Good morning.
I'm Lance Davis news
chief here at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
We're so glad to have our members of the press here today.
This is our first media day for 2024.
And we thank you for coming.
As you've heard, we have a new boss
and he has served as the acting center director,
as well as the deputy center director for Marshall.
And prior to that, he led the human exploration,
Development and operations Office.
So he is our new center director, the 15th Center
director of Marshall Space Flight Center, and his name is Mr.
Joseph Pelfrey.
Please welcome him.
Good morning.
Thank you for being here.
I am deeply humbled and honored and grateful
to get to serve as the 50 senior director, Marshall Space Flight Center.
I accept this opportunity
with a profound appreciation of our rich legacy
and history that has shaped our journey in space exploration.
For more than six decades, Marshall Space Flight Center has been on the forefront
of leading humanity's endeavors in space.
We have been a beacon of innovation
and discovery right here in Huntsville, Alabama.
A founding member of Team Redstone.
We've been
we have a legacy that is woven with dedication
and perseverance, rich in innovation
and driving what our nation's goals were in space exploration.
As we approach our 65th birthday
next year, we're just getting started.
As we set our sights on the stars, as we set our sights on the stars.
Excuse me.
We do so with a humble acknowledgment
of the challenges that lie ahead and responsibility of our mission.
We understand that the pursuit of knowledge
and exploration is a journey filled with uncertainty and challenges.
We will navigate that through transparency,
collaboration, and a willingness to learn.
As we write the next chapter of our story.
I'm confident of a bright future that we have from Marshall Space Flight Center.
We are focused on building strategic partnerships,
enabling new missions,
and harnessing our deep technical expertise to be a technical solutions
provider, not only for the agency, but for our partners.
We've already begun to lay the foundation through our space launch system
and the human landing system, which is the backbone of our exploration goals.
Our evolution includes new operating models, new ways of doing business,
more partnerships and mission opportunities
that will harness the full strength of the Marshall Space Flight Center.
For example, in our science portfolio, we're celebrating two years
of science with the imaging X-ray Polar Imagery Explorer XP,
which is our astrophysics mission.
That was developed right here at Marshall Space Flight Center.
That team was recently recognized with the 2024
Bruno Rossi Prize, which for us is like the Grammys of astrophysics.
We're continuing our
rich legacy of propulsion development with a partnership with the Defense
of Applied Research Programs Agency
to develop the first nuclear propulsion thermal engine.
We'll be demonstrating in orbit,
and it's a partnership with our industry partners called Dreykov.
And this is a major step to developing the systems.
We need to return humans to deep space and put humans on Mars for the first time.
We have some brand new projects that we're excited about.
Just last night, the Intuitive Machines launch
with our industry partners included a marshall payload called
Lunar Navigation, one that is on its way to the moon as we speak.
It's a technology demonstration for autonomous navigation
that will help us inform future designs for landers
and exploration vehicles on the surface of the moon.
We're excited about that launch and we wish them
well on the mission as they proceed towards the moon.
Marshall is continuing to lead
the formulation of the exploration habitats that the agency will use,
not only on the surface of the moon but in transit to Mars.
We are excited about a new partnership that we're leading for the agency
with the Italian Space Agency to develop the concepts for a multipurpose habitat,
which will be the first habitation element on the surface of the moon
to support a sustained presence for exploration goals.
We just kicked off the mission concept review for that habitat
and we hope to finish that this year and we're very excited
about this partnership with our international partners.
We've also been working with our industry partners
here to test new designs for habitats,
including creep and burst testing, which have contributed to some of the noise
you may have been hearing from our backyard here on the arsenal.
In addition,
these exciting projects, we are continuing to invest in our people.
Since March of 2020, we've hired over 600 New NASS employees
and we are excited to welcome that
new generation in our workforce, the Artemis generation.
We're continuing to invest in our facilities.
We have two new facilities that are in design process
right now to help enable Marshall's future.
One is called the Marshall Exploration Facility,
which will sit on the site of our previous headquarters building.
4208 will provide us lab,
auditorium, space collaboration, space training center
and many other services that we lost when we lost 4200.
We're also excited to start the design process for a new engineering
and science laboratory 144,000 square foot facility state of the art
that will enable the missions that we're supporting for the future.
Both of these
are expected in the coming years, and we're very excited
to change the landscape of Marshall Space Flight Center.
So as we look towards the
aspirational goals that we have as an agency, Marshall's future is bright.
Our contributions will be heralded to continue a rich legacy of space
exploration and supporting our nation's goals.
And we want our partners, our employees and our community
to be along with that, be on this journey with us.
We have many opportunities to engage this year, and I'm excited
to tell you about a few of those.
In April, we'll have our annual state at Launch initiative,
where we have teams from around the world come to Huntsville, Alabama,
to launch their rockets and complete a challenge that we've given them.
It's a great investment in our next generation.
We also have the human exploration rover Challenge at the U.S.
Space and Rocket Center.
Again, teams from around the world will come bring in their human
powered rovers to navigate the obstacle course at the Space and Rocket Center.
This will be our 30th year of hosting that tremendous event,
and we encourage you all to come out and see the teams and all their hard work.
I'm also
very excited to announce that on June 22nd, we're going to bring back
NASA in the park and we're going to bring all of our
cool toys and mission activities and technologies
that we're working on and bring it and show it to you guys in the community
and engage with the community in a way that we in so much enjoy today.
And we look forward to that event and we're partnered
with downtown Huntsville and bringing that back to the Rocket City.
And we can't wait and hope you all join us.
So as we look to the future, Marshall, there's more to explore.
There's more to dream. There's more to innovate.
There's more to inspire and there's more to gain when we do it together.
Thank you for being here.
And thank you for helping tell our story.
I'll take your questions now
so you won't serve in other roles.
The what it was like to become Director.
One thing about you and it's a great question,
so we have a tremendous leadership team here at Marshall
and during the transition period, I had the complete confidence
of the agency to continue pressing forward with the missions we had.
And so it was very overwhelming, very humbling to get the call
from the administrator.
They conducted a nationwide search, had quite a rigorous
process of interviews through the through through that time.
But the agency is committed to Marshall's
role in supporting what we do as a nation in space exploration.
And so I am just honored that they have the confidence in me
and our team to continue to lead for the future.
The questions.
So I've
been with the here at Marshall for almost 24 years now.
I started as a industry partner and then transferred to the government
about 20 years ago.
You talk about 600 employees being hired in the last two years
and we've brought in people here at Marshall, other
centers are experiencing major layoffs right now with the budget still in flux.
And we're coming from Capitol in just a few weeks.
Where does that stand as far as more of the people at JPL
or just because of that?
Or maybe you might ask, where is more testing today
and what will it look like in this marketplace?
So NASA's enjoys tremendous bipartisan support,
and we have enjoyed tremendous
support in Capitol Hill for our budgets and the missions that we have.
Marshall had our highest budget ever last year in FY 23 enacted.
And so we have a very healthy portfolio.
However, we are partners with JPL, and so we feel the pain
that they are experiencing with the cuts that have happened.
The agency had to take a very conservative approach
because we were under
continuing resolution and we don't have an appropriation for 24.
And so because of that conservative approach, it drove the agency to plan
to a lower budget level that affected the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Marshall.
We were able to restructure some of our contracts on the Mars ascent
vehicle and replan some of our staffing to handle the reductions in staffing.
And so we do not anticipate any cuts here at the center.
All right.
Tell me about the future of the ISS.
There will be changes here at Marshall in five years.
Where is that going?
Because that's like an integral part of that daily,
hourly contact about Earth service.
Absolutely.
Marshall is proud to have led the science operations
on the International Space Station for the last 23 years.
Continuous 24 seven 365.
We've also developed many of the scientific experiments
the facilities,
the environmental control and life support systems are used on ISIS,
and all of that knowledge is paying forward as we plan for our next
missions in armaments, both on the surface of the moon and in transit to Mars.
So we're taking that experience that we want, that we've learned on ISIS,
and we're starting to develop the concepts for how we're going to do science
on the surface of the moon.
And how will these science and lunar orbit and eventually all the way to Mars,
the International Space Station is a world class
laboratory, and our ability to test the technologies
that we need for that long duration spaceflight
has been tremendous and our teams have been heavily involved with that.
So we have many more years of science that we can take advantage
of this national laboratory.
And Marshall is going to be continuing to lead right to the end,
and then we'll transition that workforce over to supporting armaments
in the new missions that we have going forward.
So it's a very bright future
and that experience is going to pay forward very well.
And what we're doing as an agency in the future,
that's a great question.
So from a very early age, as a small town kid from South Carolina,
I was just enamored with spaceflight, with aircraft and airplanes.
And and I grew up as a shuttle kid.
I was part of the shuttle generation.
I recorded every shuttle flight and we go replay it and watch it over
and over again.
So working for NASA's has been a childhood dream of mine,
and I can't imagine a better place to be a better group
of people to work with and a better community to be in.
The passion for this community and what they have for our mission
and what we do as an agency is beyond anywhere else in the country.
And your neighbors, your friends, your colleagues,
your family members are coming here every day to help advance
our nation's goals and aspects of space exploration.
And I cannot imagine a better place to be than to get to work with that team
every day.
As I learned
a long time ago in Washington, D.C., they recently, the past few days,
they all about Russia's capabilities in space.
It's me
and being able to drop bombs from space.
You know, I know there's only one side to side, but
that.
So we have a long standing partnership with a number
of our international partners on the International Space Station.
It is a beacon of international hope as we come together
to really do some amazing science on this international laboratory.
And we value those partnerships as a nation, as an agency.
As we look to the future, Marshall is really focused on
how we go further out in deep space in developing the technologies
we need to carry our astronauts further than we've ever been before.
We're going to start that in autumn as to where
we're going to return humans to the moon for the first time in 50 years.
Our teams are laser focused on that mission
and making sure those four astronauts, Reed, Victor, Christina and Jeremy,
can accomplish our mission and come home safely.
Beyond that,
we're looking to Artemis three, where we're going
to land humans on the moon for the first time in 50 years.
And we're working with our industry partners
to develop the landers being led right here at Marshall
to accomplish that mission.
So many, many new firsts that are coming in front of us,
and that's what we're focused on
to ensure that we can really advance our exploration goals as a nation.
We're talking about
this issue once that happened overnight and was
was really navigation, right?
Yeah, this is a great technology demonstration
where we're testing a new design for autonomous navigation, only about
why you're on the surface of the moon or why you're trying to land on the moon.
You need to be able to navigate
the different obstacles, the craters, the boulders that are there.
And so this is a new technology to test a method for doing that.
And we're excited that it was included on this launch.
And we hope for tremendous success
as they transit to the moon and hopefully land later this month.
This is a technology developed here at Marshall
and very proud of our teams and the work they've done to develop that
framework for
what do you last?
What did you learn from her and what do you hope
to take in your.
That's a great question.
You know,
Jody is one of many great mentors that I've had, many leaders
of this center that came before me and left big shoes to fill.
However, I'm just
tremendously grateful for all I've learned from all of them.
As we look to the future of this center,
I carry with me lessons from all the folks that I work with,
how we invest in our people, how we engage in our community.
Those things are very important.
And as we look forward to leading this team for the future,
I can't say enough about our team and especially our leadership team
that is invested in making sure that we have a bright future
for the center and in this community.
And so I'm honored to follow behind some great leaders of this center,
and I look forward to charting a path and writing the next chapter
with all of us together.
More recently, there were some delays on this program,
but definitely an update on how that's going. And
absolutely.
So I mentioned Artemus to we have announced the launch date
is ten four September of 2025.
That was a decision based on crew safety.
We wanted to give the teams the opportunity to make sure that we
learn everything we can from Artemus one and that we listen to the hardware
and make sure that it tells us when we're safe to fly.
And so this extra time will give our teams really the chance to ensure
that everything is in order
and we have the best chance for missing success for those four crew members
that were lost, for almost two down at our machine assembly facility,
which is a component facility of Marshall outside of New Orleans.
We have hardware four of Artemus two, three, four and five.
They're going through the factory and some phase.
And later this summer, we're excited to roll out the core stage for Artemus to
to get it
ready to ship to the Kennedy Space Center to begin stacking for that mission.
So we have a lot of exciting work going on for Artemus and a lot of big milestones
that the team is focused on to support those goals for the future.
You know, a lot of people in this
space like that,
but is there anything that you want me to really know about the work
that you guys are doing here and just how, you know, impact on the team?
Yeah, absolutely.
I think what most people don't realize
are some of the technologies that we're working on to support the future
missions that we have, that it's not just rockets and propulsion systems.
We do so much more here.
That's a part of our legacy that we'll always have.
But the science missions that we're doing and the discoveries
that we're doing to contribute, they contribute
to the knowledge of our universe and how our world operates.
The work we're doing in Earth science and providing data
to decision makers for weather events.
We have a great partnership
with the National Weather Service there, where a lot of the data you see
coming from the NASA's satellites are the data is analyzed
and processed right here in Huntsville by our science team.
So some tremendous work going on that most people are not aware of because it's not
as loud or noisy as rockets as we have in the past, but no less
important in the missions that we're doing to make sure that we can have
both robotic and human technology to explore our universe.
And we have some,
which is so great about our NASA in the Park event where we get to show off
some of those technologies and things we're doing to the community
that people don't get to see every day.
We're seeing a
lot of people that are hearing things as a right coming from a space like that
and tell us a little bit about the partnerships.
Tell us about what we're going to hear over the next few months
from the Blue Origin, from the reason and what else is going on.
Absolutely.
We we see a future at Marshall where
most of our missions are enabled through some strategic partnership.
And so having the partnerships like with Blue Origin,
with Space X, with the others that we have on the center, really enable us
to really succeed in our missions and what we're doing forward.
And so we're proud of the partnerships that we have.
Blue Origin is has a commercial space launch agreement to utilize one of our
historic test stands and they are testing their engines for their missions.
And so that's contributing to some of the noise you hear.
They have a
pretty regular cadence of testing planned and you can
we can refer you to them if you have more questions
on the specific schedules and what they're doing there.
But we're glad to have them onsite and using our facilities
and take advantage of the capabilities that we have on the center.
We expect to continue some of the testing on the habitation systems
where we're testing the strength and the materials of those
which make contribute to some of the noise you hear.
But most for the most part, we're excited just to be continuing
to have those partnerships to really advance the technologies
and the missions and the designs we need to support our goals and exploration.
Partnerships.
Kennedy, for instance, has really diversified in leasing some of that land
to companies other than space audiences, primarily aeronautical company.
Is that part of the big picture for you in that business?
So as we look for continued partnerships and unique partnerships,
we are evaluating how we can utilize facilities, inner space that we have
that really align with our mission and align with the things
that we're trying to accomplish, both as a center and as an agency.
So we'll continue those discussions and look for those opportunities.
Our ability to to share our facilities and let other companies come in
and not only use our workforce and capabilities, but also our facilities
is a way to continue our sharpening our skills and to continue
to keep those facilities in use in between the needs for the NASA program.
So it's a it's a great opportunity for us to enable commercial space,
enable their goals in addition to the goals that we have as an agency.
What industries, for instance, other centers are looking at moving companies.
What are you looking for?
We're focused on the partners that align with our mission
needs that we have in our have complementary skills
to the capabilities that we have here in the center.
That's a great question. We
NASA's goals
for going back to the moon and on to Mars are based on three pillars
science, discovery and inspiration and national posture.
And that inspiration piece is just a tremendous part of the mission
that we have to
to not only inspire our community, but to inspire the next generation
of explorers, engineers, scientists, business professionals.
And so for us to be able to bring our story out to
the community is a way to to engage, to inspire the next generation,
to demonstrate the advancements that we're making for humanity.
It's also a chance for your neighbors and friends
and colleagues to be able to show off what they get to do every day.
And it's an exciting time for us to show the value that NASCAR brings
to the general public, to humanity, and the things that we're advancing every day.
And so we're very excited about the event.
We've had it in years past and always have a tremendous turnout
and engagement from the community.
And we just we truly appreciate the passion
that our community has for our mission of space exploration.
We have time for two more questions.
Yeah,
sure.
Marshall In 20 years, we'll have a vibrant future.
So in 20 years we'll be 40 in 2044.
I expect we'll see human missions to Mars.
We'll have a sustained presence on the moon.
Astronauts living in habitats developed by Marshall Space Flight Center
flying and spacecraft developed by Marshall Space Flight Center
and I believe we'll have a vibrant workforce
that is making sure all those missions can be accomplished.
The next the first person to walk on Mars
is in our schools today, most likely.
And I can't wait to see that happen in our future.
More specifically, can you go into the math?
That's only 40 minutes or so ago. And in
NASA's 2040
is an internal NASA initiative that we've kicked off to
evaluate our processes, our structure,
the way we do business, our business functions, to really enable
the agency to be prepared to support the missions
that we need to do in 2040 and to be the preeminent institution
for research, technology, engineering and innovation for the nation.
So it's always good as an organization to reflect on how you perform
and how you operate and continue to evolve and improve for the future.
And that's exactly what the NASA's 2040 initiative is about.
We are heavily engaged in that and following along
and being a part of outlining how we can improve as an agency
so that we can go accomplish our mission for the future.
So a very exciting initiative,
and we look forward to continuing how that progresses over the next few years.
Aspen That's a great question.
I spent a number of years
working on the International Space Station program, developing experiments,
working with scientists, working with universities and industry partners
to fly science experiments to the International Space Station.
And my job was responsible to make sure that when they got there,
they worked effectively, they connected, they had all the resources they needed,
and we could get the science back from those missions.
That was a tremendous experience
because I got to see the entire lifecycle
of a of a of a of a piece of space hardware.
And I did that over 30 times with experiments
that are on ISIS today or still operating today.
And so to be able to see that full progression from idea
to concept, to design, to build the hardware,
test it and actually see it operating on the space station
is it's a tremendous experience that really very few people get to do.
So I cherish that time.
It really provided me
a lot of great experience that I still lean on today in my roles.
And that's a key part of our mission here at Marshall is the work
that we've done on the International Space Station for so many years.
What have we not asked anybody here?
So I'll just say this Marshall Space Flight Center has a tremendous future
built on a legacy of space exploration endeavors that that only we could do.
And we I can't be more excited about the future that we have.
We have a very robust strategy for the future.
We have a committed workforce.
We have an engaged community, and we have such a bright future mission
to support what this nation is doing in space exploration.
And Marshall is going to have a key role in that for the future.
And how many civilians, how many
people like today at Marshall, we have almost 7000
civil servants and contractors that support emissions.
But either on side or near side.
Thank you very much for being here.
Thank you for your time and helping tell our story.
Good to see you.
Thank you for.