Flying High with the Space Program
Bob Axsom never stresses over his commute. Instead of hassling with gridlocked Southern Calfornia freeways he reaches NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory almost daily by plane, landing at a nearby airport. It seems, however, that the crowded freeways are just an excuse since he clearly prefers two wings to four wheels. Axsom, a lifelong fan of flight, was well into his forties when he decided to become a pilot but his career with NASA has had him flying high for decades.
As a pilot and a mission assurance manager, Axsom knows that he can never be too careful. Space missions require the talents of many individuals to be successful. As mission assurance manager for NASA's
Genesis solar sample collection mission, Axsom's role is critical in checking and double-checking vital procedures during most phases of a mission - from spacecraft assembly to actual mission operations. An extremely careful pilot, he knows the meticulous detail that must be adhered to for any craft to take flight.
"Flying is a dangerous activity and you are going to be at some risk," Axsom said. "When I fly, I'm a totally different person. There's just such a lift - it's very personal and hard to describe. It's self-gratifying because all the responsibility is on you to communicate and to navigate."
Axsom's job requires him to be responsible for the success of the Genesis mission, an ambitious sample return that will give scientists the opportunity to research particles of the solar wind, whisked to Earth in a capsule that will be plucked from the air by an awaiting helicopter. However, he hardly needs the prompting of a job title or a directive from administrators to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks. A small spiral notebook served as Axsom's journal of activities at a practice run for the Genesis capsule capture at the Utah Test and Training Range. True to his military background, every detail of the dress rehearsal was painstakingly recorded: next to each event, the time in military hours.
During all phases of a mission, reports are made to identify ISAs or, Incident Surprise Anomalies which indicate an unexpected outcome. Essentially Axsom monitors the open problems and ensures that they are processed and closed in a timely manner. When commands are sent to the Genesis spacecraft, he accompanies the mission manager to verify that all commands are correct and that the spacecraft responds accordingly. Now that Genesis is halfway through its mission, Axsom has begun to apply his skills to other missions. He is currently dedicating much of his time to the Kepler mission, part of NASA's Discovery Program for detecting terrestrial planets around other stars.
Although not originally an enthusiastic scholar, Axsom now holds three degrees. As an adult without a high school diploma, he quickly learned that his future depended on higher learning. While still in the Air Force learning electronics, he began to take classes at night. Quickly he got his high school diploma as well as two Bachelor's degrees (one in business and one in computer electronics).
"School in general was not appealing to me," Axsom said "My wife was the real inspiration. I wanted to make a good life for us."
In forming that life, Axsom continued in the aerospace industry moving from McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis to southern California to work on programs for the Department of Defense. In the midwest, he inspected F-101 planes and was responsible for assuring that all planes coming off of assembly lines were properly outfitted. As technology advanced, however, Axsom realized that there was a future in software quality assurance. Realizing that he would need formal training in the field, he returned again to school, earning a Master's degree in computer science.
While at McDonnell Douglas, Axsom decided to balance his academic pursuits with a leisure activity. Ready to embark on his longtime desire to become a pilot, Axsom joined the flying club.
Sharing his passion for flying with his wife has made the pastime all the more enjoyable for Axsom. He hesitated to dive into it full force because he didn't think it was fair to spend a great deal of their money on a so-called hobby. He knew that "hobby" was not strong enough a word to describe the commitment that is required of private pilots. Jeanine Axsom, although afraid of heights, is not afraid to fly - she encouraged her husband to take to the skies. Together, they have logged thousands of miles and even participated in six cross-country races in their plane.
They plan on racing even faster in their new Van's Aircraft RV-6 A. A labor of love for seven years now, the Axsoms have been building the plane themselves from a kit in their suburban Orange County, Calif. garage.
"My neighbors don't know what to think," Axsom said with a chuckle. "All the riveting and compressor noise got their attention! They can hardly believe I'm almost ready to move it after all this time."
Approaching retirement, Axsom remembers a time when he only dreamt of being a pilot and having a career in the aerospace industry. He's even written a draft of a book about his experiences in the sky.
"Sometimes things work out if you don't give up on the idea," Axsom said. "No one else can appreciate how good it makes a private pilot feel when he is subjected to adverse conditions and he handles it well."
Axsom has not only handled adversity well, he's seen a dream to its fruition and is prepared to leave an important legacy in the safety and reliability of robotic spaceflight. He seems perfectly content to trade in his driveway for a runway and fly off into the sunset.
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