Photo By Jason Cutshaw | Army Astronaut Col. Frank Rubio, right, explains how people from around the world live...... read more read more
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HOUSTON – There was no “Houston, we have a problem” as Army space leaders visited America’s center for human spaceflight training, research and flight control.
Lt. Gen. Sean A. Gainey, commanding general of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, made his first official visit to the U.S. Army’s NASA Detachment at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Oct. 23, to learn how Army astronauts train.
“Today was fantastic,” Gainey said. “It is obvious what our Army astronauts are doing and the importance of their mission. Everyone here is phenomenal.”
Traveling with Gainey were USASMDC Command Sgt. Maj. John W. Foley; USASMDC Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Wesley Dohogn; Lt. Col. John Cumbie, aide de camp to Gainey; and Staff Sgt. Armanni Patterson, executive assistant to Foley.
During the visit, the USASMDC command team visited the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, Mission Control Center, Apollo Viewing Room and International Space Station Flight Control Room, Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, and received briefings from astronauts, Functional Area 40 space operations officers and NASA officials.
“I got a better appreciation for not only what our astronauts are doing, but also what our FA40 space officers are doing as they integrate into our NASA Detachment,” Gainey said. “The FA40 space officers are doing more than just providing support to our Army astronauts, they are also supporting and integrating into the overall NASA mission. They have a lot of responsibility as they continue to do important things here for the Army space mission.”
Although Army astronauts and the NASA Detachment comprise only a tiny fraction of the Army’s space assets, Army astronauts’ participation in NASA’s human spaceflight program help to inform Army space requirements and doctrine and are key to maintaining relationships with space industry partners.
“It has been an honor to host the command team here at NASA,” said Col. Anne McClain, NASA Detachment commander. “In addition to having amazing facilities and training areas to show off and an incredible mission in low Earth orbit, there is a lot of synergy between Army space and NASA. It is great to have them down here for information sharing, and I look forward to more opportunities like today.”
McClain said the visit was successful and that having leadership visit where the unit operates is important.
“It is good for both sides to understand the support and opportunities that we have, and we look forward to working together in the future,” she said.
Army astronaut Col. Frank Rubio said it was an honor to show USASMDC leaders how well they represent the Army and how the Army has prepared them for such an important mission.
“It is great to represent our team and show off our Soldiers,” Rubio said. “It fosters a sense of pride to show him where we work every day and show him the people who train us and the facilities we have. For me this is such an honor.
“The only reason we can be a part of the NASA team in such a complex environment is because of the incredible people we have supporting us,” he added. “Introducing leaders, and more importantly, letting them see how Soldiers integrate into this team and the contributions they make is really important.”
The Army’s NASA Detachment is a subordinate element to USASMDC and although assigned to the command, Army astronauts are detailed to NASA for the duration of their tour. The detachment supports NASA with flight crew members and provides engineering expertise for human interface with space systems.
“This opportunity allowed us to share our achievements and future goals while showing the amazing training our astronauts receive,” said Keira Hardy, Army astronaut liaison. “It truly made me feel appreciated that they took the time to visit our small yet mighty detachment.”
| Date Taken: | 10.24.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.24.2024 09:26 |
| Story ID: | 483829 |
| Location: | HOUSTON, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 284 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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