Johnson Space Center Director Addresses IITAGH
Last updated: March 29, 2009

IIT-AGH President Roopa Gir shares a light moment with Cimarron Project Executive Mallik Putcha and JSC Director Mike Coats

HOUSTON: Mike Coats, Johnson Space Center Director addressed the IIT Alumni of Greater Houston at a Luncheon talk on March 21st. This was the first time that the JSC Director has addressed an Indian-American professional organization in Houston.

The meeting was well attended by space enthusiasts. The event was sponsored by Boeing Space Exploration Division, and supported by several companies and organizations including Stress Offshore, Inc., Cimarron, American Institute of Aeronautics and nautics, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, and Young TiE.

Mike Coats has a fascinating background. He was selected as an astronaut candidate in January 1978 and eventually became a NASA astronaut in August 1979. He was a pilot on STS-41D and a commander on STS-29 and STS- 39. Coats retired from the U.S. Navy and the NASA in August 1991. Prior to returning to JSC, he was Vice President of Advanced Space Transportation for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in Denver, Colorado.

The talk was centered on the theme of ‘Globalization of Space’ and international cooperation among space-faring nations.

Mike Coats began his talk with the history of Indian space research and Indo-US space relations. Mike mentioned great Indian space personalities such as Sunita Williams, Kalpana Chawla, and Rakesh Sharma. Mike also talked about India’s rapidly growing space program, Chandrayaan- 1 and the recent mission to the Moon. India’s space program has been in the news recently. India became the fourth nation to mark its presence on the Moon after a Moon Impact Probe painted with the national tricolor successfully landed on the lunar surface on November 14, 2008. India plans to follow the mission by landing a rover on the moon in 2011 and, eventually, with a manned space program.

Mike Coats elaborated on the NASA’s Space Exploration Program. He talked about the International Space Station, the Constellation Program, Orion and Ares I and V rockets that will carry the Orion to the space station, Moon, and Mars and beyond.

The final half an hour was designated to Mike Coats answering the questions from the audience. He answered various questions regarding NASA’s future plans, how research done by NASA has improved the quality of everyday life etc. The most memorable answer from Mike Coats was about his personal experience of what he saw and felt while taking off and landing of the Space Shuttle missions as well as looking at the planet Earth with no borders during his stay on-orbit. Finally, the point he made about the breathtaking planet “Earth” as seen from space and the need to protect it has left a lasting impression.

IITAGH brings these lectures that are of general interest to the Indo-American community in Houston with the goal of networking, education and mentoring the younger folks. Visit www.iitagh. org for more information.