Reflecting on One Year of Pandemic Response at NASA
When NASA’s Johnson Space Center and White Sands Test Facility entered Stage 2 of the NASA Pandemic Response Framework on March 14, 2020, none of us knew exactly what to expect. A year later, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact life — as we knew it — while taking the lives of millions worldwide.
Whether it be the tragic loss of a loved one, health difficulties, feelings of loneliness and isolation, economic distress due to layoffs and unemployment — or even just the loss of normalcy that ordinarily kept you anchored — we have all confronted unspeakable hardships during the past year. Making matters more difficult, due to the mostly virtual environment we’ve transitioned into, those hardships have largely been invisible to others, and have deprived us of the means to comfort one another. But one key trait has emerged: resiliency. The team exemplified it during what could have been considered a lost year, allowing us to persevere through difficult times so that we could continue to lead the world in human space exploration.
JSC center leadership shares their appreciation for the efforts of the JSC/WSTF team as we reach the one year mark of operating in a pandemic response posture.
In the midst of the pandemic response posture, Johnson has played a key role in returning human launch capabilities to American soil with NASA’s SpaceX DM-2 and Crew-1 missions, celebrated 20 continuous years of humans on station, fostered international partnerships for Gateway and Artemis, and even helped to land the Perseverance rover on Mars.
“When you consider the scale of our operations and the sheer number of people who had traditionally relied on a physical office and laboratory setting to do their work, the speed at which we adjusted to a primarily telework posture was phenomenal,” said JSC Director Mark Geyer. “We embodied the spirit of the NASA family, leaning on each other to make whatever needed to happen a reality.”
The telework success is not just happenstance; it required rethinking and revamping the way we conduct the not-so-ordinary business of human spaceflight. Innovations have taken place from top to bottom, from organizational leadership response to the Information Resources Directorate ensuring IT system support for the NASA network and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, to Center Operations reimagining safe workspaces designed to keep mission-critical employees insulated from the virus.
It is also important to recognize that there were employees who have been working on-site throughout the pandemic, and to applaud the dedication and caution they embraced to ensure a safe working environment for the Johnson team while meeting mission milestones.
“We owe an enormous amount of gratitude to the mission-essential employees who continued to not only show up, but continue Johnson’s bold legacy of human space exploration, in the middle of a pandemic,” said Johnson Deputy Director Vanessa Wyche. “The care they have demonstrated to their fellow teammates and the mission is reminiscent of some of NASA’s finest hours.”
Although the mission successes of the past 12 months may be what the public most remembers, what many Johnson team members may recall is the way that we came together to support each other, celebrate diversity, and build on past achievements with new partners, programs, and spacecraft.
During the year there have been employee submissions to Roundup, Employee Assistance Program sessions focused on mental health and coping with isolation, and serious discussions led by Employee Resource Group members about social injustice in our communities. While these conversations have not always been easy, they have made us a stronger and more inclusive team.
“We have all, individually, faced unique challenges during the pandemic, but I am most proud of the way our workforce has supported one another,” Geyer said. “As a center, our strength is realized when we all have a voice and feel like an integral part of the mission. We will continue to support efforts that embrace inclusion and create an uplifting and inspiring workplace culture.”
Surely this strange year has taught each of us lessons we never could have imagined — and the pandemic is not over yet. Below are lessons shared by Johnson team members that may benefit you as we navigate 2021.
JSC Leadership shares their thoughts on the incredible work of the JSC Team:
"The companions to Courage are Compassion and Commitment. I’ve seen my team respond in these unprecedented times with Courage to endure the unthinkable, Compassion for their fellow teammates and Commitment to the NASA Mission. I am humbled and grateful!" - Annette Moore, Director - Information Resources Directorate
"I’ve often heard human beings are hardwired to resist change. Ironically, much more often than not, when humans are faced with circumstances that force them to change, they adapt. The pandemic and its associated consequences represent another example of human resiliency in the face of forced change that is without a doubt reflected in my team. After we put the pandemic in our rear view mirror, NASA will continue to face multiple circumstances that will force it to change. The pandemic has reinforced my belief that my team will successfully adapt to address all future challenges in an environment of constant change to enable mission success." - Ted Ro, JSC Chief Counsel
"I continue to be amazed at the dedication, resiliency and creativity our organizations have showed in response to the pandemic. Figuring out on the fly how to get as much of our normal work done as possible, as well as all of the additional work we had in learning how to cope and respond to this unusual and unique situation is amazing." - Joel Walker, Director -Center Operations Directorate
"Over the past year, each of us has dealt with challenges that we could have never envisioned. Despite the circumstances of a world-wide pandemic, a record-breaking hurricane season, and an historic arctic blast, the Orion team persevered to complete the Artemis I spacecraft, make significant progress on the build-up of the Artemis II spacecraft, and has begun work on the Artemis III pressure vessel. The dedication and determination that it took for each member of our extended team to overcome obstacles in order to accomplish these feats shows their heart and character. Our team represents the best of what we can achieve when we join together to create something bigger than ourselves. Personally, this time has showed me that the NASA team’s “can do” attitude is alive and well." - Catherine Koerner, Program Manager - Orion Spacecraft
“The immediate response and resiliency of our work force was unparalleled and they immediately identified new ways of doing business to get the mission completed. The greatest challenge is maintaining a work life balance and continuing to build strong interpersonal relationships as this sprint becomes a marathon.” – Angela Hart, Program Manager – Commercial LEO Development
"Financial and Budget work is very cyclical – monthly, quarterly, annually. Never before had we closed budget and financial cycles with a remote workforce. Now we have completed an entire fiscal year in this virtual environment, including a successful financial statement audit and a complete end-to-end budget process. The CFO team’s ability adapt and its dedication to the mission is exceptional. ” - Sid Schmidt, JSC Chief Financial Officer
“The resiliency, flexibility and resourcefulness of our human spaceflight team has been extraordinary. We have had so many challenges and obstacles thrown our way, both in trying to do our jobs and in our personal lives, and yet our team members have coped, innovated and invented all sorts of ways to manage it all. I could not be more proud of our team and their unwavering persistence throughout all we have gone through.” - John Sims, Director - Human Health and Performance Directorate
“I’ve believed the resiliency of the FOD team was essentially unlimited since I began my career here at NASA. But even knowing that, if we had been given the opportunity to conduct a “Flight Readiness Review” prior to heading into the pandemic, we would have declared ourselves NOGO. Yet, this team never fails to rise to any occasion, and I have been continually inspired by the sacrifices they’ve made and the work they’ve accomplished over the past year. I am so proud of and grateful for them, and although the future remains uncertain in many ways, I know they’ll continue to shine.” - Steve Koerner, Director - Flight Operations Directorate
"Working at JSC has always required an extraordinary level of persistence and flexibility to deal with the ever changing landscape that is Human Spaceflight. We ask a lot of our people, even in normal times. They show tremendous commitment, working long hours and being away from their homes and families on travel. Always with the goal of supporting the mission. I feel like it would have been challenging to accomplish everything we did this past year even if the term COVID-19 had never entered our vocabulary. The fact that our team accomplished what they did while having to make significant adjustments to how they got their work done in a primarily telework framework, and also simultaneously balancing associated family challenges during this period, is a true testament to a level of dedication and resilience that would almost seem unfair to even ask of them. Yet they collectively stepped up, overcame each obstacle, and achieved success on all fronts in a manner I truly couldn’t be more proud of." Julie Kramer White, Director - Engineering Directorate
"Throughout the pandemic, I’ve been tremendously impressed with the dedication and professionalism of the JSC Family. The team adapted quickly to the changes and ensured the continued success of JSC’s programs and projects by implementing new technologies to communicate, finding innovative ways to accomplish their jobs remotely and demonstrating incredible resilience overcoming personal and work challenges. I think it’s particularly fitting that the Crew-1 spacecraft which was certified and launched during the pandemic, and is currently docked to the ISS, is named Resilience." - Ven Feng, Deputy Program Manager - Commercial Crew Program
“As we state in our SMA vision, we are a trusted community of experts who assure workforce safety and collaborate on smart solutions to human spaceflight risks. This has never been more true than over the last year, as our team has remained vigilant in performing this mission in spaceflight and in everyday life here on earth. I am so very proud of our outstanding resilient team.” Willie Lyles - Director - Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate
“Going into the pandemic, our office thrived on personal, face-to-face interaction. The team comradery was fun, genuine, and full of trust, and the office was our natural “safe zone.” We knew our incredible workforce was going to be challenged in the new environment. Going from full speed to a hard stop on personal interaction was immensely tough, but over time, we adapted, adjusted, improvised and practiced patience. We learned ways to stay connected and support each other on a personal level, even in a virtual environment. We took comfort knowing the job at hand, developed new plans of attack without hesitation and just marched forward, confident we could recover from any setback quickly. I am so proud of the Gateway team’s determination and persistence through this trying time, both in keeping the technical work going and in continuing the positive, collaborative culture we had worked so hard to create. We do miss each other, but we know our team will be even stronger when we finally get to enjoy being physically together again.” - Dan Hartman, Program Manager - Gateway Program
“I have known the External Relations Office (ERO) is a creative, inspired and dedicated team of individuals. What I’ve learned over the course of the year is that the team is relentless in their determination and resolve to overcome the adversity of the pandemic to reimagine how we work. From collaborating effectively in virtual workspaces, to rethinking the design and delivery of our products, activities and services, to sharing NASA’s missions with the JSC team and with the world – the team has not missed a beat. The lessons we have learned over the past year have enhanced our capabilities and will continue to pay dividends for years to come.” - Arturo Sanchez, Director - External Relations Office
“The last year has been the latest in a series of challenges our teams have faced head on, we’ve seen it time and time again in our history, with storms, national and local injustice, this pandemic, and so many struggles on personal levels across our community. Our teams step up and help each other in need, we are a family. Throughout it all we have accomplished so much and come closer together in doing it. 2021 is an amazing year for exploration with achievements on and around the moon and Mars, all due to the efforts of this team to persevere through these latest challenges. I believe the opportunity hidden in the last year is to see and appreciate each other as we are and to use that knowledge to move forward and forge our exploration path in ways even batter than previously imagined.” - John McCullough, Director - Exploration Integration and Science Directorate
