The Collegiate Fun Fact Your handy Dustbuster has its origins in space travel. During the Apollo program, Black & Decker was charged with developing a motor for a portable drill to be used to extract core samples on the Moon. The resulting technology later led to cordless vacuums and other small home appliances. (Britannica.com) PRIVATE INDUSTRY & INNOVATION As technology progresses, commercial spaceflight is playing a bigger role than ever. Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin and Boeing are making space more accessible, helping lower the cost of getting to orbit and even opening the door for space tourism. NASA continues to partner with private industry, ensuring that resources can be allocated toward scientific research and human exploration. Meanwhile, Mitchell believes breakthroughs in quieter, faster aircraft, optical communications and remote sensing technology will have a profound impact not just on space travel, but on everyday life, helping to improve everything from data transmission speeds to storm forecasting. Fun Fact In 2022, SpaceX launched its first all-private crew to the ISS for a week-long stay, with costs reaching $55 million per person. Meanwhile, the first-ever space hotel Voyager Station, set to open in 2027, will cost around $5 million for a three-day stay. (Empower.com)
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MISSIONS & BREAKTHROUGHS
Fun Fact As of 2024, NASA’s active astronaut corps comprises 47 members - 20 women and 27 men. (Wikipedia.com) “It seems like every week there is a new revelation,” he says. And the advancements won’t stop there. He believes the next decade will bring a permanent lunar base and within the next 20 years, humans could set foot on Mars. Maybe, he speculates, a St. Joe’s student today will be among the first to walk on the Red Planet. Meanwhile, the James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021, continues to capture breathtaking images and uncover new details about distant galaxies, exoplanets (planets that orbit a star outside the solar system) and cosmic phenomena like black holes and supernovas. Mitchell has been at the forefront of many of NASA’s most ambitious projects, including the MAVEN mission to Mars. One of the biggest challenges? Timing. Missions to Mars have a razor-thin launch window—just three weeks. Miss it and you have to wait more than two years for Earth and Mars to realign for another launch attempt. That pressure meant his team had to treat every day “like gold,” making quick, decisive choices and staying on schedule despite inevitable roadblocks. Whenever they faced a hurdle, Mitchell would reassure his team with the same simple mantra: “It’s OK, let’s just work the problem.” David has contributed to a variety of space technologies, but some missions have delivered surprises beyond expectations. “There have been some recent fantastic results from the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, as well as incredible images from the James Webb Space Telescope,” he shares. OSIRIS-REx, which recently returned a sample from the asteroid Bennu, has already provided groundbreaking insights. These insights will help us better understand the formation of our solar system, predict the movement of asteroids and even shed some light on how life started on Earth.
MITCHELL’S KEYS TO SUCCESS
His advice for the next generation of explorers, engineers and scientists is simple but powerful:
Study hard.
Pursue internships in college.
Get hands-on experience when you enter the working world. Speak up when something doesn’t seem right. Say yes to new opportunities, even when they are outside your comfort zone. Don’t sweat the little things and have fun on the journey.
Be a team player. Stay humble.
Always treat others with respect. Find balance in your work and your life. Most importantly, when you make it, turn around and help the next generation behind you.
David Mitchell’s journey started with a childhood dream of space. Decades later, he’s not just living that dream—he’s helping shape the future of space exploration, ensuring that one day, others will follow in his footsteps and take humanity’s next giant leap. Want to hear more about Mitchell’s work? Check out the Small Steps, Giant Leaps podcast: NASA Podcast.
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