Read our exclusive interview with Vanessa E. Wyche, the director of the Johnson Space Center for NASA, home to America’s astronaut corps, mission control center, and the International Space Station.
In the realm of space exploration, Vanessa E. Wyche stands as a towering figure of inspiration and leadership. As the Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Vanessa oversees a sprawling complex that serves as the heart of America’s human spaceflight efforts. With more than 11,000 employees under her stewardship, she directs missions that hold the promise of unlocking new frontiers on the moon and Mars.
Her path to this prestigious position is a story of resilience, mentorship, and boundless curiosity. Her journey began in a modest household where she was one of five siblings. “I was always very curious,” she recalls. “I was fortunate that my parents encouraged me to be curious. They encouraged me to ask all the questions and to pursue and do anything I wanted to do.”
This nurturing environment laid the foundation for Vanessa’s ambitious dreams. Her father, determined that his daughters would be as capable as his son, taught her practical skills. “We learned how to change the oil in the car; we did all of those things,” she says. “I used to follow him around, helping him wire the house and do all those things. It was that which let me know I could do anything.”
The spark of curiosity that her parents ignited propelled Vanessa into the male-dominated field of engineering. She pursued her education with a focus on learning rather than on the gender disparity around her. “I think I didn’t know that because I was more focused on learning and doing,” she admits. This focus on goals rather than the environment around her allowed her to excel and pursue her dreams undeterred.
Mentorship played a pivotal role in her career. “My mentors have been critical to my career,” she states unequivocally. She has been guided by a diverse array of mentors, including men and women, both domestic and international. They offered advice on navigating her career path and provided insights that enhanced her professional growth. “Having someone else come and give me advice, or agreeing to be the mentor to tell me, ‘Hey, if you maybe would just speak up a little bit more in meetings, this will help you to have more recognition.’ So I have truly benefited from my mentors.”
Wyche herself is a staunch advocate of mentoring others, finding fulfillment in the reciprocal nature of these relationships. “When I mentor other people, I actually learn new things from them, or it reminds me of things that I may have forgotten about, to hone certain skills,” she explains. “I’m a true believer in mentoring, and I think it’s important for each of us to either reach out to mentor someone or to connect so that we can be mentored.”
Her commitment to fostering the next generation of STEM professionals is evident in her active participation in forums and organisations. Speaking to me exclusively after the Women in Biomedical Engineering Forum in Orlando, she highlighted the importance of such support networks. “As an engineering student, it was important for me to have organisations like this where I could go and be with others who were endeavouring to get their degree,” she says. “First of all, for encouragement, for inspiration to continue on my journey.”
Her leadership prowess was recognised when she was appointed Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Recalling the moment, she says, “The NASA administrator, who is the head of space, called to let me know that I was selected for the job. I was very excited because, having worked here for almost 30 years at that time, I knew a lot about everything because I worked in many different areas.”
Under her leadership, the Johnson Space Center is navigating a critical phase of space exploration. “The things that we’re doing today—having an international space station and having crew members on board, building towards that future of having many humans in low Earth orbit, and at the same time planning missions and going to the moon—now is such an incredible and exciting time,” she enthuses.
Vanessa is also acutely aware of the broader impact of space research on life on Earth. She cites the International Space Station’s role in conducting pivotal research on cancer and other illnesses, leveraging the unique conditions of space for pharmaceutical advancements. Additionally, technologies derived from space research, such as GPS, have become integral to daily life.
As NASA forges ahead with the Artemis mission and plans for Mars, Vanessa’s vision remains clear and ambitious. “First, for the Artemis mission, of course, we know that we’re going to learn a lot. We’re going to learn how to live on another body before we go to Mars, but then also we’ll expand what we learn from research,” she explains. “So then, at Mars, it especially is going to open up the doors for us to go into the solar system further and further out into the solar system. Those are the big, big, big goals that we’re trying to achieve.”
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