Hi everyone! I have a little life update for you.
Last month, I left my job at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and accepted a job in Jacksonville, Florida, with the private aerospace company, Redwire / Made In Space, Inc., as their newest communications and PR specialist. My primary job will be to run their social media accounts, so be sure to go follow @RedwireSpace and @MadeInSpace on all social media accounts!
It’s incredibly bittersweet to leave NASA since it was a dream and life goal of mine to work there, but it wasn’t the right fit for me at this point in time. Hopefully I’ll make it back there at some point in the future. *fingers crossed!* I still have so many friends in Houston and I wish them all the best in their work and lives. I’ve been laughing at this saying, “You can take the girl out of NASA but you can’t take NASA out of the girl” because so much of my life still revolves around NASA and I still love it so much (and probably always will).
I’m so excited to start my journey with Redwire and Made In Space! They are a private aerospace company that focuses on space manufacturing. What does “space manufacturing” mean? It’s essentially creating, 3-D printing and building things in space. And not on a small scale either, like printing a wrench or bolt — their goal for the future is to be able to build entire structures IN SPACE and on the MOON, they plan to use lunar resources to help build a future lunar outpost (places to live, work, etc). Currently, Made In Space built and operates a 3-D printer aboard the International Space Station, where astronauts can print tools and things for repairs to the space station and labs. They’re also continuously sending new technology to the space station, where most recently they sent a ceramic 3-D printer that can print ceramic objects. Cool, right??
What I learned most from all of this is that, if you’re not happy, I hope that you can find the strength to make a change. It was SO CHALLENGING for me to leave NASA and Houston and I shed many tears over it. What made it most challenging was that I did it because it’s what I needed to do, but not necessarily what I wanted to do. Want and need are two very different things, and for my mental health, leaving was what I needed to do. I don’t know anyone or anything here in Jacksonville, and moving to Florida wasn’t even on my radar or wish list of places to live. Yet here we are and I’m accepting my new reality, which I hope I’ll learn to love. I hope that you can do the same and find the strength to make a change if you’re unhappy.
Thank you for your never-ending support, and get ready for some Florida-based and beach content!
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Thank you for reading! How are you doing? Let me know in the comments below and like this post if you want more content like this!
Xoxo’s
Emmalee
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Emmalee Mauldin 