“Embrace the Challenge” Is Not Enough

Keith’s note: WRT Janet Petro’s update today – she included a comment about her standard update closing “Embrace the Challenge”. IMHO when the entire NASA workforce is uncertain about whether they will even have a job, if their projects will be cancelled, or NASA’s future as the world’s leader in space exploration, “Embrace the Challenge” tends to fall a little short and sound a dull thud as to what NASA’s extended family really needs to hear right now. I went through the RIF-like effort at Space Station Freedom Level II. I know exactly what people are going through. So Janet, maybe you should use that new 5 Question App to ask people how they are doing as this chaos grinds them down – and what you can do to help them through. Just asking them may be enough – better than a hollow slogan. Just sayin’.

“Finally, I’d like to revisit how I sign off my emails to you. If you recall, in my first email as acting administrator, I explained that since becoming director of Kennedy Space Center, I have signed each correspondence “Embrace the Challenge,” as a reminder to each of you to lean into what’s new and stretching, because when we avoid challenges, we miss the opportunity to grow.

I won’t deny that since I’ve been in this role, we’ve dealt with a lot of new items – things that have tested us in ways we didn’t expect. But “Embrace the Challenge” isn’t about making light of our reality – it’s about how we choose to move forward. We may not control every decision, but we do control how we show up, adapt, and bring our best to the work ahead. I’ve seen this team do just that – facing uncertainty with resilience, supporting one another, and delivering on NASA’s mission. In moments like these, in the face of uncertainty, we don’t just endure – we rise.

Embrace the Challenge,

Janet”