[ad_1]
NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover mission was led by a diverse group of scientists, many of whom were women and minorities. Adriana Diaz has more on their stories.
Video transcript
ADRIANA DIAZ: We end this evening with this incredible panorama of Mars captured by NASA’s most recent robotic explorer, the Perseverance rover. But what also caught our attention was not on Mars, it was inside Mission Control.
SWATI MOHAN: Touchdown confirmed.
– It was the voice heard around the world.
SWATI MOHAN: Safe perseverance on the surface of Mars.
– NASA’s Swati Mohan wasn’t just a commentator.
SWATI MOHAN: About to perform the SkyCrane maneuver.
– She leads the space controls team.
How did you feel when you said the words “confirmed affected”?
SWATI MOHAN: I was still a little in shock.
– Mohan moved to the United States from India when she had one. She is one of more than a dozen women of color in the core Perseverance team, which numbers around 300 people.
– What was it like for you, Christina, when you watched and listened to Swati?
CHRISTINA HERNANDEZ: I was like, yes, girl! I was so excited to see a woman who, A, not only gives a lot to the community, but she’s a technical beast.
– Engineer Christina Hernandez, who is a first-generation Mexican-American, helped develop the rover’s scientific instruments.
– And Moogega Cooper, who is half black and half Korean, leads the team that makes sure there are no contaminants left on Mars.
– There is no perfect team there, you know? Diversity can always be improved. But man, when I look around and see women leaders and engineers, it warms my heart.
– What are you doing for NASA?
– Calculate your launch and landing site.
– NASA’s historic struggles with diversity are documented in “Hidden Figures,” the true story of African-American women mathematicians who played a vital role in the space race.
– It’s not that far from one generation to the next. My father tells me how he served in an isolated navy unit. Of all groups of people, I am the most convinced that scientists can think beyond what society says and be more inclusive with others.
– Diversity is a matter of different points of view. And when you try to solve these complex problems, we have to be able to think outside the box.
– Have any of you ever met someone who said you can’t be an engineer or you can’t work for NASA?
– There are always times when it’s like, on the inside, you’re wondering, oh, is it because I’m young? Is it because I am a young woman? Is it because I am a young black woman? But you just gotta keep pushing for the stars.
– Growing up, not all of them could afford luxuries like a space camp. But their families have found a way.
– If there wasn’t a local library, if we didn’t have PBS, which is free, these things make it accessible regardless of your income.
– These struggles have made us even better at our work. As my grandmother says, she said, [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]. So, you know, “give it all.” And that’s, I think, what we all do on Mars Perseverance.
ADRIANA DIAZ: They say their greatest passion is helping the next generation.
[ad_2]
Source link