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Long history of dedicated service, careSylvia E. PiersonX-Press Assistant Editor When the Space Shuttle Columbia (Orbiter OV-102) arrived at Boeing's Human Space Flight and Exploration Facility Sept. 25, 1999, she was delivered into the trusted care of over 350 Boeing and United Space Alliance technicians, engineers and staffers. Many of these same employees had been present when Columbia – the world's very first reusable spacecraft – was rolled out March 8, 1979 and during her routine visits for orbiter major modifications (OMMs). In fact, many of the personnel working at the Air Force's Plant 42 facility in Palmdale had been present for the rollout and OMMs of our nation's entire fleet of Space Shuttles. "I've been out here 19 years and I never get tired of it," noted Boeing Human Resources Specialist and Training Coordinator Gregg Cox. A common trait among the employees seems to be that they understand the magnitude of their mission. After all, not only have some of them been working at the plant for many years, but they have also gotten to meet numerous U.S. astronauts face-to-face. "The most touching thing about working here is that some of these people have been working on the Space Shuttles for years," explained Boeing Photographer Robert "Bob" Williams. "The astronauts come out from time to time and talk with the folks who work on these shuttles day after day. It makes the work more personal, puts it into perspective and puts a face with what they're doing." Employees also appear to be in awe of the fact that their efforts are in support of America's exploration of space. "This is only my second space shuttle," commented Williams, "but one day it suddenly hit me that I was in a real spaceship. You see spaceships on TV, and here I was — in one of them!" "I watched two Apollo launches when I was a little kid. Who would have thought then that I'd be here now?" said Manufacturing Engineer Mike Gaulrapp. "Me, too. When Apollo landed on the moon I was 14 and in summer camp. I was the only girl watching the landing. I just kept saying, ‘it's amazing, just amazing,' " remembered Beth Hill, senior communications representative. "Little did I know then that I'd end up working here." According to Boeing representatives, some members of the workforce have multiple generations of their families working at Plant 42, while others have had family members inspire them to seek careers in the industry. "I guess I'm here because of my dad," reflected Gaulrapp. "He was always in aerospace. He'd often take me to the Rockwell [International] plant in Downey. When I was 18 he convinced me to get a summer job, so off I went to the Kennedy Space Center and I've been working on Shuttles ever since. In fact, I've worked on all of the Shuttles." For Gaulrapp and a number of his co-workers the chance to work on Space Shuttles has translated into many different experiences and opportunities. "First, I worked in Manufacturing and Quality in Thermal Protection Systems where I worked on the tiles on the outside of the ship. Then I went to the technical side of the house, in management, working on the aft, middle and forward with electrical systems. Later, I got to work on the International Space Station (ISS) in Alabama. It was a great opportunity to transfer knowledge to [the workforce in Alabama]. It's really neat to see the ISS up in the sky now," noted Gaulrapp proudly. Sharing their love for America's Space program with others is especially rewarding to these dedicated employees. "I like seeing people's reactions when they come out here for tours – especially the kids," said Gaulrapp. "Twice I've brought my 11-year old daughter to work with me during the ‘Bring Your Child to Work' days. The kids get to work with their parents all day. I've also gotten to go to schools to speak to the kids and give them posters, patches and stickers. We just love it when we get to do that kind of thing." |
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Responsible NASA Official: John Childress For questions, contact: Dryden Web Group Page Curator:WD-Team Modified: March 26, 2001 |
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