA Data Reveals Role of Green Spaces in Cooling Cities

As any urban dweller who has lived through a heat wave knows, a shady tree…

Article 1 week ago
basil-crop.jpg?w=300
3 min read

Emerging Engineering Leader Basil Baldauff Emphasizes Osage Values

Article 1 week ago

View the full article

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Similar Topics

    • NASA
      NASA Stennis Software is Built for Future Growth
      By NASA
      Editor’s Note: The following is one of three related articles about the NASA Data Acquisition System and related efforts. Please visit Stennis News – NASA to access accompanying articles.
      The NASA Data Acquisition System, developed at NASA Stennis, is used in multiple test areas at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, including Test Facility 116. The facility consists of an open-steel test stand structure, primarily used for subscale testing, and three adjacent test bays designed for large-scale/full-scale testing. NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center Teams at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia conduct a test in the 8-Foot High-Temperature Tunnel. The NASA Data Acquisition System, developed at NASA Stennis, represents a potential solution for engineers seeking to standardize data systems at NASA Langley. NASA/Langley Research Center Teams at Test Stand 403, located at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico, plan to use the NASA Data Acquisition System to support testing and development projects related to NASA’s Orion spacecraft.NASA/White Sands Test Facility A data-focused software tool created at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, continues to expand its capabilities and use across the agency.
      Much like the software on a cell phone, the NASA Data Acquisition System (NDAS) software evolves with updates to meet user needs.
      “It is not just because we are seeking new opportunities that we evolve,” said Kris Mobbs, NASA project manager for NDAS. “It is because the community of people using this software tell us about all the new, cool things happening and how they want to use the tool.”
      Created as a standard method for collecting rocket propulsion test data, NDAS is proving to be a building block to acquire, display, and process various datasets. The flexibility of the software has supplied solutions for NASA’s work in New Mexico and Alabama and is being evaluated for data acquisition needs in Virginia.
      When NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico, needed a new data acquisition system with a flexible design, the facility reached out to NASA Stennis since the center had demonstrated success with a similar challenge.
      “A major benefit for the agency is having a software platform that is agency owned and developed,” said Josh Simmons, White Sands technical upgrades lead. “Stennis is leading the way and the way the system is written and documented, other programmers can jump in, and the way they have it designed, it can continue on and that is key.”
      The NASA Stennis team updated its NDAS platform based on input from White Sands personnel to make it more adaptable and to increase data acquisition rates.
      “They look to understand the requirements and to develop an application that is flexible to meet everybody’s requirements,” Simmons said. “They are always willing to improve it, to make it more applicable to a wider audience.”
      NDAS will be the primary data acquisition and control systems to support testing and development projects related to NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
      “I would like to standardize around it here at White Sands,” said Simmons. “I want to show the worth and versatility of NDAS, so people who need it make a choice to use it.”
      Meanwhile at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, NDAS is used in multiple areas for small-scale, subscale, and full-scale testing.
      Devin Rios Ogle is a contractor software engineer at NASA Marshall, responsible for integrating and upgrading the data acquisition system in the testing areas. The system is used to record data on test sequences to verify they happen as intended.
      “The visualization of data is really nice compared to other software I have worked with,” said Rios Ogle. “It is easier to see what data you want to see when you want to see it. You select a measurement, and you can see it in graph form, or tabular form, or however you would like. It is visually appealing and very easy to find the stuff you need.”
      Rios Ogle is familiar with the database behind the system and understands what the program is trying to do. He particularly noted the modular approach built into the system, which allows users to adapt the software as needed and is a feature others would find beneficial.
      Marcus Jackson, a contractor instrumentation and control engineer at NASA Marshall, echoed Ogle’s assessment of NDAS, noting that it has allowed the center to condense multiple systems into a single package that meets the team’s unique needs.
      “Ultimately, NDAS provides us with an excellent software package that is built specifically for the kind of work performed here and at other test stands across the United States,” said Jackson. “It is easy to install, manage, and scale up. It doesn’t break, but if you do find a bug or issue, the NDAS team is very quick to respond and help you find a solution.”
      NDAS also represents a potential solution for engineers seeking to standardize data systems at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, a use that could positively impact a mission’s ability to make data-informed decisions.
      “We are investigating alternatives for standardization at all Langley facilities,” said Scott Simmons, NASA Langley data systems engineer. “Standardization has the potential for significant maintenance cost savings and efficiencies because of the sharing of the software. Having an instance of NDAS available for the dynamic data system at the 8-Foot High Temperature tunnel enables us to evaluate it as a potential solution for standardization at Langley.”
      As the nation’s largest hypersonic blow-down test facility, the tunnel duplicates, as near as possible, flight conditions that would be encountered by hypersonic vehicles at up to Mach 6.5, or more than six times the speed of sound.
      Even as its use grows, the NASA Stennis-led software project continues to gain momentum as it expands its capabilities and collaboration with users.
      “The goal is to provide a software portfolio that supports a wide range of exciting NASA projects, involving lots of talented people that collaborate and innovate new software solutions far into the future,” Mobbs said. “This is a community of innovative, ambitious, and supportive engineers and scientists across all engineering disciplines that are dedicated to advancing NASA’s bold missions.”
      Read More Share
      Details
      Last Updated May 08, 2025 Related Terms
      Stennis Space Center View the full article
    • NASA
      NASA Invests in Future STEM Workforce Through Space Grant Awards 
      By NASA
      3 Min Read NASA Invests in Future STEM Workforce Through Space Grant Awards 
      NASA is awarding up to $870,000 annually to 52 institutions across the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico over the next four years. The investments aim to create opportunities for the next generation of innovators by supporting workforce development, science, technology, engineering and math education, and aerospace collaboration nationwide. 
      The Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (Space Grant), established by Congress in 1989, is a workforce development initiative administered through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM). The program’s mission is to produce a highly skilled workforce prepared to advance NASA’s mission and bolster the nation’s aerospace sector. 
      “The Space Grant program exemplifies NASA’s commitment to cultivating a new generation of STEM leaders,” said Torry Johnson, deputy associate administrator of the STEM Engagement Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By partnering with institutions across the country, we ensure that students have the resources, mentorship, and experiences needed to thrive in the aerospace workforce.” 
      The following is a complete list of awardees: 
      University of Alaska, Fairbanks  University of Alabama, Huntsville  University of Arkansas, Little Rock  University of Arizona  University of California, San Diego  University of Colorado, Boulder  University of Hartford, Connecticut  American University, Washington, DC  University of Delaware  University of Central Florida  Georgia Institute of Technology  University of Hawaii, Honolulu  Iowa State University, Ames  University of Idaho, Moscow  University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign  Purdue University, Indiana  Wichita State University, Kansas  University of Kentucky, Lexington  Louisiana State University and A&M College  Massachusetts Institute of Technology  Johns Hopkins University, Maryland  Maine Space Grant Consortium  University of Michigan, Ann Arbor  University of Minnesota  Missouri University of Science and Technology  University of Mississippi  Montana State University, Bozeman  North Carolina State University  University of North Dakota, Grand Forks  University of Nebraska, Omaha  University of New Hampshire, Durham  Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey  New Mexico State University  Nevada System of Higher Education  Cornell University, New York  Ohio Aerospace Institute  University of Oklahoma  Oregon State University  Pennsylvania State University  University of Puerto Rico  Brown University, Rhode Island  College of Charleston, South Carolina  South Dakota School of Mines & Technology  Vanderbilt University, Tennessee  University of Texas, Austin  University of Utah, Salt Lake City  Old Dominion University Research Foundation, Virginia  University of Vermont, Burlington  University of Washington, Seattle  Carthage College, Wisconsin  West Virginia University  University of Wyoming  Space Grant operates through state-based consortia, which include universities, university systems, associations, government agencies, industries, and informal education organizations engaged in aerospace activities. Each consortium’s lead institution coordinates efforts within its state, expanding opportunities for students and researchers while promoting collaboration with NASA and aerospace-related industries nationwide. 
      To learn more about NASA’s missions, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/ 

      View the full article
    • NASA
      NASA Stennis Continues Prep for Future Artemis Testing
      By NASA
      2 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      Syncom Space Services employees Kenneth Shipman, left, and Jesse Yarbrough perform final tubing install in early March to prepare the interstage simulator gas system on the Thad Cochran Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center for leak checks. Leak checks were performed prior to activation of the gas system this month. The activation marks a milestone in preparation for future Green Run testing of NASA’s exploration upper stage (EUS) in the B-2 position of the Thad Cochran Test Stand.NASA/Danny Nowlin Syncom Space Services employees Branson Cuevas, left, Kenneth Shipman, and Jesse Yarbrough install final tubing in early March before activation of the interstage simulator gas systems on the Thad Cochran Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The activation marks a milestone in preparation for future Green Run testing of NASA’s exploration upper stage (EUS) in the B-2 position of the stand.NASA/Danny Nowlin Crews at NASA’s Stennis Space Center recently completed activation of interstage gas systems needed for testing a new SLS (Space Launch System) rocket stage to fly on future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.
      The activation marks a milestone in preparation for future Green Run testing of NASA’s exploration upper stage (EUS) in the B-2 position of the Thad Cochran Test Stand. For Green Run, teams will activate and test all systems to ensure the stage is ready to fly. Green Run will culminate with a hot fire of the stage’s four RL10 engines, just as during an actual mission.
      The interstage simulator component will function like the SLS interstage section that protects the upper stage during Artemis launches. The interstage simulator will do the same during Green Run testing of the stage at NASA Stennis.
      The interstage simulator gas system will provide helium, nitrogen, and hydrogen to the four RL10 engines for all wet dress and hot fire exercises and tests.
      During the activation process, NASA Stennis crews simulated the engines and flowed gases to mirror various conditions and collect data on pressures and temperatures. NASA Stennis teams conducted 80 different flow cases, calculating such items as flow rates, system pressure drop, and fill/vent times. The calculated parameters then were compared to models and analytics to certify the gas system meets performance requirements.
      NASA engineers Chad Tournillon, left, and Robert Smith verify the functionality of the control system in early March for activation of the interstage simulator gas systems on the Thad Cochran Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The activation marks a milestone in preparation for future Green Run testing of NASA’s exploration upper stage (EUS) in the B-2 position of the stand.NASA/Danny Nowlin Members of the engineering and operations team review data as it is collected in early March during activation of the interstage simulator gas systems on the Thad Cochran Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. Pictured are NASA’s Mark Robinson, Robert Simmers, Jack Conley, and Nick Nugent. Activation of the gas systems marks a milestone in preparation for future Green Run testing of NASA’s exploration upper stage (EUS) in the B-2 position of the Thad Cochran Test Stand.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA engineers Pablo Gomez, left, and B.T. Wigley collect data in early March during activation of the interstage simulator gas systems on the Thad Cochran Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The activation marks a milestone in preparation for future Green Run testing of NASA’s exploration upper stage (EUS) in the B-2 position of the NASA Stennis stand.NASA/Danny Nowlin Syncom Space Services employees Brandon Fleming, Robert Sheaffer, and Logan Upton review paperwork in early March prior to activation of the interstage simulator gas systems on the Thad Cochran Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The activation marks a milestone in preparation for future Green Run testing of NASA’s exploration upper stage (EUS) in the B-2 position of the stand.NASA/Danny Nowlin Syncom Space Services engineering tech Brandon Fleming tightens a pressure transducer on the Thad Cochran Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in early March. Various transducers were used to provide data during subsequent activation of the interstage simulator gas systems at the stand. The activation marks a milestone in preparation for future Green Run testing of NASA’s exploration upper stage (EUS) in the B-2 position of the Thad Cochran Test Stand.NASA/Danny Nowlin Crews now will work to activate the umbilical gases and liquid oxygen systems. The NASA Stennis team will then conduct water system activation, where it will flow the flame deflector, aspirator, diffuser cooling circuits, purge rings and water-cooled fairing.
      Afterward, the team will deploy the FireX system to check for total coverage, expected to be completed in the summer. 
      Before the exploration upper stage, built by Boeing at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, arrives at NASA Stennis, crews will perform a final 24-hour check, or stress test, across all test complex facilities to demonstrate readiness for the test series.
      Explore More
      3 min read Lagniappe for April 2025
      Article 3 weeks ago 4 min read Lagniappe for March 2025
      Article 2 months ago 6 min read NASA Stennis Flashback: Learning About Rocket Engine Exhaust for Safe Space Travel
      Article 2 months ago View the full article
    • NASA
      NASA Tests Ultralight Antennas to Benefit Future National Airspace
      By NASA
      4 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      Researchers use a flat aerogel array antenna to communicate with a geostationary satellite above the Earth during tests at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.Credit: NASA/Jordan Cochran NASA engineers are using one of the world’s lightest solid materials to construct an antenna that could be embedded into the skin of an aircraft, creating a more aerodynamic and reliable communication solution for drones and other future air transportation options. 
      Developed by NASA, this ultra-lightweight aerogel antenna is designed to enable satellite communications where power and space are limited. The aerogel is made up of flexible, high-performance plastics known as polymers. The design features high air content (95%) and offers a combination of light weight and strength. Researchers can adjust its properties to achieve either the flexibility of plastic wrap or the rigidity of plexiglass.
      “By removing the liquid portion of a gel, you’re left with this incredibly porous structure,” said Stephanie Vivod, a chemical engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “If you’ve ever made Jell-O, you’ve performed chemistry that’s similar to the first step of making an aerogel.”
      NASA sandwiched a layer of aerogel between a small circuit board and an array of thin, circular copper cells, then topped the design off with a type of film known for its electrical insulation properties. This innovation is known at NASA and in the aviation community as an active phased array aerogel antenna. 
      A sample of aerogel is folded to demonstrate its flexibility during testing at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.Credit: NASA In addition to decreasing drag by conforming to the shape of aircraft, aerogel antennas save weight and space and come with the ability to adjust their individual array elements to reduce signal interference. They are also less visually intrusive compared to other types of antennas, such as spikes and blades. The finished product looks like a honeycomb but lays flat on an aircraft’s surface.
      In the summer of 2024, researchers tested a rigid version of the antenna on a Britten-Norman Defender aircraft during an in-flight demonstration with the U.S. Navy at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland.
      A Britten-Norman Defender aircraft outfitted with an advanced phased array antenna prototype for a flight test in summer 2024. The aircraft was used to verify data transmission quality and communications link resiliency with a low Earth orbit satellite.Credit: U.S. Navy Then, last October, researchers at NASA Glenn and the satellite communications firm Eutelsat America Corp., of Houston, began ground testing a version of the antenna mounted to a platform. The team successfully connected with a Eutelsat satellite in geostationary orbit, which bounced a signal back down to a satellite dish on a building at Glenn. Other demonstrations of the system at Glenn connected with a constellation of communications satellites operated in low Earth orbit by the data relay company Kepler. NASA researchers will design, build, and test a flexible version of the antenna later this year.
      “This is significant because we are able to use the same antenna to connect with two very different satellite systems,” said Glenn researcher Bryan Schoenholz. Low Earth orbit satellites are relatively close – at 1,200 miles from the surface – and move quickly around the planet. Geostationary satellites are much farther – more than 22,000 miles from the surface – but orbit at speeds matching the Earth’s rotation, so they appear to remain in a fixed position above the equator.
      NASA Glenn Research Center’s Sarah Dever and Mick Koch, electrical engineers, command an active phased array antenna to point toward a geostationary satellite. They used a flat version of an aerogel antenna during tests in October 2024.Credit: NASA/Jordan Cochran The satellite testing was crucial for analyzing the aerogel antenna concept’s potential real-world applications. When modern aircraft communicate with stations on the ground, those signals are often transmitted through satellite relays, which can come with delays and loss of communication. This NASA-developed technology will make sure these satellite links are not disrupted during flight as the aerogel antenna’s beam is a concentrated flow of radio waves that can be electronically steered with precision to maintain the connection.
      As new types of air transportation options are brought to the market and U.S airspace – from the small, piloted aircraft of today to the autonomous air taxis and delivery drones of tomorrow – these kinds of steady connections will become increasingly important. That’s why NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility mission and Transformative Aeronautics Concepts program are supporting research like the aerogel antennas that can boost industry efforts to safely expand the emerging marketplace for these transportation systems.
      “If an autonomous air taxi or drone flight loses its communications link, we have a very unsafe situation,” Schoenholz said. “We can’t afford a ‘dropped call’ up there because that connection is critical to the safety of the flight.”
      Schoenholz, Vivod, and others work on NASA’s Antenna Deployment and Optimization Technologies activity within the Transformational Tools and Technologies project. The activity aims to develop technologies that reduce the risk of radio frequency interference from air taxis, drones, commercial passenger jets, and other aircraft in increasingly crowded airspace.
      Explore More
      2 min read A Fond Farewell: NASA’s C-130 Begins New Mission in California
      Article 4 days ago 4 min read NASA Glenn to Test Air Quality Monitors Aboard Space Station
      Article 4 days ago 3 min read NASA Studies Wind Effects and Aircraft Tracking with Joby Aircraft
      Article 5 days ago View the full article
    • Space Force
      Foreign intel job scams target current, former DoD employees
      By Space Force
      When a social media message pops up offering a high-paying consulting job from an unknown recruiter, it’s easy to be intrigued, but think twice. For many current and former members of the Department of the Air Force, and increasingly, across the entire U.S. government workforce, this is the first step in a recruitment scheme by foreign intelligence entities, officials warn.

      View the full article

  • Check out these Videos

×
×
  • Create New...