Getting Into the Groove at NASA/Ames

GETTING INTO THE GROOVE AT NASA/AMES

The two weeks flew by after I gave my notice. My last day was spent in complete merriment and a wonderful lunch with all my friends. I was happy to see such a great turnout to send me off! It was bittersweet, I would miss my friends, but I knew it was right.

Knowing I needed time to regroup, I gave myself a week off before reporting to NASA. It felt like the beginning of a new chapter, so I filled my time with nurturing and fun things like getting a new haircut, resting, shopping, re-organizing my clothes closet, and meeting friends for drinks and dinner. And practical things like changing the oil and ensuring my car was in good working order for the much longer thirty-mile commute I would have. I was ready!

The first few days were busy with introductions, filling out forms, and getting used to the old MAC I was issued. Yikes! Does NASA use MACS? I was a PC girl up until then. Better put my quick learner cap on! Luckily one of the girls in our group was a MAC user, so she helped! Within a few days, I was sent to complete a NASA documentation course for ISO 9001 document control. Now I was ready to work.

I was in the Quality and Mission Assurance Group – Code Q. We got our assignments on whom we would support, and I was assigned to the Aeronautics Directorate – Code A. My lead was a very knowledgeable gentleman named Gary. In the beginning, he made most of the appointments. He did the auditing, and I did the listening and note-taking. Our goal was to continue to identify gaps so their documentation could be revised or, in some cases, created. Immediately I began learning a lot each day. It felt wonderful to be exposed to so much new information, and I felt truly blessed.

Our group consisted of several technical editors, auditors, and quality management professionals. I met several mentors along the way who helped me learn more about ISO 9001 and hone my skills. It felt like an incubation phase for me, and it was at NASA, that I realized that ISO and quality management systems would be a good career choice for me. I looked forward to going to work every day.

The NASA Ames Research Center was founded in 1939, so you can imagine the original buildings had an older charm. Outside each building, there were bicycle racks with bicycles anyone could use to get about the campus. The pace was very relaxed on the outside and, to an extent, on the inside. It was common to see men in shorts and Hawaiian shirts cruising around on the bikes.

Many trailers were serving as offices for workers all around the campus to supplement the existing buildings. My group was in one of them. It was a cozy work environment, and our group gelled quickly. I found everyone amiable and helpful, and we all became fast friends.

Soon I learned that the projects had government funding, and generally, there was no rush to complete anything until the time ran out. We often encountered that if we seemed anxious to complete our work. It felt odd initially, but I soon adapted and learned how to get about in that environment. Some projects were ten and twelve years long and weren’t about to finish sooner. No judgment from me! As long as I could get my work done! These government workers were a different animal!

The Center was like its own little city. It has its zip code, Post Office, and Fire Department. There was even a Baskin Robbins. The Moffett Field firefighters were total babes, and they were living a good life. We loved to watch them doing their daily exercise run! Each year they had a huge Chili Cookoff, which took over the streets. I quickly fell into the leisurely pace of the campus and thoroughly enjoyed all of the perks that came with it.

One memorable event was the visit of General Chuck Yeager, the test pilot who broke the sound barrier on October 14, 1947. He was his generation’s most famous test pilot, a death-defying aviator, and possessed the “right stuff.” An Air Force Captain at the time, he had reached a speed of 700 miles an hour, flying over the Mojave Desert, breaking the sound barrier and dispelling the long-held fear that any plane flying at or beyond the speed of sound would be torn apart by shock waves.

General Yeager gave an exciting talk about his career, and at the end of his speech, we got a photo op, a chance to shake hands with a legend, and a signed photo. A piece of history. My Father was very impressed when I told him about it and shared the images.

Launches and landings were of premier importance at Ames. If there was a launch or landing of a spacecraft, it was a huge event. The main building #100 had a huge auditorium where everyone would gather to watch these events. It was so exciting to see it on the large screen with booming sound and be there in the room with people who had participated in the mission’s success. The room was electrified. Thunderous applause and cheering would fill the auditorium at a launch or landing. I felt honored to be there, and it was a patriotic experience that made me proud to be an American. It is something I will never forget.

It was a Friday in June of 1998 when the biggest perk of all would happen. It was a total surprise to me. Until then, I did not think about it, but Moffett Field was a Federal Air Strip. I arrived at work and found everyone very excited. “Come on; we’ve been waiting for you; we’re going to the Air Strip. The President is landing today!” Suddenly work did not matter. We all jumped in a couple of cars and went to the Air Strip to check it out. President Clinton would be arriving in a couple of hours. They said he would take care of some business and possibly visit his daughter Chelsea who was attending Stanford University then.

I’m not sure how we got away with it, but we just walked right into the building on the strip and watched the Secret Service as they did their work of looking for bombs, securing the building, the roof, and the entire area. They were a most impressive and handsome bunch and fascinating to observe. Immaculate clothes, shiny shoes, shades, little microphones, the whole bit. It was extreme eye candy. We were shamelessly silly and beside ourselves. We knew we would be kicked out at the right moment, but we were determined to stay as long as possible to watch.

We were told to leave the building and found our way to a slope on the side of the landing strip. The Secret Service intensified their preparations. I met a man with a few cameras around his neck sitting next to me on the grass. He started talking and telling me all about it. He had been to several of these landings. I listened intently. He said, “The airspace will be cleared from the San Francisco Airport. No planes are allowed in the airspace. You’ll begin to notice that it gets very quiet. Suddenly there will be a hush, and you’ll begin seeing her. Look over to the left when I tell you. You won’t want to miss this!” This guy had my attention, so I did just as he said.

We waited for a while, and then just like he said, it grew very quiet, and suddenly the “hush” came over the sky. And there she was, she was magnificent! At first, she was far away, but I kept my eyes on her as she approached, slowly descending in the sky. “Don’t take your eyes off of her; you may never see this again in your life,” he said. In all her blue beauty, Air Force One slowly floated in and landed! This was awesome! I didn’t think I would get so excited, but I did. I could not wait for the President to come out and wave!

President Clinton came out, waved to everyone, and quickly descended the stairs. He looked very energetic and happy. You could see he enjoyed this. He was briskly ushered into his waiting limousine. The show was over, back to reality. But wait, there’s more….

My coworker Jen said she would give me a ride back to the trailer. We talked about how great it was to see the President as we made our way to her car. As we returned to the streets near the Air Strip, we came to a stop sign. We were breathless from the excitement, and then suddenly, we looked to the left, and the Presidential Limo had come to the stop sign. We had the right of way, but I said to Jen, “Wait, let him pass first!”

We looked at the driver and motioned with our hands for him to pass. I think he saw we were two crazy girls, so he took the intersection in slow motion to give us a thrill. And there was President Bill Clinton with a massive smile on his face waving at us. With his face pressed up to the window, he mouthed the words, “Hi, Girls!”  We both yelled, “Ahhhhhh!” “Did you see that?” Jen yelled. I answered, “Yes, I did! The President said, “Hi, Girls,” to us!”

We were beside ourselves and gave each other an enthusiastic high five! It was an unbelievably fun afternoon. Who needed alcohol?  I’m so glad we waited until he left. Our timing was impeccable; in that instant, we both had a priceless memory that would last our lifetimes!