KSC-05-S-00067

Hi. My name's Mike Leinbach, I'm the Shuttle launch director at the Kennedy Space Center for NASA. Well, in my role as the launch director, the most visible portion, of course, is on launch day, when I'm in the control room with my launch team. I essentially have the final 'go_no-go' for launch of the Space Shuttle. So that's the most visible part of it. But leading up to launch day, I'm essentially the, the chief of operations for all of NASA here at Kennedy Space Center, making sure that the orbiters and the ground-support system and the Solid Rocket Boosters and the External Tank are being prepared properly, safely, and meeting their major milestones to, to protect the next launch date. I also serve as sort of a safety conscience for the work force. I get out, walk around, talk to folks, make sure that we're not overworking the workers, and in my role as the launch director and Return to Flight, it's really making sure that when we get to launch day for Return to Flight, that that vehicle is the best it can possibly be. I really enjoy working at the Kennedy Space Center for a couple of reasons. There's a family atmosphere out here, it's a really a small city out here on the national wildlife refuge. We put men into orbit. It's the gateway to the universe for manned space flight and for Expendable Launch Vehicles and some of the probes that are going to the outer planets and elsewhere in the universe. But the family atmosphere, I think, is what I like the best. It's, it's 16,000 people or so who pull together every day to make sure that what we do is safe and the best that we can do for the nation. I trace that back to May 5, 1961, when my family, we were on a, on a trip up to Gettysburg National Park, and my dad pulled off the side of the road and said, 'OK, kids, we're about the hear history made here.' May 5, 1961 was Alan Shepard's first flight. It was the first flight of an American into space. And so we pulled the Mercury off the side of the road and dad turned on the radio and we all listened to that 15-minute mission together on the side of the road somewhere in Pennsylvania. We hadn't even made it to the park yet. And I think it was from that point on that I just got hooked on space and space travel. I'd have to say one of the key inspirational figures was President Carter. I got to meet President Carter about three years ago. In fact, I got to tour him around the Kennedy Space Center. But I'd been admiring President Carter since, obviously, since he took office. Because he's such a natural person and he came from such humble upbringings, and, and is a true American, and the highest integrity and honesty from that man. Just a wonderful person, and for me to have the opportunity to meet him was just, just a dream come true for me. Never thought I'd even get the chance to meet him, but, no, I've been a fan of President Carter's since he first took office. The advice I would give to any student who would like to work for NASA is, is this: the most visible part of NASA are the astronauts and the Expendable Launch Vehicles. There's a lot in NASA that, that most people don't see. NASA is an organization of 23,000 people nationwide who, who really, we look forward to the future, we look to the past, and we look at the present to try to improve life on Earth. And so there are many, many disciplines within NASA that, that most people don't see. We have accountants, we have lawyers, we have engineers and technicians, obviously. We have scientists, we have people that are trained in infra-red technology and ultra-violet technology. It runs the gamut. It, it, it's a large, large organization, and so for folks growing up, don't think you have to be an engineer, don't think you have to be an astronaut to get into NASA. They may be the most visible and, to the outside, the most fun-looking jobs, but there are a lot of jobs within NASA which, that are really, really rewarding.