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News

Explorer's talk inspires leadership

Former astronaut stressed open dialogue, 
importance of learning from mistakes

by GRANT MEHLHOFF
The Daily Cougar

Strong leadership is a necessity for any organization to succeed, and to become good leaders individuals must have a solid working knowledge of their job, work well with others and maintain a high level of integrity, a former NASA astronaut said at Melcher Hall on Wednesday.

Col. Eileen Collins, the first woman to both pilot a space shuttle and command a space mission, spoke to a crowd of more than 120 about leadership and the future of the space program.

"When I made a decision as commander, I wanted my crew to know that I made the best possible decision in every situation," Collins said. "Work hard and learn your job, and you will be respected. Your people will see the example you set, and they will follow your lead."

Collins said organizations that face high-risk situations need strong leadership to help maintain safety. 

After the Columbia tragedy in 2003, NASA discovered that several organizational breakdowns may have contributed to the shuttle's crash, Collins said. These breakdowns included failures in listening, creativity and humility.

"There is much to learn from the Columbia report for any organization," she said. "It changed the way (NASA) operated. Many felt more could have been done to help save Columbia."

NASA has since imposed new policies to help elicit feedback from employees. The organization feared that some employees might keep quiet, allowing creative ideas to be wasted, Collins said. 

NASA has also implemented new procedures for inspecting the shuttle for any structural damage upon reaching space.

Looking to the future, the space shuttle will be retired in 2010, Collins said, and NASA is currently designing its successor, the Orion. The Orion is scheduled to be put into service by 2014.

The new spacecraft should be much safer, Collins said, and will be equipped with an escape vehicle to allow crew members to return home safely in case of a fire or explosion aboard their ship.

Despite the dangers, Collins doesn't see space exploration slowing down any time soon.

"I believe that there is a national will to explore space. The next generation of astronauts want not just to explore the moon, but to land on Mars," she said.

While space travel is dangerous, humans have a natural curiosity to explore, Collins said. She compared space travel to the Greek explorers who braved the rough waters of the Aegean Sea to discover new lands.

"They took huge risks boarding those ships and exploring," Collins said. "They didn't know if there were other islands out there or not, but they wanted to find out."

As part of her talk, Collins showed film from her final trip to space, commanding NASA's Return to Flight mission in 2005, the first to take place after the Columbia tragedy. 

And for those UFO believers dying to know, this former astronaut said she believes extra-terrestrial life does exist.

"When you think about the vastness of the universe, it's mind boggling," Collins said. "Odds are there has to be other planets similar to Earth out there that can and do sustain life."

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