Q&A with Gateway's Grant Betz

You might call Grant Betz a Gateway veteran, having joined the program only a few weeks after its inception in 2019. But as a veteran of the armed forces, this NASA engineer found that his path to supporting humanity’s first space station in lunar orbit ran through the U.S. Army.

While serving his country as an aviation officer, Betz piloted helicopters and managed aviation operations and maintenance – roles that he says gave him perspectives that he carries into his role on the Gateway space station. As a systems integration engineer supporting the Vehicle Systems Integration Office, Betz develops strategies to transition vehicle system teams from initial designs and development work to operational support that ultimately means Gateway can be sustained throughout its minimum 15-year lifecycle.

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Where did you grow up and when/how did you become interested in a career at NASA?

I grew up here in Houston and was interested in working for NASA from an early age. My family and I used to visit Space Center Houston regularly and I grew up watching space shuttle launches on TV. Through those experiences I became fascinated with complex aerospace systems and wanted to be a part of designing future spacecraft. In college I earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, and then served in the military, but always maintained an interest in aerospace. 

How long have you been at NASA?

I have been supporting NASA as a contractor with Barrios Technology for four years, all that time working on the Gateway Program. Prior to coming to NASA, I served in the Army for 10 years as an aviation officer, where I worked as a helicopter pilot, and managed aviation operations and maintenance. I also worked for a brief period as a maintenance manager at a steel pipe mill.

What has been your favorite memory while working at NASA?

I started working on the Gateway Program just a few weeks after it officially became a program. I am fortunate that I have been with the program from the early days and have been a part of the various program milestones and key decisions along the way. No matter where my career takes me in the future, I will always be able to look back and know that I was a part of the Gateway Program at the beginning.

What excites you most about Gateway and its role in Artemis missions?

I am excited that Gateway will provide a platform to enable sustainable exploration of the Moon while performing research and proving out new technology. This unique capability is essential to allow NASA and our international partners to push the boundaries of human deep space exploration.

Being surrounded by such a high-performing group of people, what’s a great piece of advice you would give to someone interested in your role?

I would give the same advice that I used to give my soldiers when I was in the Army, and that is to strive to improve yourself by learning something new every day. Working at NASA, you are surrounded by incredibly intelligent individuals with diverse skills and experiences. If you ask questions, they are more than willing to explain concepts and offer lessons learned that can help you solve problems.

What are five words your friends/family would use to describe you?

Helpful, dedicated, generous, loyal, and courageous.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

In my free time, my wife, two kids, and I enjoy hiking, camping, fishing, and other outdoor activities. I also like to play guitar and am the lead guitarist in the worship team at my church.

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The Gateway program is an international collaboration to establish humanity’s first space station around the Moon, an essential element of NASA’s Artemis missions. Gateway will host many capabilities for sustained exploration and research in deep space, including docking ports for a variety of visiting spacecraft, space for crew to live and work, and onboard science investigations to study heliophysics (the study of the Sun), human health, and life sciences, among other areas. Gateway will be a critical platform for developing technology and capabilities to support future Mars exploration.