Station Nation: Meet Sara Stewart, SpX-23 Launch Cargo Mission Manager

In case you missed it, NASA and SpaceX (SpX) launched more than 4,800 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) this past weekend! We caught up with the person who managed all that space-traveling cargo — SpX-23 Launch Cargo Mission Manager Sara Stewart — to learn more about her and her unique role within the ISS Mission Integration and Operations team here at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Launch took place early morning on Sunday, Aug. 29, at 2:14 a.m. CDT. Watch the launch coverage here. Rendezvous and docking took place at 9:30 a.m. CDT on Monday, Aug. 30, and you can check that out here. 

How long have you been working for the agency?
21 years. 

Where are you from?
Funny enough, I tend to have a tough time with this question whenever I am asked. This is because I actually relate to being both a Michigander and a Wisconsinite. The reason for this is my family lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; however, the hospital where I was born was across the state line, serving the twin cities of Menominee (Michigan) and Marinette (Wisconsin). Then, when I was just about 3 years old, my dad ended up receiving a job offer from a helicopter company in Texas. With this move for our family, I ended up growing up in Conroe and then in Spring, Texas — so all around I can say that I am from the North!

Describe what your position with NASA entails:
The overall role of the cargo mission manager for launch entails working closely with our NASA and International Partner payload and hardware teams to pull together and lead what amounts to the end-to-end manifest and cargo-packing plans for the mission. We also work with SpaceX all the way through to loading of our cargo onto Dragon and the final configuration in which it will arrive to station for crew unpacking and operations. Space station cargo includes a variety of items for crew provisions, EVA (extravehicular activity), payloads, systems, and computer resources. 

My team for this mission was the SpX-23 Cargo Mission team, and we began months before flight and worked through the packing and ground-handling details of what amounted, in the end, to 4,859 pounds of packed, pressurized cargo launched to station. A lot of our time and expertise also goes into integration and assessment of the detailed requirements to help facilitate decisions amongst competing cargo priorities and, in this way, I led the teams as the SpX-23 launch cargo mission manager to ensure we ultimately launched the right cargo complement during this particular point in time for station operations. 

Now, to a non-NASA audience: How do you describe your job to family, friends, or at a speaking engagement?
My team is responsible for making sure that we are launching everything that the crew needs to live and work in space. This includes launching items like food, clothing, hardware to operate station systems and computers, and multiple investigations or experiments that the crew will perform in orbit. We also ensure that the experiment results are returned to the ground at the correct time to be of value to the teams behind those investigations. 

What was your path to NASA?
My dad has worked in aviation my whole life, so I developed an interest in aerospace with the exposure to the field from an early age. With this, it seemed like a natural choice to pursue an aerospace engineering degree at the University of Texas. While in college, I did a co-op tour with a company where I worked on a NASA project called SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy). After loving the semesters I worked on this project, I was lucky enough to interview and be selected as a shuttle propulsion flight controller as my first role at NASA. 

Is there a space figure you've looked up to? Someone in the space, aerospace, or science industry who has motivated you or inspired you to work for the space program? Or, is there someone you discovered while working for NASA who inspires you (e.g., astronaut, astronomer, flight director, fighter pilot, space communicator, etc.)?
One of my first group leads at NASA was incredibly inspiring to me. He had such a wonderful leadership approach, as he demonstrated a real and personal dedication to the team and the work we accomplished every day. He taught us to embrace our curiosity and not hesitate to engage any experts and stakeholders across NASA. He was an incredible mentor in so many ways but, specifically, I recall his communication style, which consistently had an integrated approach to any given set of technical challenges with the acknowledgment that we are part of a tremendous team because of all our unique differences and strengths that we collectively bring to the table. 

What is your favorite NASA memory?
My first day on console as a shuttle flight controller during the STS-97 mission was one of those distinct memories, as I recall how utterly amazed I was at the number of people who came together in the Mission Control Center to support the mission. I remember that I had to consciously keep my jaw from dropping, had a few rounds of goosebumps, and also had the thought that this must be how folks feel when they are starstruck. There was also the passing thought of whether I should pinch myself to see if I was really there. All in all, I remember how lucky I felt to be a part of our great team that comes together to make a spaceflight mission successful. 

Sara Stewart at the Propulsion, or PROP, console in the White Flight Control Room in Building 30 during STS-120. Credits: NASA

What do you love sharing about station to general audiences?
The number of items we use and value here on Earth on a daily basis that come from the innovation and research accomplished in spaceflight is a big list of things. Advancements in the medical field based on ISS research, and the direct correlation it has to the healthcare available to us, is a very tangible and much-appreciated benefit to the quality of life for us here on Earth. Healthcare, especially in this day in time … I do believe [that benefit] resonates with most of us. 

What hobbies do you enjoy outside of work?
I very much enjoy storytelling, which I am realizing encapsulates some of my main interests/hobbies outside of work. I absolutely love live music performances, especially at smaller venues, and I volunteer at Stages theater company near downtown. I also frequent the Houston Symphony, which, coincidently, a very good friend of mine has performed with for a number of years. Live episodes of “The Moth” (NPR) is also something I have really enjoyed. I am ready to get out and do more of what I love, as the pandemic has made these things more challenging for sure. Outside of that, my two dogs adopted in April 2020 keep me on my toes and are a ton of fun!

Day or night launch?
Night.

Favorite space movie?
“Armageddon.” IMDB categorizes it as “action-adventure sci-fi,” but it is rather humorous, too! Seeing this movie was also one of those unforgettable NASA memories, as I saw this with a group of friends I worked with during my time as a shuttle flight controller, which made it even more enjoyable.

NASA worm or “meatball” logo?

Read about some the newest science and research that was sent to station aboard SpX-23 here. These and other cutting-edge investigations join the hundreds of ongoing experiments in biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space sciences aboard the International Space Station. Advances in these areas will help keep astronauts healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration beyond low-Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars through NASA’s Artemis program. To learn more, check out the SpX-23 research highlights story.

Keep up-to-date with the latest news from the crew living in space by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, and the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.