![\"Miranda](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/jsc2023e064761.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>Over time, Peters has also shifted her self-perception. \u201cI\u2019m an anxious person and was made to feel self-conscious about that in the past, but that anxiety also makes me transparent about what I\u2019m doing and where the gaps in my knowledge are, which has earned praise from team leadership,\u201d she said. Similarly, while Peters once saw her sensitivity as a weakness, she learned to appreciate her ability to empathize with and anticipate the needs of others. \u201cThat makes me a good mentor and leader,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Learning to filter feedback has been another important lesson. \u201cAdvice and criticism are both useful tools, but not all of the time,\u201d she explained. \u201cI found myself tightly holding on to all of the criticism I received. It was easier to determine which advice didn\u2019t work for me.\u201d When Peters stopped to ask herself if she would take advice from the same person who was critiquing her, it became easier to take their feedback \u201cwith a pinch of salt.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/figure>Peters applies these lessons learned as a design verification and test hardware lead within the Spacesuit and Crew Survival Systems Branch at Johnson Space Center in Houston. She currently supports tests of the Portable Life Support System (xPLSS) that will be integrated into the new spacesuits worn by astronauts on future missions to explore the lunar surface. She is responsible for assembling and disassembling test units, making hardware and software updates, and integrating the xPLSS with various components of the spacesuit, known as the xEMU. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Peters\u2019 most recent prior position was assembly and integration engineer within the same branch. She had an opportunity to serve as the interim xPLSS hardware lead when a colleague went on leave for several months, and suddenly found herself managing a major project. \u201cWe got a lot done in a short amount of time without loss of procedural integrity, even when we encountered unexpected changes in schedule,\u201d she said. \u201cI also used this large amount of lab work as an opportunity to train new hires and interns in assembly processes.\u201d When the colleague returned, Peters was promoted to the newly created\u00a0 role overseeing design verification and testing. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI really love how universal spacesuits are in their ability to excite and draw wonder from across the human spaceflight community and the general public,\u201d she said. \u201cWorking on the xEMU project has affirmed for me that human surface mobility is the field that I want to make my career.\u201d That realization inspired Peters to pursue a graduate degree in space architecture from the University of Houston, which she expects to complete in May 2026.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/figure>Peters looks forward to a future where NASA\u2019s astronaut classes include individuals with different abilities. She encourages agency leaders, contractors, and others to have open conversations about workplace accommodations early in their hiring and performance review processes. \u201cI think if we provide the opportunity to talk about accommodations and how to request them, employees would be more empowered to ask for what they need to be successful,\u201d she said. Educating managers about available accommodations and allocating resources to expand the accessibility of those accommodations would also be helpful.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Peters hopes to pass that feeling of empowerment on to the Artemis Generation. \u201cEmpowerment to be themselves, to do the hard things, and to not limit themselves,\u201d she said. \u201cWe need to take advantage of all the opportunities we can, and not let the fear of failure or not being \u2018good enough\u2019 stop us from going where we want to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a> In her six years working with NASA, Miranda Peters has filled a variety of roles. She trained in flight control for the International Space Station, worked as a safety engineer in the station\u2019s program office, and served as a project engineer working on next-generation spacesuit assembly and testing. She has also embraced an unofficial duty: [\u2026] Continue reading
\nLinda E. Grimm <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"