Achieve more through the inspiration of space travel
NASA's STEM efforts aren't just about getting more people interested in joining NASA or researching space, just like Microsoft's efforts to make coding and cloud services accessible aren't just about getting more developers into the industry. The goal is to inspire people to persist through solving tough problems, tackle what they never believed possible, and know about the tools and support that can help them along the way.
The goal: To help YOU discover your passions, and offer you the support and inspiration to make them your reality.
In the July 2020 webinar, we heard from some of NASA's top leaders in science and space exploration.
Clayton Turner, the Director for the NASA Langley Research Center, described the importance of NASA missions, in particular the Artemis Program. When asked what will drive the Artemis Generation, Clayton said "Inspiration and opportunity...It excites us to wonder what is possible and it inspires us to think beyond what's possible."
Thomas H Zurbuchen, the Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, echoed Clayton's sentiments, saying that it's "the moment when a ... young adult realizes that they can do more than they ever thought before." Thomas further explained that large, ambitious, tough problems (like Artemis) provide everyone, even those not working directly on the NASA projects, to realize that they can do even more than they thought they could. Some folks will get involved and tackle problems that will impact NASA, but others will be inspired by what is possible to make discoveries and innovate in other scientific areas, like "finding a cure for an illness that affects our families."
James Morhard, NASA's Deputy Administrator, described his background in accounting and the importance of each person who might bring a unique perspective and expertise to making missions like Artemis successful. Whether you're inspired to be the next Astronaut, or get really excited about how large innovations like Artemis are financially possible, that passion and persistence to learn and solve problems is what will help everyone on this Earth reach places we don't yet know exist.
Ken Bowersox, Astronaut, and Deputy Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations, described the first crewed launch that he saw as a child, and how the teamwork, innovation, and discovery inspired him to learn, and even persist, through courses that he may not have been too interested in. This moment provided him with the possibility of one day launching into space in a shuttle - which he accomplished. He described friends who were similarly inspired, and how their inspiration carried them into other roles, such as flight controller for NASA, or in other industries such as medicine or law.
Goal: To inspire
The ultimate outcome of NASA STEM programs, and collaborations such as these learning paths on Microsoft Learn, is to inspire people (like you) to look deeper into what makes programs such as Artemis possible. It's the teamwork, dedication, persistence, and belief that YOU can do anything - YOU can overcome any obstacle, even the ones you don't know exist. If we all internalize and believe that, then the solutions we design to improve our Earth, societies, and futures have endless possibilities.