268 - Engineering and Working at NASA with Katheryn Vasquez

Aug 14

268 - Engineering and Working at NASA with Katheryn Vasquez

Listeners, we're back this week with Katheryn Vasquez

In just 4 short weeks, (August 29th) NASA will be launching the test rocket that will soon take humans back to the Moon and then on to Mars: Artemis 1. One of the key engineers on the project is Katheryn Vasquez. Katheryn helps manage the project office that will ensure a steady supply of cargo, experiments, and other station supplies to the lunar station that will orbit the Moon once the rocket proves successful. Born in Miami, Florida, Katheryn is bilingual and uses her position as an engineer at NASA to inspire the next generation of Latinx engineers, scientists and astronauts.

During this episode we talked about:

03:40 - Going back to USA in middle school

07:21 - Deciding to go to college

07:46 - Driving force

12:20 - Struggle through college

15:12 - Her interest in space

18:12 - Navigating engineering as a woman

19:18 - Being underrepresented in college

20:12 - Being vocal

22:46 - How she got into Judo

30:05 - How she started working at NASA

32:11 - Don’t shy away from opportunities

32:52 - It’s ok to struggle

34:00 - Artemis Project

Hello everyone. This is Pam de Café con Pam, the bilingual podcast that features Latine and people of the global majority who break barriers, change lives, and make this world a better place. Welcome to episode 268 of Café con Pam. Today we have a conversation with Katheryn Vasquez.

In a few weeks, NASA will be launching the test rocket that will soon take humans back to the moon and then on Mars: Artemis 1
One of the key engineers in the project is Katheryn Vasquez. Katheryn helps manage the project office that will ensure a steady supply of cargo, experiments, and other station supplies to the lunar station that will orbit the Moon once the rocket proves successful. Born in Miami, Florida, Katheryn is bilingual and uses her position as an engineer at NASA to inspire the next generation of Latinx engineers, scientists and astronauts.

Listeners, this conversation with Katheryn was so fun. First of all, it was great to find someone like me, who was born in the US and then grew up in a different place. So in Katheryn's case, she grew up in Venezuela. I grew up in Mexico City. You already know this. So it was quite fun to connect in that way because it's rare to find people like me in that specific regard. And so this conversation with Katherine was not only inspiring, but also encouraging because as you will hear her share her story about getting hired or getting, you know, I'm not even going to spoil. I don't wanna give you spoilers, pero the point is that you will feel inspired and excited to see possibilities. When I heard about the opportunity that we had to talk to Katheryn, I was like, oh my gosh, of course, when do I talk to another Latina that works at NASA? You know. And so I of course said yes. I was so excited because having someone that looks like us allows us to see that it's possible. So, if you have little girls in your household or nieces and nephew or daughters, maybe invite them to listen to this conversation so they could also see how they could become engineers. They could be mathematicians, they could work at NASA. And do incredible work.

And another thing is that with this interview, I had been testing rapid fire questions for a couple of episodes, but this one we went all in. I was like, you know what? I'm gonna give you all the questions and I think it was fun. So I would love to hear your thoughts on the rapid fire questions. Do you like them? Do you want me to keep it going? There's been two episodes so far that I've recorded like this. We kind of started with Patty Delgado, and then with Katheryn. I was like, you know what? That sounds fun. I talked to the team and they were like, yeah, it sounds like it would be a fun thing to kind of like close with, to just drop some questions where people could answer quickly. And of course, you know me, I didn't come up with questions that were able to answer quickly, so. They're a little bit deeper and more thought-provoking. Pero no importa, el punto es que, you know, we go fast. Y bueno, I will let you enjoy my conversation with Katheryn Vasquez.

***
Pam: Katheryn, welcome to Café con Pam, I'm so happy you're here.

Katheryn: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Pam: Yes. So where are you turning in from?

Katheryn: I'm in, uh, Mary Island, Florida.

Pam: Nice. And what's your heritage? That's the first question that we always ask.

Katheryn: I was born in Miami. My parents are from Venezuela. When I was two years old, about two years old, my parents decided to move back to Venezuela, so I did all of my elementary school there. Spanish is my first language. Then I came back to the United States when I was 11, middle school time.

Pam: Oh my gosh. I'm like you. I was born in LA and I grew up in Mexico City.

Katheryn: I was reading your bio. Yeah, it sounded very similar.

Pam: I know. So I don't find people like me often. So for me it was quite interesting to be a US citizen and have that privilege, but still be treated as an immigrant.

Katheryn: Yeah.

Pam: Cause you came, you have to learn English and you're placed in the ESL class. So how was it for you?

Katheryn: Same like, like I said, I was noting a lot of similarities. Yeah. I came back and I was actually a foreigner, right? Even though I'm an American citizen, but I had to come back and learn the language. I was placed in these classes too, with other people that were international, people from all over. It made it a little bit more difficult, right? To have to learn the subjects in school and also had to learn the language at the same time. It was challenging until one day it just clicked. You know, the language and then, you know, somewhere between middle school and high school, I, I think I made that transition. When I got to high school I was, I think, pretty proficient in English.

Pam: How was it for you to make friends? And you talk about being an introvert, so like it's a lot of transitioning for someone to transfer countries, transfer languages, new school, new people. How was it for you?

Katheryn: It was challenging. Luckily for me though, my older brother had come before me and was in the same school in middle school, so he, he knew the teachers and he took me under his wing so to speak, and took me around. We weren't in the same classes, but he kinda showed me the ropes. In a way. So, you know, the transition wouldn't be as hard, but, you know, it was a challenge. But I, I take that, that's part of my story. Like, you can move countries, you can learn other languages, you can adapt, right? And still be successful.

Pam: Yes. Yes, yes. Did you have any mentors or champions that were like, we believe in you, Katheryn, we believe in you. You can do this.

Katheryn: Todo el tiempo. Along my journey I've had, you know, mentors and if, if they're not easily accessible, I kind of tick[?] them out. I've learned to do that. In school it was teachers, you know, to this day I remember teachers like that made an, an impact in my life. I was one of those students that would be in the hallways kinda reading up for, for the next class. I remember this one teacher saying, oh, you're gonna be a doctor or lawyer, or engineer one day, like, and that, that stuck with me.

Pam: Wow!

Katheryn: You know, I have reached out to him and told him that like, you made an impact in my life. And you know, at work I now seek mentors. I understand the importance of it, of having that.

Pam: And you went to Miami, right? You grew up in Miami?

Katheryn: I grew up in Miami. I did my undergrad there.

Pam: And Miami's like a very Spanish speaking place. So did you really have to like, did you feel like you had to learn English? Was it mostly for school?

Katheryn: That's interesting because, yeah, Miami is international and there's a lot of diversity. However, school is a whole other animal, right? In school you're sort of forced to learn English. If I was just out, you know, Spanish was fine, but in school yeah, I was immersed in that world and I, I had to learn English.

Pam: Mm, for sure.

Katheryn: And then while keeping Spanish at home, cuz my parents only spoke Spanish.

Pam: Right.

Katheryn: So it was also important to preserve that.

Pam: For sure. And so this one teacher says, Katheryn, you're gonna be a doctor, engineer, or something like that. And that kinda like stuck with you. When did you decide that you wanted to go to college? Did your parents go to college?

Katheryn: My dad went to college. He was, uh, in Venezuela, a teacher. He was a math and physics teacher. So I grew up with math and, and science, you know? Sort of in my blood, in my background. I was always good at it. My mom did not go to college and you know, she sort of raised us part of our lives as a single parent. And I saw her struggle a lot to, you know, to raise my brothers and I. Taking odd jobs here and there and sort of trying to make it also in a new country with a new language, you know? So I told myself at a very early age, I have to do something. I have to go to college. I had the drive, you know, I have to go to college and do something with my life so that later on in life, you know, I'm not struggling as much. So when I have kids, I'm able to have more stability. She was my driving force. You know, she taught me that resilience. You know, I told myself, yeah, I have to go to college and, and I have to have good grades because my mom can't pay for my college education, so I need to be on scholarship. So that was my, you know, my motivations.

Pam: And so then you go to college and how do you decide what to study?

Katheryn: So then I go to college. Well, like I told you, I grew up around math and science. I didn't know what that meant at the time. But then when I was in high school, my mom also was instrumental. I told her one summer, remember saying, I wanna get a summer job. You know, I don't wanna study during the summer. I just wanna sort of a mental break. And what did she do? She had heard of a program on the radio, of a summer program for kids in high school. It revolved around engineering. And then when I heard about it, I was like, no, I'm not doing it because...

Pam: Still school.

Katheryn: I'm gonna be studying. It's, yeah, still gonna be studying all summer. She said, just go. When I got there, it was like an interview and you had to take tests. So I went and I did well in the test [laughs] and all that, and it ended up being what they call the summer immersion program in engineering that was organized by the local university, Florida International University. So it was a great program. You know, I, I got in and I like, ok, I'm gonna do it. I did it. And I ended up loving it. I think that that changed my thinking, you know, that that opened me up to the world of engineering. Like, oh, this is what engineering is. I like this. This is what I wanna do. So in high school, I already knew that I wanted to be an engineer and you know, I thank my mom for that. And that program. You know how they say, say like Mother knows best and they know what they're doing. [laughs]

Pam: That's fascinating. I wonder if she knew that it was an engineering program or if she was just like, it's something to do in the summer. Like, I heard that it's a summer program. Let's just, you know.

Katheryn: Well, she knew because she knew it was, um, sponsored by the university and the College of Engineering. So she knew, and she knew my background, you know, in, in math and science, and she's like, oh, this will be perfect. It ended up being perfect.

Pam: So you go through the program and then you're like, okay, that's engineering. I'm about it. That's what I wanna do. And then you decide your major?

Katheryn: Yeah. So I got into FIU, I was accepted, and then I start with, you know, the core curriculum. I, I wasn't sure which branch of engineering I would go into. I took a few classes and here and there like computer engineering. And for a while I thought civil engineering, cause I really liked, uh, architecture. But then eventually I, the more I got into the classes and investigated, the more I thought I really want to go into a field that that is diverse in what I can do. So, mechanical engineering offers that. And I found that, you know, like with a mechanical engineering degree, I could do so many things. I could work with space, I could work with automotive, I could work with aviation. So I'm like, okay, I chose to go down that path.

Pam: I have so many questions. [laughs] Okay. So did you know, you you like, were you always like, I like math. Cause engineering is a lot of math. I dated, my dad is an engineer. I dated an engineer and when I dated this dude who was an engineer is like, I would see him do homework and I'm like, those are like jeroglíficos, I don't understand.

Katheryn: It gets to a point where you're not even seeing numbers.

Pam: Yeah!

Katheryn: It's all symbols.

Pam: Yes. [laughs]

Katheryn: So I guess what helped me was having a strong background in math. I had my dad's influence, like when I was in elementary school, you know, he did homework with us and sat with us and he had like this little riddles and things he used to come up with for us to learn formulas and for to learn equations. So, so his methods kind of stuck with me and I always got good grades in those subjects. So I think naturally I, I fell into the, the field, you know, I did struggle. I'm not gonna tell you it was easy through college, I did hit those roadblocks where I'm like, Hey, I have to take all this math and more math.

Pam: That's a lot of math.

Katheryn: --calculus. And then, but once you're, for me, I was alreadyoOn the horse, you know, I have to see this through. And that's kinda my personality. You know, once I start something I'm like, I have to see this through. It's, it's hard. I'm struggling right now, but I'm gonna push through it.

Pam: Ya empecé.

Katheryn: Y lo voy a terminar.

Pam: For sure. For sure. I hear you because I wanted to be an architect. I didn't know how the school system worked in the US. I was just like me voy, because I'm a US citizen apparently, I guess. And like según, from what I hear, like you can go to college, right? Well, nobody told me that student loans were like a loan. And the financial aid office was like, oh, here's some money because you can get some money. And so what happened to me is that I went, I thought, porque la Universidad de México, no sé si es así en Venezuela, pero en México es like huge universities and like, una mini ciudad and all the the majors are there. And I didn't know that the US has like division one, division two, like, el punto es que when I went to the counseling office, I was like, okay, so I'm ready for the architecture program. And he was like, no, you have to transfer to a different college. We don't have that. And I was like, what? That's so weird. Pero because I was in that path in high school. I did high school in Mexico City. I did do calculus and physics and chemistry. Ooh. That was, that was a fun trip.

Katheryn: Yeah. It, it's sort of a different world when you come from another country. Si, en Venezuela very, very similar. But I guess I wasn't there for that part, for the university part, so, it's a little different for me. But yeah, todo el sistema es diferente. Y la cultura es diferente.

Pam: Right. Yo no sé si en Venezuela es igual, pero en México la escuela, like elementary through high school is intense. I mean, I took calculus and trigonometry and physics and chemistry and like statistics and classes that I it wasn't until sophomore year in college that I would have had to take. And so I don't know if it's like that in Venezuela, pero.

Katheryn: Si, very similar, and I think that was one of the things that helped me, you know, have that strong background.

Pam: Yes.

Katheryn: Having done those years of school in Venezuela con un sistema diferente, más estricto. Then to transition here, you know, I already had a solid background to build upon for.

Pam: For sure.

Katheryn: So, you know, I'm glad I have that, that mix in me of like, you know, I grew up part there, part here, but I still have the culture. I still have that in my blood. And then transitioning here, you know, I have the other side.

Pam: For sure. Totally. So you went through college and you're an engineer, and when do you like ponder about space.

Katheryn: So while I was in college, one of my professors, because I had good grades, he kinda handed me this, this paper, this handout, and said, oh, look at this. The university is offering a scholarship program and you have good grades. I think, you know, I think you should look into it. And he, he wasn't even a science or math teacher. He was, uh, I think I was taking macroeconomics from him.

Pam: Oh, I did not like that class.

Katheryn: I think he had this vision already of me, you know, that I didn't have.

Pam: Wow.

Katheryn: Sure enough, I look at the paper and then I'm like, okay, I'm gonna apply it. I don't know anything about it. I just know that it says NASA, that one sponsoring organization is NASA. So I apply, I write all the essays for it. I think there was an interview also. I threw the whole thing. And then I kind of forget about it, and then a couple weeks later I get a phone call from the Associate Dean of Engineering telling me that I, I was accepted into the NASA Honores program. And then obviously I had more time to read about it, and I found out that only five students out of the whole university were accepted, and I was one of them.

Pam: Oh my gosh.

Katheryn: And part of the scholarship, well, it didn't only pay for your whole school, like it was a Fulbright scholarship. But in addition to that, they gave you the opportunity to do internships at any NASA side during the summer while you still were in college. That was my door into NASA and into space. It was life changing for me, like it was the opportunity of a lifetime to get accepted into the scholarship and to be able to also maintain it throughout my, my whole college career. Because I had to keep my grades up if I wanted this. So I did, I managed that and I, I did internships at Johnson Space Center, Jet Proportion Lab, and then eventually I got the Space Flight Center where I ended up getting a job. So that was my window, you know, into space and into NASA.

Pam: Okay, but let's deconstruct that cause I have a lot of questions in between. How did they tell you that you made it? Was it a letter?

Katheryn: It was a letter for you to come to to an orientation session at the College of Engineering.

Pam: Okay.

Katheryn: And I'm like, okay, this, this might have something to do with the application I submitted. And then, you know, we got there. It was five of us. And that was the first time we met and they told us you guys were accepted. You were chosen to be in--

Pam: Only five of you.

Katheryn: for this program. Yeah. Only five.

Pam: How many women?

Katheryn: Two. Just another woman and I.

Pam: Okay. How many women of color?

Katheryn: Also two. It was for minorities this program.

Pam: Nice!

Katheryn: So all of us, all five of us.

Pam: That's cool.

Katheryn: Yeah. That's pretty cool.

Pam: That's cool. Good job NASA.

Katheryn: Yeah.

Pam: Okay, so you're in there, you make it, it's five of you and you're like, oh, I did not realize it was just gonna be five of us. All right. Did you ever feel, maybe not there, but maybe when you went into the first cohort, or I don't know what to call 'em, did you feel out a place like, is this not for me? Did you ever feel that imposter?

Katheryn: You mean within engineering or within just the, the work field?

Pam: All of the above.

Katheryn: I didn't, when I was in the program, I, I always felt, you know, very included. But the program was designed around that.

Pam: Right.

Katheryn: The program would send us to conferences, but they were also part of the SHPE Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. There was a lot of inclusivity there as well. I didn't start to feel different maybe until I, I joined the workforce. I, I ran into some of those things, that you may be alluding to.

Pam: Si, porque I mean, it makes sense. If you were in a program that's all based on bringing underrepresented people, then of course like you're kind of going with a group of people that look and sound like you. And so it's like, okay, it's, it's for us. Yay. And then you get into the workforce and it's like.

Katheryn: That and actually just jogged my memory before that, during my school work. I was a minority cuz I was a woman. In classrooms full of men, really. Because STEM careers then, I mean maybe not so much more now, but then were like very male, yeah, male dominated. I like to think that things have changed a little bit.

Pam: We're getting there.

Katheryn: Yeah. I want to do my part to encourage that, but yeah, I was, I was a minority there. And then in the workforce also, I was a, a minority, is very male dominated.

Pam: For sure. Did it ever, as you were maybe in school when you were like finding yourself in rooms where you were like maybe one of the few women in the room, was there ever like comments of like, women can't do math or, you know, those like ideas that have been placed on little girls?

Katheryn: Yeah. Yeah. There was, there was. And then when it came to, like, for, for instance, like choosing a group or a team for a project, you tend not to get picked. You, you have to be really assertive, be vocal, sell yourself, like, and not so much sell yourself, but be vocal and be forward and like, I'm here and I'm part of this class. And I'm gonna be in one of these groups.

Pam: Yeah.

Katheryn: And that I've had to carry that through my career. It, it is very much like that still, you know, I have to be vocal if I wanna be heard, you know, I, I have to make myself be heard. There's moments of, of frustration, I, I would say, and, and you're like, am I invisible? I'm not invisible, you know? I, I'm as much part of the state as anyone else. If maybe I'm an introvert, maybe I'm quiet. That also, you know, plays a role, so I had to kind step out my shell there and make myself be heard. Yeah. It's [inaudible]

Pam: I'm sure, I'm sure.

Katheryn: I try to work at it everyday.

Pam: Okay, let's take a coffee re then we'll move into what you do now.

***
Pam: Okay. Katheryn, do you drink coffee?

Katheryn: I do. I'm actually drinking iced coffee.

Pam: Iced coffee. Do you have a favorite coffee shop that you visit?

Katheryn: I know this is unpopular opinion, but Starbucks is not my first choice.

Pam: Good, good.

Katheryn: My first choice, I love the iced coffee from Dunkin.

Pam: Oh, interesting.

Katheryn: Yeah.

Pam: Yes. Actually, when I travel and I am kind of like going through airports and they have Dunkin, I go to Dunkin before I go to Starbucks.

Katheryn: The Starbucks coffee for me is a little bit too bitter. That's why I prefer Dunkin, it's not as bitter.

Pam: Correct. I agree. On my end, I wanna give a shout out to Santo's Coffee House in San Diego, and I haven't been in a while, but it's cool. It looks like a church, like their artwork is like a church and they have an outdoor patio and it's like fun and like I wanna say simple. But it's like a classic coffee shop. You know? It's not like hipstery. It's like, come and get your coffee and like we have donuts and bagels, and like, go on your merry way. You know? It's not like you're gonna leave with, I mean, maybe now they have, but it's, you know, they're not gonna make you like a caramel lavender mint latte, whatever. Like, it's just like, get your coffee.

Katheryn: Keep it simple.

Pam: That's what I like about them. Maybe they've changed a little cuz everything is hipster now. Shout out to Santos.

Katheryn: Yeah.

Pam: Okay, so let's go back to the show.

***
Pam: Katheryn, I wanna hear about your Judo. How did this happen?

Katheryn: So, I should back up a little bit, during high school, because I was immersed in my studies, I needed something to kind of take the edge off, kind of like be like a stress release, a different activity that didn't require so much using my brain.

Pam: Yes.

Katheryn: So I took to sports. I always liked sports growing up, so I'm like, okay, I need to join a sport. And it was really instrumental and it helped me, me through high school, you know, through the stresses of high school and all that, and it brought that inclusivity also, being part of a team is great. You know, they kinda take you under your wing and they show you the ropes if you're an underclassman. And that's exactly what happened. I played water polo in high school and I did swimming. And that was my other activity, you know, besides studying. So, in college, I, I took that principle with me and I said, okay, let me find something that can gimme college credit also.

Pam: Yes.

Katheryn: So I started with, uh, I think one class that was one credit, and it was Judo self defense. I'm like, I was always intrigued by martial arts. I'm like, okay, here's my chance to try it. And I did. I, I tried it and I ended up loving it. Contact sport. So like if you have, you know, aggression or stress or you can just leave it all on the mat and yeah, it served that purpose. I, I started just as a college credit and then I kept taking it all throughout college. I joined the club. They had a club at the university and we used to practice three days in the evenings and I ended up moving through the ranks cuz I really liked. I earned my black belt and even competed, uh, at the World University games in, in Korea. It was a really, really cool experience and I made so many friends, lifetime friends that I, you know, I'm in contact with them now, so. Great times.

Pam: That's awesome. That's like a fun fact, of being a black belt.

Katheryn: Yeah.

Pam: I was like, wait, what?

Katheryn: I'd like to throw that in there.

Pam: Right. I mean you mentioned being the teamwork, but now looking back did judo from, I mean cuz you do, I mean all, it's all the sports, you know, like water polo, judo, CrossFit now. So had it being a part of these sports or like being an athlete, shape your career if at all.

Katheryn: I think that, um, sports teach you discipline, primarily, discipline and structure. Right? And, and I think you need both in any career. I don't think it has to be technical. I think in any career. It also teaches you to sort of respect something. You know, respect, uh, at the time in high school, a, a coach, right? You show respect to his coach and then you, you kinda grow up that way. Respecting figures of, of authority and then taking mentorship from them, taking what you can from them, learning from them. And it helped me in high school a lot to balance, you know, like then the coach will talk to me, okay, you need to balance your schoolwork. Cause you still need to give your grades off, but you need to come to practice. You cannot skip practice, you know. So it kinda teaches you balance and structure and discipline, like I said, and that's, I've carried that with me throughout. And then collaboration.

Pam: Yes.

Katheryn: It's another huge thing, right? Being part of a team. You're not alone. And I apply to that every day in my career. We can't get to the moon alone, right? We can't get to Mars alone, it's, it's gonna be a collaboration, it's gonna be teamwork. So that's another huge take away.

Pam: For sure. For me, I was a dancer and so it's very sim. I mean it's a team as well. And so it's that collaborative. And I was talking to a friend recently about like being a team player cuz she was dealing with like one of her team members who's not a team player. And I'm like, ask her if she was ever in sports because if she wasn't, then that element of like, we're working together and we are like una cadenita instead of like individual whatever. It makes a difference, you know? And then it turned out that she wasn't in sport. So I do, I think it's very important for kids, for the listeners who are, who are listening with little ones to put 'em in in any kind of activity that is team oriented. Cause it helps a ton shape the way that you show up in the world and the collaboration that, then you walk on.

Katheryn: Completely agree, totalmente.

***

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***

Pam: Bueno, entonces you're in engineering, you get into the NASA program and you're like, okay, this is my in. And you kinda like move through the different programs. How do you get to where you are now?

Katheryn: So when you're doing these internships, and I recommend internships highly, you know, to to anyone because it's a chance to join the workforce while you're still in college. Like, I know what, know what that's like. You know, you get outta your little college bubble. I go out to the workforce like for three months. I was essentially a government employee, you know, during that time.

Pam: Right.

Katheryn: So my last internship was at Goddard, space flight center in Maryland. And then past the internship program, you're able to do a longer version called a co-op. And during the co-op, you're essentially hired. You know, during that time you're still like probational, but you, you get a, a more in depth project to work on during those times. And I think you can be there like a semester at a time. You could take a semester from school, which counts, like, which they give you credit. So you could spend a whole semester there, which is what I did. I spent a whole semester at Goddard doing a co-op, close to graduation time. And then I ended up working on, on a mission called LRO, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. And the cool thing is that I was working on stuff that was gonna be used. I worked on a test picture that was used for the satellite.

Pam: Wow.

Katheryn: So it was cutting edge work that was actually being used. I wasn't serving coffee. I was doing substantial work. And uh, at the end of it you do a presentation to management. I guess they liked it cause they offer me a job after college. I did have another job offer with Boeing at the time. But of course I, I chose NASA, you know, my [inaudible] was with NASA the whole time.

Pam: Obviously [laughs]

Katheryn: That's how I ended up working for NASA. The, the internships were the, were the in.

Pam: So what would you say to the young women who are in college listening to this, like wondering, no, it, it's not for me. Like, I don't see myself there. I mean, obviously we have you and there's Carla, no, who's actually going to the moon?

Katheryn: Yeah. I would say don't shy away from opportunities. You know, sometimes opportunities are not handed to you, but they come across, you come across this opportunity. You can think about it, but you know, don't be afraid to, to take the leap. I think. I think that's what I did. I, I'm like, okay, I'm gonna do this. I took a leap, right? Like, would I get in? I wasn't really thinking that way. I was thinking, I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna apply, and they have to choose somebody, right? And like, why not? Why not apply? You know, I, take the opportunity, even if it scares you to me, once I realize what it all meant, it was scary. It was scary. And can I, can I make it through such a competitive field? Can I make it through such a challenging career? You can make it and it's okay to struggle along the way. I think I read somewhere recently, if you get tired, learn to rest, not quit.

Pam: Ooh, yes.

Katheryn: I think that was key during my college years because I, you know, it was challenging and then I kinda took a step back and like, what can I do to get through this? And what did I do? I found a group of students that were struggling like me. So when I realized like the other students in my class were also struggling, were also going through challenging times. These classes were challenging for all of us. Once we joined forces, it wasn't so scary. We leaned on that collaboration. Like we started together. I found that group, stay up all night. Do do what it takes, you know?

Pam: Yes.

Katheryn: And that's how I got through it. And the more I did it, the easier it became. It actually became easier towards the end of my career. Because you get the hang of it, you learn from your mistakes early on.

Pam: Yes.

Katheryn: You get the hang of it, okay, now I have a system, so stick to it, you know, stick to it.

Pam: I agree.

Katheryn: Just rest, don't quit.

Pam: Just rest. Don't quit. I love that. I'm part of the nap club, so I'm, I'm here with it. [laughs] Okay, so tell me about Artemis. What do we need to know about it?

Katheryn: Yeah, so the goal of Artemis is to send, which this part is really cool, the first woman and the first person of color to the Moon. That is huge. You know, to be able to establish a presence on the moon, to eventually get to Mars, that is the goal of Artemis as a whole.

Pam: Wow.

Katheryn: Pretty cool stuff.

Pam: And what's your role with Artemis?

Katheryn: Okay, so part of Artemis is also to establish a lunar station, which is gonna be called Gateway. I work for the Gateway program. This lunar station is, uh, think of it a sort of a mini space station. It's about maybe a quarter of the size, roughly of the International Space Station and will be orbiting the moon and it will be a place where astronauts can live, can work. Where supplies can be stored and where experiments can be executed. It's sort of a hub, a base point close to the Moon where we can establish a presence.

Pam: So it's like hanging in the sky, in the space.

Katheryn: Yeah. It orbits the moon. Cause you know, a big body such as the moon, it has gravity that helps to keep it orbiting. Just like the space station, but the space station is orbiting. It's the same concept, but it's orbiting the moon.

Pam: So this is where I'm gonna be like, okay, you have to talk to me like I'm five. So, so Artemis 1 is looking to take humans to the Moon and then Mars. So is the Moon kinda like a pit stop to jump into Mars?

Katheryn: There's gonna be a series of Artemis missions, so actually Artemis 1, which is slated to fly August 29th, or no earlier than August 29th. Artemis 1 is an uncrewed flight. It's a test flight to qualify the rocket, and uh, the capsule, which is the Orion Spacecraft. That's Artemis 1.

Pam: Okay.

Katheryn: Artemis 2 will take astronauts to orbit the Moon. And this is still part of, you know, testing, getting all the systems checked out. So eventually Artemis 3 be able to land on the Moon. But there's Artemis 4, 5, you know, it's, it's a whole series. The whole idea of it, the whole mission is to, yeah, to be able to establish an infrastructure on the moon to eventually get to more. But I think, to answer your question more, I dunno. If you asked me why we're gonna the Moon first is because the Moon is a safer place to work because it's only three days away from Earth.

Pam: Okay.

Katheryn: But at the same time, it's a place where we can learn so much about being outside of Earth. Here we're gonna learn what it takes to build something outside of earth and work here. What does that land look like here? Can we build here? You know. That's why we're choosing to go to the Moon first.

Pam: Okay, now you as an engineer, you help manage the project. What does a day to day look like in the life of Katheryn working on Artemis 1?

Katheryn: Artemis is the big umbrella program, and then there's Gateway. And within Gateway, I work on a project called Deep Space Logistics.

Pam: Okay.

Katheryn: So the Deep Space Logistics program is set up to establish a supply chain, so essentially to take cargo, equipment, experiments up to this lunar station, and there's a mission planned for Deep Space Logistics for every Artemis crewed mission. So every time astronauts go to this lunar station, we will be sending a logistics module, which is what our vehicle is called, our vehicle that carries cargo. So every time there's a crew there, we will be sending cargo. So within the Deep Space Logistics Project I am a docking systems and hatches subject matter expert. What does that mean?

Pam: Yes [laughs]

Katheryn: So the docking is the safe connection of two vehicles, two space vehicles.

Pam: Okay.

Katheryn: Flying in space, right? They have to come together and autonomously dock. So connect safely, one to the other. And then the other part is the hatches. Like once the vehicles are connected, you have to be able to safely pass cargo and crew from one module to the other. The hatch allows for that. You have to make sure both environments are safe and within a certain level of pressure to be able to transfer from one to the other. So I more specifically work with those systems.

Pam: How many times do you have to test it in order for you to give it a green light?

Katheryn: Uh, yeah, good question. A lot of testing goes into it. A lot of prototyping goes into it. Luckily for us, we're working with, uh, with SpaceX on this, and they have systems already established that they've been using, that they've been using their Dragon vehicle for some time now to go to the Space Station. So they've awarded the first logistics mission to SpaceX. So SpaceX already has established systems that work. And they have established testing and verification that, you know, that has been used. There's an advantage to that. We, we also will eventually welcome other commercial providers and, you know, that's, that's the beauty of this too.
Collaborating with other commercial providers allows for a lot of innovation, new technologies can develop from this.

Pam: Speaking of innovation, how have you seen -since you've been with NASA for a long time- technology improve and maybe shift the way that NASA is now working and with space? I mean, of course, you know, we have like better pictures, but what else do you see?

Katheryn: Yeah, there's the lot that NASA does that maybe people are not aware of. For instance, NASA works a lot with the aviation industry. A lot of the systems on airplanes, you know, and air traffic come from NASA. They've been used by NASA, tested by NASA, you know, so for safer flight, for safer aircraft, you know, that's one thing. Communication is, it's another huge thing. Like so many communication satellites going up, you know, GPS, like things that you use every day that you probably don't even think about. The tracker on your Apple Watch, right? Distance tracker is linked to a satellite. The navigation system on your phone, like all these things have improved substantially over time, and that's because we keep renewing the technologies, renewing the satellites. There's also a lot that's being done for the environment, looking at oceans and studying weather patterns. You know, all that comes from NASA. The way you get your weather on your phone. So many things linked to, to NASA technologies behind the scenes that you may not know about, but it's, it's pretty cool to see there's so much involvement.

Pam: For sure. Where can people find out more about Artemis and your work?

Katheryn: Yeah, I would point them to the nasa.gov website, you know, and, and NASA has, has a big social media presence, so you can find them on Instagram, you can find them on Twitter, Facebook, you can search for Artemis, or you can search for Gateway and you'll find more information. Or just NASA in general, you know. You can find out about all the missions that are up and coming.

Pam: What's your favorite thing about working at NASA?

Katheryn: Let's see. I think my favorite thing has to be being around the hardware, being around this launch vehicles, around rockets. You know, when I first transferred here to Kennedy Space Center, I had the opportunity to, to work with the integration of of rockets.
So you see these huge pieces of hardware, the, the stages, you know, the [inaudible] of different stages to build up. So you see them being put together this huge rooms. With huge cranes, huge equipment, and then eventually seeing them fly, you know? We have launches here and the space goes almost every week, sometimes twice a week.

Pam: Wow.

Katheryn: That is so cool. And to, you know, to be able to take my son and our kids to see them up close and to be part of history. This next launch of Artemis 1 is a historic launch, you know, and, and we're here for it.

Pam: Yes.

Katheryn: Sometimes we get to, to go on center to watch them a little bit closer. So that's, that's gotta be my favorite part.

Pam: Wow. That's awesome. Is it gonna be televised? You know, or like, could people watch the launch?

Katheryn: Yeah, it will be televised and I could probably get you a more direct link. But yeah, NASA TV will televising also.

Pam: Nice! How exciting. Okay, so I wanna do something fun. I wanna throw in some rapid fire questions.

Katheryn: Oh boy. [laughs]

Pam: So all you have to do is fill in the blanks. So I'll ask a question and you tell me the first thing that comes up, and there's no wrong answer, you know, it's just like boom! Ready?

Katheryn: Yep.

Pam: Okay.

Katheryn: As ready as I'm gonna be.

Pam: Okay. So what is the biggest success you're celebrating right now?

Katheryn: My son.

Pam: Yay! What's a lesson that you're still learning?

Katheryn: Patience.

Pam: Have you made it?

Katheryn: Making it.

Pam: What is something you've been putting off for months?

Katheryn: Shiplap wall in my home.

Pam: That's a weekend project. Vics or té de manzanilla?

Katheryn: Manzanilla. All the way.

Pam: 'Cause those are the two biggest remedios that we get. Like the most common ones.

Katheryn: Really?

Pam: What is love?

Katheryn: Love is knowing how to wait and being patient and being kind.

Pam: Nice! I love that. Joy or peace?

Katheryn: Peace.

Pam: Discipline or habits?

Katheryn: Discipline.

Pam: They didn't think I could "blank", but I did.

Katheryn: Make it as an engineer.

Pam: Give me "blank" and I will "blank".

Katheryn: Give me materials and I will build it.

Pam: Yes. What's stopping you?

Katheryn: Fear.

Pam: What are you willing to fail over and over.

Katheryn: Accomplishing my goals.

Pam: What is a talk you can do without prep? Self talk. What do you want right now? I want to grow my family. What are you creating today? . I'm paving the way for the. What is the future? Future is watching my kids grow, enjoying them, having time for them. Nice . Awesome. Thank you for humoring me on these. I've been meaning to do like rapid fires because they're just fun.

And so I finally came up with the questions, and these are gonna be the last three questions. One, what is your. So in my family or Yeah, in my family, they like to put this little string in a baby's forehead and it's like, you know, I'm a saliva like that for hiccups. Does it work? , I think it works as much as you believe in it, right?

Right. It's faith, it's, you know, like you want to believe that it works, so Right, right, right. It does sometimes, and it has to be a red string. Yeah, it's kinda funny. So to see it is very funny. I've seen it done. I've seen it done. So I, I can attest I've seen people too, like, um, you know, for a bike, they do like a little cross on the bike.

With your nail. Yeah, with your nail . It seems to help. I have tried that one too. . Hmm. Okay. For mosquito bite, we'll try that one. And is there a quote or a mantra that you live by right now? There is. The short version of it is impossible, is nothing. I always love that. You know, when I first saw it, and it comes actually from a longer quote from Moham Ali.

That says impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given. And to explore the power that they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact, it's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration, it's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary.

Impossible is nothing. That's awesome. That's a great quote. And the last question is, do you, cause I'm a recovering procrastinator, so do you have a productivity tip that you use, a tactic or. So, yeah, I mean, call me old fashioned, but I still use an agenda. Yes. I still use a paper, you know, a solid physical thing, not a phone.

Uhhuh not a device. I write things down here. It's, um, broken down by hour. It's a big page per day. Right. It's not like a tiny space, but anything I have to do or have to accomplish, I put it there. Especially the, the daily task, you know? One of those people have to check them off the list. Mm. So that, that works for me.

I know. You know, those different people have different brains and different ways of looking at it. But you know, I'm old fashioned. I still have my old fashioned agenda. Nice. Nice. Write it down, listeners. Write it down. Yeah. And do the tasks that you're dreading. Do that one first and then the other ones will be a breeze.

That's my other tip. So what's next for you? My lifetime goal, you know, is, is to become an astron. And I keep applying every time they, they have a call for it. I, you know, I put in my application. In the meantime, I try to do things that would sort of set me aside, like, you know, there, there's courses that I can take or certifications that I could have, you know, for instance, in I could learn how to fly.

That would set me apart, right? Or. I could get my SCUBA certification that would send me aside. So those are things I could do Now for this ultimate goal of becoming an astronaut. I also want to do this program at, uh, international Space University. It's called a space studies Program, and they offer it, uh, in the summers.

And it's offer in, in a different location around the world every year. That's something also that, that I would love to do cause it's a, it's an immersive workshop that teaches you about space and international relations and, and all that in into one course. So I would love to do that as well. Yeah.

You've applied a couple of times to become an astronaut and you're still doing it. So perseverance. I'm still doing it and there's no age limit, so, oh, anybody out there that's always thought about, hey, or maybe when you were a little kid, you, you thought, I wanna be an astron. You know, it's not too late.

Do it. Yes. Do the things that, that will set you apart. Learn how to fly, get the certifications, you know, like, and apply it. It's open, right. If you meet the qualifications, you can apply. Just to be able to apply was, was a huge thing for me. You know? And I have, I have my little note card that I, they sent you back like, You apply.

Oh, really? Yeah. Yes. I, I encourage anyone out there, you know, that meets the qualification to do it. Because we need astrons. We need the next generation of Astrons. Yes. And explorers do it everyone. Well, Katherine, thank you so much for being at Kaumba. Tell us where we can find you. Do you have any like social media where we can follow your journey that you want to share?

Yeah, I'm on Instagram. Um, my handle is cat on the moon, so k a t on the moon, . Nice. And then I, I have, I have Facebook, I'm under Cat Vasquez, b a s q e z. I have Twitter as well, cat under score. Vasquez. So if you have any questions, I don't need any sort of mentorship or anything I can do, feel free to reach out.

Thank you for offering that. That's so generous of you. Thank you for all your work and the making sure we get to the moon . Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for letting me spread the message, you know, and try to inspire the next generation. Yes, yes. And to your listeners, if you wanna be the next astronaut. Like Catherine said, there's no H limit.

Get your studies on . All right. Thank you so, so much for being here, Pam. Thank you for, for having me on the show. Stay shining.

listeners. That was my conversation with Katherine. What do you think? Do you see possibilities now? Do you potentially, I mean, one thing that I was like, wait a minute, what? When she said there's no age limit to become an astronaut, what? So I'm curious to know how many of you heard that piece and were like, sign me up, or maybe you got curious and you researched what are the requirements?

Or maybe you already knew it and I was the only one in the world that did not know that . So let me know. I would love to know what your thoughts are, what you thought about the rapid fire questions, all the things. I wanna hear you, I wanna hear you, whether you tag me on Instagram and give me that feedback through there, or join the Stay Shining Club and we can have more conversations in there as well.

Cause it's fun when you, when we literally discuss what we talked about in the show. All right, listeners, if this is your first time here, welcome to Kaumba. I hope you feel at home. I hope this is a place where you wanna return and have your cafecito, your morning tea, you're cleaning with your, instead of your coms.

You know, it's just an hour when I clean, it's like two or three hours. So thank you for giving us that space in your ears. I so, so, so appreciate it. I do wanna make sure that you know that I don't take any single one of you for granted. I know some of you listen to 20 minutes of the show because look, I, I look at the data.

I look at the behind the scenes. That's okay. I mean, maybe, you know, subscribe so you can get the reminder that you kind of left off halfway. Maybe you got bored. Let me know if you do because I'm always looking to improve. Don't be mean though, cuz you know when you attack me personally, then you're not giving me constructive feedback.

You're just mad. So. Please do subscribe a rate and review. If you haven't done so already, it helps the podcast tremendously. Share it with a friend, with anyone whom you think would benefit from this episode. Seriously, it helps a ton when you share. It helps a ton when you listen fully. It helps a ton when you are subscribed and so much more when you leave a rating and even more so when you leave a review.

This is kinda like in podcasts. In the podcast world, your ratings, your subscriptions, and your reviews is like, A Google Maps review on a restaurant, it matters that much, you know, because I'm sure when you've gone to a restaurant and you're like, oh, do I wanna go to this taco place or to this other taco place?

And more times than not, you'll go to the one that has the best reviews or the most stars, right? Same thing happens with the show . So, yeah, I so appreciate all of the time that you put into leav all your stars to me. Let's stay connected. I would love to stay connected. I already share the Stay Shining Club, stay shining.club, literally.

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Thank you so much and thank you for being all the way here. There are other ways to explore my work. If you are in corporate, a corporate executive in a DEI group, part of an affinity group, and you are interested in having me come over to your company. And talk about identity talk, abouta culture, talk about Latina Co.

Because Hispanic Heritage Month is coming, and so I am open. I'm currently booking. I have already a couple of spots that have been secured from companies where I'm going to be showing up and sharing my work and facilitating conversations be available. So let me. You can send an email to mau ola.com and we will redirect you to all the places and spaces to find out more and maybe potentially schedule a call if you are interested in the other type of work that I do, then you get two free challenges if you wanna test.

To me out, and if you wanna figure out who bum is, kaumba challenge.com, it takes you to a good organized challenge. I've already said that I'm going to update it because I've changed. I have evolved, I have found new tools, and so I still wanna continue to give you ways to be more productive as a recovering procrastinator.

I am always seeking. Be better, more effective. How can I include rest and still get things done in a way that feel good and easy and still make money while we do all of those things? Have fun. No. Thank you so much for being here. One more time. I follow your dreams. Everyone. Stay shin. Good.