Recapping a big weekend for Leidos in Space City
Leidos sponsored the Wings Over Houston Airshow this weekend at Ellington Airport in Houston. Photo: Leidos
Leidos over the weekend participated in the NASA Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Open House and the Wings over Houston Airshow, two important events for Houston’s identity as “Space City.”
Debbie Wells, Leidos Division Manager, Space Exploration and Mission Operations (SEMO), said that with more than 400 employees supporting NASA at JSC, Leidos is a staple in the local community.
Wells said her team is proud to contribute to JSC’s reputation as the epicenter of American spaceflight.
- “These events are a great way to solidify Houston as ‘Space City’ and to amplify the amazing work NASA does here,” says Wells. “It’s also a way to inspire people by showing them the incredible breadth of work they can become involved with in helping humans explore our solar system.”
Open House: On Saturday, JSC opened its doors to the public to celebrate NASA’s 65th birthday, the International Space Station’s 25th anniversary, the upcoming Artemis missions and the 2023 Annular Eclipse.
At the event, Leidos hosted a station to help educate the public about mission control, and gave children the opportunity to color their own white flight director vest, a salute to Gene Kranz’s iconic splashdown vests from NASA’s Apollo missions.
The team also hosted a station where guests competed in space cargo packaging, a nod to the company’s Cargo Mission Contract, and handed out recipe cards based on meals the team has developed for astronauts to eat in deep space.
Wings over Houston: On Saturday and Sunday, many Leidos employees attended the airshow, which Leidos also sponsored.
Wings over Houston, which featured the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and Pararescue Jumpers, was held at Houston’s Ellington Airport, part of Houston Spaceport and home of the NASA Neutral Buoyancy Lab.
Wells said the Leidos contribution will go toward the Commemorative Air Force’s scholarship program, benefitting college students in the aviation field.
Background: Leidos is one of NASA’s top technology partners in Houston.
Leidos supports a number of NASA programs headquartered at JSC, including the Orion Spacecraft, Gateway, Human Landing System and International Space Station (ISS).
Leidos also supports other human spaceflight initiatives, including astronaut health and performance, radiation safety, food and nutrition and other human factors. The company also provides NASA with high-quality IT services through the NEST and AEGIS contracts.
Earlier this year, JSC recognized Leidos as Large Business Prime Contractor of the Year for the second year in a row.
Space City workforce: Leidos relies heavily on the Houston community for its JSC workforce.
Wells said her team draws on nearby high-tech universities, including the University of Houston, and has strong relationships with local Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).
- “Developing the local workforce is an important part of our ability to deliver on NASA’s needs,” she said. “A lot of people think you have to be an engineer or scientist to support NASA, but there are all kinds of careers to get involved with, and these events help people realize they can come work here and be a part of Houston’s Space City culture.”
To find your new career path at Leidos, please visit our careers page.
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