4 min read<\/p>\n
Agency Leadership Talks NASA 2040, Artemis, Budget at Marshall Town Hall<\/h1>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
By Jessica Barnett<\/em><\/p>\n From funding to historic achievements to the future of NASA, there was no shortage of topics for discussion during the latest Marshall Town Hall.<\/p>\n Marshall team members joined in person and online as Acting Marshall Center Director Joseph Pelfrey, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Associate Administrator Bob Cabana, and Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails shared their goals for Marshall and the agency\u2019s future and answered questions from the audience in Activities Building 4316 on Sept. 18.<\/p>\n Pelfrey kicked off the town hall by welcoming agency leaders and showering praise on the Marshall team.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see the accomplishments of what we\u2019re doing as an agency and see so many parts of that have a Marshall fingerprint,\u201d Pelfrey said. \u201cIt\u2019s an honor to have our leadership team here to share some of the things going on within our agency and how Marshall fits into those plans.\u201d<\/p>\n Nelson followed Pelfrey\u2019s speech with another round of praise, calling Marshall team members \u201cwizards who make the impossible possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going back to the Moon to learn, to live, to create, to invent, in order for us to go to Mars and beyond, to discover those far, distant cosmic shores,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cAnd Marshall is very much a part of this.\u201d<\/p>\n That work is being supported in part by NASA 2040, a strategic agency initiative aimed at driving meaningful changes that will allow the agency to realize its long-term vision for what leaders want the agency to be in 2040.<\/p>\n \u201cPersonally, I think it\u2019s NASA\u2019s role to do really hard things that only NASA can do,\u201d Swails said. \u201cWhen we talk about 2040 and we talk about our mission strategy, how we do make sure we have an operating model that best sets us up for a future that aligns to mission goals? How do we make sure we have an institution that frankly reflects how amazing and incredible our mission is?\u201d<\/p>\n Swails then presented the plan to achieving those goals which included a seven-part list of workstreams with associated teams and leaders focused on supporting the workforce, infrastructure, and technologies critical to keeping NASA a leader in science, aeronautics, and space exploration.<\/p>\n In addition to her speech, Swails held meetings Sept. 22 to further discuss NASA 2040. Cabana stressed the importance of such meetings and listening sessions during his portion of the town hall, encouraging Marshall team members to seize the opportunity to attend and offer feedback.<\/p>\n Agency leaders also shared how Marshall is key to not just the initiative\u2019s success but the success of NASA\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important that we articulate and emphasize the science, technology, and impact we have,\u201d Melroy said. \u201cI\u2019m personally excited, as I see the incredible science you work on here with ISS, what new discoveries we\u2019re going to get with Artemis.\u201d<\/p>\n Melroy and Cabana noted Marshall\u2019s work on nuclear propulsion, with Artemis, and with the International Space Station.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not making a difference for Marshall Space Flight Center, the state of Alabama, or even the United States,\u201d Cabana said. \u201cYou\u2019re making a difference for humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n Cabana provided an update on the Artemis program, telling audience members that Artemis II is still on track for its launch next year and work is underway to prepare for Artemis III\u2019s launch in 2025. He encouraged Marshall team members to be active participants and promote an inclusive environment as the agency continues toward 2040.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we are doing is too critical not to give it our very best and have that environment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Also critical, however, is ensuring NASA has the budget for its goals. Nelson, a former U.S. senator, said he isn\u2019t sure what those currently in Congress will decide, but he remains confident that NASA will be just fine.<\/p>\n He said there\u2019s talk of NASA receiving level funding, which has caused angst among some, but that NASA\u2019s international reach has made it favorable on both sides of the political aisle.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, it\u2019s going to be all right,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cThere will be some bumps along the way on this budget; it is a sign of the times. I wish it were not that way, but I can tell you that NASA brings people together, and NASA unites, not just in domestic politics but around the world as well.\u201dBarnett, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications<\/em><\/p>\n Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a> By Jessica Barnett From funding to historic achievements to the future of NASA, there was no shortage of topics for discussion during the latest Marshall Town Hall. Marshall team members joined in person and online as Acting Marshall Center Director Joseph Pelfrey, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Associate Administrator Bob Cabana, and [\u2026] Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/ceb-7668copy.jpg\")
<\/figure>![\"Cabana,](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/msfc-town-hall-cabana.png\")
<\/figure>![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/ceb-7756edit.jpg\")
<\/figure>
\nLee Mohon <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"