Together...we are going!

One month ago, on October 26, 2022, I spoke to ~1200 folks from the space industry at the Von Braun Memorial Dinner in Huntsville, Alabama. The theme of the night was "Together...we are going" and I was challenged to represent the Artemis generation and speak to many industry experts and decision makers on what this phrase means to us and what we would like to see in the coming years.

What I did NOT expect was how well my crazy inner thoughts would be received and that some of our industry's top executives would take what I said back to work with them and discuss in the days that followed the dinner at the Von Braun Memorial Symposium. Because of how well this was received, I was challenged by Tracy Lamm to share more of these thoughts to the broader aerospace community.

So in the following paragraphs, you'll get an insight into my mind and how I envision the space community going forward, together.

Von Braun Memorial Dinner 2022 Keynote Speech by Elizabeth Barrios, PhD.

"What an incredible night it has been! I don't know about you all, but I know that by the end of nights like tonight - nights that revolved entirely around the space industry where we are talking about the future of our industry or when the next launch is or the newest images we have from James Webb - I am left so inspired and excited by what is to come! I always wake up with this adrenaline rush to get to work!

"I know many of you are probably looking up at this stage right now and thinking "She's not what I expected in a keynote speaker" or "she's too young to have something profound to say". I would likely be thinking the same thing - I mean, I have only been a full-time civil servant for a year! And have you seen the list of some of the past keynote speakers at the Von Braun Memorial Dinner?! People like Bob Cabana, Charlie Bolden, Harrison Schmidt, and even Leonard Nimoy! I mean....Leonard....Nimoy! It is quite a lot to live up to.

"But I will tell you what I have now that they did not have when they were my age - I was able to be a NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration intern for a full decade before landing my full-time job! In fact, one of the perks of being in the millennial generation is that NASA has been around my entire academic career! I was able to intern throughout all three degrees that I have and have applied for every type of NASA scholarship or fellowship I could get my hands on. And yes, that included a scholarship to Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center too! This persistence led to me having a chance to get involved in the international space community as a graduate student and has given me such a different perspective than many others in my generation right now. And that is what I bring you tonight - a millennial's perspective on our industry and the future we are headed for. While I am definitely star struck to be speaking in front of so many of my idol's tonight - like Pamela Melroy who was the only female commander of my all-time favorite Space Shuttle, Discovery, 15 years ago - I hope that everyone can walk away with something from my speech.

"So, the theme of this year's Von Braun Memorial Dinner is "Together...we are going". When I was preparing this speech and thought about this phrase, I realized that from a surface level, this phrase is rather simple. It might lead you to think, "Well, of course we are going together! Space exploration has always been a team effort, hasn't it?" But when I combined this simple phrase with my passions for the industry, my experience as a NASA intern, and my collaborations on an international level, I realized that there is so much more to this phrase than that simple interpretation. Depending on where you grew up, when you grew up, and how you grew up, this phrase can inspire so many different thoughts and interpretations on what our future holds. I encourage you all to ask yourselves what this simple, yet provocative, statement of "Together, we are going" means to you and share your thoughts with your colleagues and friends. I imagine that there would be no less than 2 or 3 radically different interpretations of what this phrase means during these discussions.

"For me, there were two things that really stood out to me when I pondered phrase and that is generational and geographical diversity. And I'll explain what I mean by this:

"When I thought about this phrase and thought about all the attendees of the Von Braun Memorial Dinner, I realized something quite interesting. I realized that we currently live in a time where none of us working in, or aspiring to work in, the space industry have never truly known an existence that has not included space exploration. We have grown up knowing very well that humans can visit other planetary bodies and survive. We have grown up watching what was once science fiction become reality - I mean, I remember watching Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century on the Disney Channel, where living on a space station was completely normal and coming back down to Earth was a bore - and this concept seemed so absurd and futuristic! But now, I bet if you asked yourselves what it would be like if we didn't have the International Space Station National Laboratory orbiting Earth, and we didn't work in space, you would find yourselves having a hard time picturing what that life would be like.

"We are at a point in our world's history where space exploration, and not just science fiction, has inspired us all in some fashion. Honestly, it has likely become a part of our identities."

"Truthfully, we are at a point in our world's history where space exploration, and not just science fiction, has inspired us all in some fashion. Honestly, it has likely become a part of many of our identities and is why we all sit at this dinner tonight, continuing to talk about space and share in the excitement of space, even after we have worked or been in school all day learning about space. If you have ever been to any space conference, in the US or abroad, you will quickly realize that there is a name for this feeling...this passion that is borderline an addiction...and to the we call ourselves Space Nerds!

"So what does it mean to our workplace when we have all grown up with space in some aspect? Well, one thing that I have realized is that we now have 4 generations working side-by-side to continue to explore space and send humans further into space than we ever have! And with each generation, we bring to the table such unique backgrounds, from what inspired us to work in this industry to how we were taught to view things. For example, we have a generation here that grew up watching Star Trek and Star Wars and witnessing humanity's first steps on the moon live. This generation watched the crazy contraption of the Star Trek Communicator come to life in the cell phones we carry in our pockets today. In fact, this generation helped turn science fiction about space into a reality! Then you have the youngest generation that has always had easy access to information and has grown up knowing that the space industry is far more than just NASA. My generation, the millennial generation, we saw a little bit of life without technology in our pockets and were inspired by the television science experiments of Bill Nye the Science Guy and the Magic School Bus. We have also had a chance to visit museums and see spacecraft up close! The moment I knew I wanted to work at NASA was when I was 10 years old and the doors to the Saturn V Visitor Center Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opened to reveal the Saturn V rocket suspended from the ceiling. It was this moment for me that showed me my purpose in life.

"It gives us a new concept of diversity. Diversity in thought. We must put a precedence on sharing ideas, transferring knowledge, and solving problems together."

"I mention these different upbringings and inspirations across the generations because these experiences have such a profound affect on how we generation and communicate our ideas. It gives us a new concept of diversity. Diversity in thought. A concept that is so vital for our continued innovation and growth. Therefore, I believe that in order for us to "Go Together", and to push the boundaries of what we deem possible, we need to put a priority on communicating our ideas with all of our colleagues, both younger and older. And put a precedence on sharing ideas, transferring knowledge, and solving problems together.

"So I encourage everyone in this room to find ways to create this environment in your professional life. Seek out mentors, both in your area of expertise and out. Become a mentor for those around you and share your expertise with them. Don't be afraid to explore the unknown. Go to conference, especially international ones, and converse with people of all generations outside of your day-to-day life. You never know who you might connect with, what experiences you might have, and how that will change your future and how you think and approach your ideas. I know I have personally grown so much as a human and as a professional through taking advantage of opportunities like this. I would not be where I am today if it wasn't for the mentors I had as a NASA intern 10 years ago, who guided me in the process of my academic pursuits and professional goals. I would not have had the confidence to talk in front of such a large crow, or have had the perspective to speak on this subject, had I not been sent to the International Astronautical Congress 3 times as a graduate student. So regardless of where you are in your career, I encourage you all to put yourselves in new situations and find ways to communicate and continue learning from each other.

"Going back to my second point, I do not think we can talk about where we are going without realizing and discussing the impact that geographical diversity has in today's space industry. Everyone knows NASA. This is just a fact. I was recently on vacation in Peru, hiking the Inca Trail for 4 days. No one in my tour group was from the US - there was a couple from Belgium, two from England, one from Canada, and then all of our tour guides and porters were from Peru. In our introduction meeting, when I mentioned that I worked for NASA, there was not a single person in that room that did not have some sort of expression like, "Oh my god! That is so awesome!" and then proceed to talk and ask questions on so many different aspects of space.

"As a country, the US has inspired the world to take part in space exploration. We have shown just how important it is to use space in our daily lives and how cool it is to just have fun with experimental things. But with inspiring the world for the last 65 years, it is now time to expand our horizons beyond NASA and the US space industry and realize just how many players there are in the game today. Even more, gone are the days where only first world countries have the knowledge and resources to get in the game. I have personally witnessed the work of countries like Nicaragua, Trinidad and Tobago, and Nigeria work towards the same goals that we likely see on a daily basis here in the US. From developing CubeSats to creating space start-ups to contributing to new policies on space debris, these countries are gaining more momentum in our industry everyday. I have also witnessed friends from Zimbabwe and the Netherlands talk with officials from NASA about the new Artemis Accords, giving their insight into our future of landing humans on the moon and beyond. In fact, when you begin to broaden your perspectives and take an active role in engaging with people from around the globe, you will quickly begin to see how much our geographical environment affects how we view space exploration and how we envision the future of our industry. You will start to see your own perspectives shift and remove previously held bias'. You will realize that - the way we have always done things - is being challenged by these radically different views and thoughts on our industry.

"Gone are the days where only first world countries have the knowledge and resources to get in the game! You will realize that - the way we have always done things - is being challenged by these radically different views and thoughts..."

"For the last 5 years, I have volunteered with International Astronautical Federation and the Space Generation Advisory Council . In the roles that I have held in these organizations, I have been so fortunate to be able to witness firsthand the impact of collaborating and interacting in this international capacity. As the outgoing Regional Coordinator for the Space Generation Advisory Council, I have had a chance to work on United Nations project with individuals from Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua, Pakistan, and India for example. And when you begin to brainstorm on questions such as "How will the world handle samples that are returned from Mars?" or "What we think is next for the future of space flight", you realize how vastly different these countries may view things. Many of these emerging countries are currently building their space industry from the ground up, giving them a completely different insight into what is next or how we are going to get there than someone who entered into the industry in an already established country, such as the US. I challenge you to talk to someone from one of these emerging countries and ask them what "Together, we are going" means to them - I can almost guarantee you that it will be a completely different take from what was ruminating in your own head.

"At the beginning of this speech, I challenged everyone to think about what "Together, we are going" means to you. I think it is only fair that as I close out this speech, I share what it means to me. To me, it means that for us to explore beyond what we can currently imaging, we MUST embrace diversity in thought. We must go well outside of our comfort zones to engage with people from all walks of life - from different generations, from different countries, from places we may not have even heard of! We must actively pursue opportunities that expose us to the greater space industry beyond what we see in the US. There has truly been no better time than now to break down the wall and preconceived notions in these areas and truly do good work together. This IS the future of our space industry. So now it is time for us all to acknowledge it and embrace it so that together, we can continue to be a part of something amazing and out of this world!

"To me, 'Together, we are going' means that we MUST embrace diversity in thought. We must actively pursue opportunities that expose us to the great space industry. There has never been a better time to truly do good work together!"

"Thank you all for your attention and for allowing me to be the personification of the Artemis generation tonight. WE are blessed and thankful to stand on the shoulder of those of you who have created the world and technology we enjoy today - and I promise you that my generation and the generations that follow will not let this passion, this dream of exploration and discovery, every fade away. We promise to continue to gain mentorship from all of you so that the work WE do today, will benefit the whole world for many generations to come.

"Together...WE are going!"

If you've made it this far. Thank you for hanging in there! As this is my first newsletter post, let me know your thoughts!

To all those who attended the VBMD thank you for listening! And to those of you who I was able to meet, thank you for such great conversations! I cannot wait until the next rendezvous of space nerds around the world!

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