Q&A with Gateway: Meet Sarah Ruiz, Chief Safety and Assurance Officer for Gateway
Spaceflight is an inherently risky endeavor. The Gateway and Artemis programs have their own areas of risk, and follow safety policies and processes to effectively reach an optimal balance between minimizing the potential for loss while maximizing the potential for gain. This is where NASA Johnson Space Center’s Sarah Ruiz comes in to advise the program on risks and the necessary safety processes to implement. She is a critical member of the Gateway program.
Let’s learn more about her, below!
What is your role in the Gateway program?
I am the chief safety and mission assurance officer for Gateway.
What are your primary responsibilities?
As the safety and mission assurance technical authority for Gateway, I am responsible for assessing and advising the program on areas of risk and ensuring appropriate implementation of safety policy and processes. I represent the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at the Gateway program control board, risk reviews, milestone reviews, and several other forums. I also work closely with Gateway’s Safety and Mission Assurance managers and our shared team of incredible safety engineers.
What are you excited to share about Gateway and what it will do for human exploration as part of the Artemis program?
I was born after Apollo, so human spaceflight has been in low-Earth orbit my entire life. I am very excited to see us returning to the Moon in a new and different way, especially with an architecture that will enable us to stay for longer periods of time and develop the skills and technologies we will need to go even farther in the future.
How has your own personal background influenced your work for the Gateway program?
I have been in the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance for a decade now, and have always enjoyed how our work touches almost every part of a system and spacecraft, and every part of a program or project lifecycle — from formulation to operations. This breadth of work is engaging and exciting, but can also be somewhat intimidating. There is constantly something new to learn and understand. I am fortunate to have worked on and led great teams in the past, and that has reiterated to me how our work truly is a team effort. We must continue to work together and rely on each person’s unique experiences and expertise to accomplish our goals.
Being surrounded by such a high-performing group of people, what’s a great piece of advice you’ve learned?
One of my middle school teachers used to say, “It’s not dumb; it’s just different,” and I have seen how the Gateway team truly embodies this adage. Our program is being asked to make big things happen in a short period of time, and with limited resources. This requires all of us to think about how to accomplish our work in new and innovative ways. When faced with a new idea, it’s important to adopt a “Yes, if …” mindset instead of immediately dismissing different ideas.
In line with JSC’s DARE | UNITE | EXPLORE, how do you see yourself fitting into the vision?
JSC’s goals for the next five to eight years are bold and aggressive. As the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance technical authority for one of the major programs under the Artemis umbrella, I have to be daring enough to consider new and innovative approaches to accomplishing our mission while also ensuring that we mitigate risks as much as reasonably possible and stay focused on the future safety of our crew and vehicle. This is a challenge for all of us, and we have to work together (unite) to make it happen.
Now, more about you.
Where did you grow up?
Charlotte, North Carolina.
How long have you been at JSC?
I came to JSC as a cooperative education student in 1997, and transitioned into full-time work in 2002. I spent nine years in Flight Operations Directorate supporting the shuttle program. After the last shuttle mission, I transitioned to the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, supporting the space station and now Gateway.
Describe yourself in five words.
Creative, optimistic, energetic, observant, and deliberate.
Favorite thing(s) to do to unwind.
I enjoy spending time with my husband and two daughters (ages 8 and 5). With all the “togetherness” over the last few months, we have been outside more than usual to swim, ride bikes, play at the park, and explore our neighborhood. It has been a good way to manage stress and a nice silver lining in this crazy year.
When this pandemic is over, what can’t you wait to do?
I can’t wait to see my parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews. They live in North Carolina and Washington state, so we have only seen each other via FaceTime this year.
What is one thing you like about teleworking?
Having more flexibility in my daily schedule, and being able to stay in pajama pants as long as I want.
Tell us a fun fact about you.
I am an avid quilter. I have had quilts featured in national shows and published several patterns.
At Johnson, we are laser-focused on the next: going forward to our lunar neighbor to build outposts in uncharted territory while revolutionizing the strategies and technologies that will eventually open up the universe. The Gateway is a critical component of the Artemis program and embodies Johnson's DARE | UNITE | EXPLORE vision: We dare to expand frontiers. We unite with our partners to complete bold missions. We explore space to benefit humanity.
DARE | UNITE | EXPLORE
