New director Mark Geyer presents his first All Hands

NASA Johnson Space Center’s newest director, Mark Geyer, presented an all-hands event on June 11, where he discussed the busy schedule NASA will be engaged in during the next 10 years.

With his recent appointment to the position of center director, Geyer took some time to introduce himself to the crowd, giving everyone insight into his Indiana roots and love of the Cardinals.

After a brief introduction, Geyer spoke about recent mission activities, like a crew return and subsequent crew launch to the International Space Station. Adding to that the frequent cargo launches to station, he reminded attendees that people are still going up to space, and “it is a big deal.”

Geyer then went into Johnson’s top priorities, urging the team to “take a deep breath,” as he’s “excited for the future and JSC’s role in it.” A chart shown during the meeting detailed spaceflight activity from the 70s to the present. As the chart extended into the next 10 years, Geyer indicated how busy the agency would be with a heightened emphasis on the Commercial Crew Program. With two new vehicles ready for launch in the near future, NASA is on the upswing of space travel. The new director was optimistic that Johnson would meet the new challenges, and said, “We’ve got to be ready to support this cadence.”

Finally, the Johnson team was encouraged to pose their own questions to Geyer. One question, regarding NASA’s Gateway project, led Geyer to explain constraints within the budget and how the center will play a key role in its success. Another sparked laughter as Geyer reiterated his appreciation for his new, prime front-row parking spot.

If you missed the All Hands, view the charts and video here.
 

JSC Director Mark Geyer took some time to introduce himself during his first All Hands with the JSC team, describing his history with Purdue University, Indiana roots and love of Cardinals baseball. Image Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

Suzzy Kalu

NASA Johnson Space Center