“When I was a kid, I had a Lego set of one of the twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. It was like a Lego rover that could fold up the same way that the actual rover did. It’s crazy because I had that when I was like ten — and now, some of my current coworkers actually worked on that launch. So when I walked into my launch director’s office a couple of years ago, I saw that same Lego set sitting next to the people at Jet Propulsion Laboratory who actually built the rover. “Just being able to see it and touch it [as a kid] helps you impart your own imagination onto it. It’s really exciting. I wasn’t an action figure type of kid — but when I had stuff that seemed real, I really enjoyed putting it together. The project of putting it together was the thing that made my parents think that I was going to be a good engineer. Having it in front of you makes it real. So when you see it on TV, it’s like: ‘I know what that is. I know how that instrument works.’ There’s a connection there.” — Phillip Hargrove, Aerospace Engineer, Kennedy Space Center Interviewer: NASA / Thalia Patrinos

Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, speaks to Kennedy employees on Sept. 26, 2019, in the Kennedy Learning Institute during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and additional speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove, Andy Phan and Brittany Mott.

Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, speaks to Kennedy employees on Sept. 26, 2019, in the Kennedy Learning Institute during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and additional speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove, Andy Phan and Brittany Mott.

Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, speaks to Kennedy employees on Sept. 26, 2019, in the Kennedy Learning Institute during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and additional speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove, Andy Phan and Brittany Mott.

A Black History Month celebration was held on Feb. 18, 2020 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The program was organized by the Black Employee Strategy Team (BEST), one of the center’s employee resource groups. This year’s theme was “African Americans and the Vote.” From left are Kelvin Manning, Kennedy’s associate director, technical; Daren Etienne, BEST marketing director; James Jennings, keynote speaker, former NASA associate administrator for Institutions and Management and Kennedy’s former deputy director; Martin Hayes, BEST chairperson; Jakebia Keith, program and contract analyst for the IT Resources Management Office and BEST secretary; and Phillip Hargrove, BEST co-chairperson.

Kennedy Space Center’s Andy Phan addresses co-workers inside the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute on Sept. 26, 2019, during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and additional speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove and Brittney Mott, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center’s Phillip Hargrove addresses co-workers inside the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute on Sept. 26, 2019, during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and additional speakers included Kennedy employees Andy Phan and Brittney Mott, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center’s Phillip Hargrove addresses co-workers inside the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute on Sept. 26, 2019, during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and additional speakers included Kennedy employees Andy Phan and Brittney Mott, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center’s Brittany Mott addresses co-workers inside the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute on Sept. 26, 2019, during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and additional speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove and Andy Phan, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center’s Phillip Hargrove addresses co-workers inside the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute on Sept. 26, 2019, during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and additional speakers included Kennedy employees Andy Phan and Brittney Mott, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center employees attend the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions on Sept. 26, 2019, inside the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove, Andy Phan and Brittney Mott, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center’s Phillip Hargrove addresses co-workers inside the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute on Sept. 26, 2019, during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and additional speakers included Kennedy employees Andy Phan and Brittney Mott, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center Associate Director, Technical, Kelvin Manning addresses Kennedy employees inside the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute on Sept. 26, 2019, during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove, Andy Phan and Brittney Mott, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center’s Andy Phan speaks at the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions on Sept. 26, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and additional speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove and Brittney Mott, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center Associate Director, Technical, Kelvin Manning addresses Kennedy employees inside the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute on Sept. 26, 2019, during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove, Andy Phan and Brittney Mott, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center Associate Director, Technical, Kelvin Manning addresses Kennedy employees inside the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute on Sept. 26, 2019, during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove, Andy Phan and Brittney Mott, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center’s Andy Phan speaks at the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions on Sept. 26, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and additional speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove and Brittney Mott, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center’s Brittany Mott addresses co-workers inside the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute on Sept. 26, 2019, during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and additional speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove and Andy Phan, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center’s Johnny Nguyen introduces event speakers for the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions on Sept. 26, 2019, inside the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove, Andy Phan and Brittney Mott, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Kennedy Space Center’s Johnny Nguyen addresses co-workers inside the Florida spaceport’s Kennedy Learning Institute on Sept. 26, 2019, during the first in a series of five TED Talk-style informational sessions. Sponsored by Kennedy’s Launching Leaders and Leadership for the Future, NASAtalks focuses on the topic of intentional careers and aims to provide employees with tools and knowledge that can be utilized for career growth. The theme of this first session was innovation, and speakers included Kennedy employees Phillip Hargrove, Andy Phan and Brittney Mott, with a skill-building section on career planning by Nancy Bray, director of Spaceport Integration and Services.

Phillip Hargrove, a NASA launch trajectory analyst with the agency’s Launch Services Program, left, and NASA Launch Commentator Joshua Santora participate in the launch broadcast for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission on Nov. 21, 2020, in the Press Site auditorium at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich spacecraft launched from Space Launch Complex 4 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 9:17 a.m. PST (12:17 p.m. EST). The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.

Phillip Hargrove, a NASA launch trajectory analyst with the agency’s Launch Services Program, participates in the launch broadcast for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission on Nov. 21, 2020, in the Press Site auditorium at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich spacecraft launched from Space Launch Complex 4 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 9:17 a.m. PST (12:17 p.m. EST). The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.