Station Nation: Kelly Hallman!

If you think packing for a weekend trip is daunting, imagine packing for a month to six-month-long stay on the International Space Station (ISS). Meet Kelly Hallman, cargo mission manager, who does just that and still finds time to home brew, travel, and take care of three corgis. Unpack this edition of Station Nation.

Where are you from?
I was born in New Jersey and split my childhood between Jersey and the Poconos in Pennsylvania. 

Which ISS office do you support?
The Mission Integration and Operations Office. 

What is your job title?
Cargo mission manager.

Describe what your position entails:
A cargo mission manager is responsible for developing the cargo manifest for commercial crew and cargo resupply flights. The goal is to utilize all the mass and volume for each mission launching and returning the resources needed to enable safe and successful increment operations. We have to be aware of the increment science plans, consumable statuses, EVA (Extravehicular Activity, or spacewalk) plans, and more, along with all of the different vehicle constraints — and be able to react when there's a failure or issue on orbit that changes those plans last minute. 

How would you describe your job to family or friends that may not be as familiar with NASA as employees reading this?

How long have you been working for the agency?
I've been at NASA’s Johnson Space Center for over 14 years. I started in 2008 as a flight controller for International Space Station and shuttle cargo operations. Before starting in the program office, I spent the last eight years as an integration and systems engineer, or ISE, flight controller developing ops concepts, flight rules, and procedures for commercial crew and cargo visiting vehicle missions. 

What was your path to NASA?
Working for NASA was always the goal, even from a young age; however, I expected to be doing detailed research. I went to school for astrophysics at Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech), about 45 minutes south of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. While I was there, I was much more exposed to jobs in crewed spaceflight, watching shuttle launches, and hearing my apartment door rattle when shuttles were coming in for landings. The idea of working in flight operations sounded significantly more exciting than being locked in a lab staring through a telescope. I think I made the right choice! 

Is there a space figure you've looked up to? Or someone you discovered while working for NASA that inspires you?

Do you have any advice for others like yourself who may be contemplating a career at NASA?
I think people are surprised to learn about the variety of jobs with NASA. It’s not all rocket science! Whether you have the more “typical” background in science/engineering or a degree in communications, medicine, IT security, etc., there are lots of opportunities to contribute to the nation’s space program. 

What is your favorite NASA memory?
My favorite part of my previous job was certifying new flight controllers. There's nothing better than telling someone after a long training campaign and taxing final simulation that they’ve passed and will now be trusted to keep a real crew and vehicle safe during real-time operations. 

What do you love sharing about station to general audiences?
It’s always fun to point out everyday tasks that are made either extremely easy or surprisingly difficult in microgravity.

Kelly’s work-from-home setup, complete with her reluctant mascot, Hubble. Image courtesy of Kelly Hallman.

What are your hobbies/things you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work, my husband and I like to travel as much as we can and take in shows downtown such as concerts, comedy tours, Broadway, and more. We like to spend time with our three corgis, and we’re also homebrewers.

Day launch or night launch?
Launch on the first attempt!

Favorite space movie?
Favorite good space movie — “Apollo 13.” Favorite ridiculous space movie — “Independence Day.” 

NASA Worm or Meatball logo? 

The International Space Station Program recognizes the countless women who have contributed to the assembly of the station, the research being conducted aboard, and operation on a daily basis, which, in turn, enables research that benefits us all here back on Earth.

Keep up to date with the latest news from the International Space Station by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, and the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.