Q&A with Gateway: Meet William ‘Bill’ Othon, Test and Verification Lead for the Gateway Program
Built with commercial and international partners, the Gateway will have various components, including the power and propulsion element, the habitation and logistics outpost, logistics module, International Habitation module, an airlock, external robotics, and science capabilities. Each of these elements will need to be tested for safety concerns and verified before they are launched into deep space. NASA Johnson Space Center’s Bill Othon works with his team to ensure that all elements of Gateway will operate safely and meet the mission objectives in lunar orbit by performing verification activities before they are launched into space.
Let’s learn more about him, below!
What is your role in the Gateway program?
I am the test and verification lead for the Gateway program.
What are your primary responsibilities?
I coordinate all verification activities with our program team and our commercial and international partners to ensure that the Gateway elements are verified and can work together in lunar orbit. The team is building laboratories and tools to integrate systems on the ground. We are also working with the operations team to ensure both mission support and crew are part of the process.
What are you excited to share about Gateway and what it will do for human exploration as part of the Artemis program?
Gateway will be a key component to enable sustainable access to the lunar surface during Artemis missions. It will provide a staging ground for vehicles, systems, and people to assemble in a safe environment and support traffic to and from the Moon. Gateway is also a great platform to develop and mature technologies for Mars missions like on-orbit refueling, vehicle autonomy, and remote mission operations.
How has your own personal background influenced your work for the Gateway program?
I am a first-generation American, born to two immigrants from Cuba. Two things I have learned from my parents are work hard to achieve your goals and always be grateful for the opportunities you have to succeed. “Stay positive through adversity" is my mantra.
Being surrounded by such a high-performing group of people, what’s a great piece of advice you’ve learned?
We are incredibly busy and isolated these days. We should take time to appreciate the amazing team that is helping advance human space exploration.
In line with JSC’s DARE | UNITE | EXPLORE, how do you see yourself fitting into the vision?
I get my greatest feeling of accomplishment when bringing diverse teams of people together to meet goals that seem impossible to achieve. So, we need to DARE to do difficult things and acknowledge that we can’t succeed unless we UNITE as a team and work together. That is how we can EXPLORE further than ever before. Some things are impossible … until they are not.
Now, more about you. Where did you grow up?
I am a Texas native. I was born in Dallas, raised in Houston, and completed my studies in Austin.
How long have you been at JSC?
I started as a contractor co-op in 1985 and then joined as a civil servant in 2004.
Describe yourself in five words
Passionate, empathetic, determined, funny, and grateful.
Favorite thing(s) to do to unwind
Camping, hiking, smoking meat, and discussing philosophy.
When this pandemic is over, what can’t you wait to do?
I just want to see my friends down the hall at the office.
What is one thing you like about teleworking?
It is great to have video conferences with teammates from other NASA centers. I have actually “seen” remote friends much more than before.
Tell us a fun fact about you.
I am a traveler and an adventure-seeker. I have gone castle climbing, pub crawling, and scuba diving. I have also climbed Mount St. Helens.
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
