NMSU grads to lead NASA 'Space Taxi' program

Posted: 09/21/2014 12:34:02 PM MDT

LAS CRUCES >> When American astronauts once again launch into orbit from American soil, there will be a bit of Aggie pride pushing them aloft.

Two of three team leaders in the recently announced deal that will see Boeing, SpaceX and NASA working together to once again ferry U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station are New Mexico State University graduates and both spent early portions of their careers working at White Sands Missile Range test facility. They are John Mulholland, vice president and program manager of commercial programs for Boeing, and Kathy Lueders, program manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

How did two NMSU graduates end up in leading roles for the new partnership? Was it our proximity to White Sands? Was it our university turning out such talented leaders? Was it our budding space tourism industry?

Yes. But those weren't the first response from the project leaders.

'It probably has something to do with the green chile,' said Mulholland.

'New Mexico has always felt like home to me,' Lueders added.

Lueders, 51, holds a bachelor of business administration in finance from the University of New Mexico as well as a bachelor and master of science in industrial engineering from NMSU, a degree she earned in 1999 while working at the White Sands Test Facility.

Mulholland, also 51, holds a bachelor of science in chemical engineering and a masters degree in mechanical engineering, which the Las Cruces native and Las Cruces High School graduate earned from NMSU in 1986. He worked from 1986 to 1996 at the White Sands Test Facility. His father, George, is a professor emeritus of mechanical engineering at NMSU.

Along with a representative from SpaceX, which has been involved with testing at Spaceport America, the duo will oversee America's project to return to U.S.-launched, manned spaceflights and supply flights to the International Space Station.

Since the last space shuttle landed on Earth three years ago, the U.S. has relied primarily on Russia and its Soyuz spacecraft to shuttle U.S. astronauts to the station at a cost of $70 million per seat. The goal is to launch cargo and astronauts to the ISS and return the vehicle to Earth by 2017. The two contracts are worth a total of approximately $6.8 billion over the next few years, with Boeing netting $4.2 billion and SpaceX taking $2.6 billion.

'I know we will accomplish our task,' Lueders said. 'NMSU builds people the nation can turn to to get the job done right. When you have Aggies on the team, and leading the team, you know we are going to get there.'

NASA's primary role is to oversee the companies and ensure a reliable and safe ride for the astronauts.

'The whole point is the commercial sector is stepping up and meeting the needs,' she said. 'It's critical that we begin launching again from U.S. soil. For the last few years we've been solely dependent on the Russians. It's time we step up and begin sharing the job of transporting our crews to the International Space Station.'

The fact that two NMSU graduates are leading the project comes down to a number of factors, she said.

'I think the partnership between the university and the test facility is critical,' she said. 'What White Sands and NMSU taught us is work ethic. It really taught us how to run projects. As an Aggie, I was lucky enough to work with the shuttle program propulsion hardware and the International Space Station. Now John and I get to apply those same tools.'

Mulholland said Las Cruces and White Sands will play a major role in Boeing's testing of the new CST-100 spacecraft.

'If you look at our plan going forward, Las Cruces is going to play a very important role for us,' he said. 'We've got a lot of propulsion system testing we will be doing at White Sands ... the primary landing site will be at the missile range also.'

Another significant factor in two Aggies leading the project lies in long-standing relationships and the area's deep roots in spaceflight.

'I think a lot of it has to do with the huge contribution White Sands Missile Range has played with NASA since Apollo,' he said. 'We were both working with NASA at WSMR and both ended up moving to Houston. It's a pretty tight group and White Sands has played a big part of that.'

Both look forward to spending more time in Las Cruces as development, testing and certification progress, they said. Both will attend the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight in Las Cruces next month, and are looking forward to visiting their old stomping grounds and seeing familiar territory as they begin this work.

'It's such an important program,' Mulholland said. 'It is important strategically that we regain the capability to launch our astronauts from American soil, incredibly important for NASA and the ISS. It's humbling to have the responsibility to develop the next manned space flight for NASA.'

'I would drive up (U.S. Highway) 70 and see the sunrise and sunset over the Organs - only a New Mexico sunset,' Lueders said. 'I would feel so blessed to see the two most beautiful things every day, and our red and green chile.

'I can't wait until we launch,' she added. 'Right now, I have to go through a whole bunch of rigmarole to go meet our crew members in Kazakhstan. To be able to greet the crews coming home will be phenomenal. Then we can all go get our red and green chile.'

- Jason Gibbs may be reached at 575-541-5451.

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