We were touring the Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport, Virginia, and noticed some activity at the display of the Space Shuttle. Approaching nearer, we counted six men in white, Nasa-emblemed, lab coats. They were replacing the small tiles on the wings. My husband and I watched intently while we walked around the display's perimeter with our two youngest children.
As we rounded the rear of the shuttle, I came close enough to one of the technicians to ask a question: "Is this Shuttle still in use?" I inquired.
He turned, smiled politely, and stepped the six feet closer.
"No, ma'm," he replied, "This is just a prototype." My husband then engaged the gentleman in an ongoing conversation that included the mechanical make-up of the shuttle, the tile cost and production, and the budget of Nasa's space program. When a side-standing engineer joined our discussions, I was amazed at the man's knowledge.
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"What is your background?" I asked, referring to his education.
"Electrical engineering," he replied, and then stated his credentials.
"And how did you get involved with NASA?" I further prodded.
"Well, ever since I was in junior high, I wanted to work with rockets. My father's job was rocket related, and he always left his work projects lying around the house. My brother and I liked to tinker with them, and it was from there that my interest grew."
As we talked further, I learned that this man was also a scuba diver, one of only twenty employed in the NASA Program.
"My job is to retrieve the re-useable rocket boosters from the water after the shuttle is launched," he stated.
"How did you get involved with that?" I asked, greatly intrigued with the combining of the two interests – scuba diving and rocketry.
"I had opportunity to take scuba diving in high school," he replied. "It was something I really enjoyed, so my parents said, 'Go for it!'"
What a lesson there was to learn!
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