Earlier this week, in a conversation with a friend, I mentioned that I had offered a friend a tour of Johnson Space Center. She told me that she had just given some family friends a tour of our facilities, and we commented on how sharing our work with our friends and family is one of the most enjoyable aspects of our job. She ended the conversation with something that I’ve been thinking for many months now: “I think doing these types of things should be a part of our job.”

Several months ago, I stood before a tent full of space enthusiasts, some odd one hundred and fifty of them, relating my experiences with training the crew of STS-132. The participants of the STS-132 NASA Tweetup came from all walks of life: in and outside of NASA, engineers, scientists, artists, journalists, students (you name it, and it was quite possible they were there) – all bound by one common thread: their passion for human spaceflight.

As NASA shared its story with them, I witnessed two transformations:

One, within the minds and hearts of those Tweetup participants, as most saw first-hand what, to put it simply, NASA was all about…all of whom (perhaps I’m being a bit presumptuous) were awed by the beauty of one of mankind’s technologically marvelous creations;

And two, within my own self, as I reveled in the power of sharing and communicating – not just a story, but an experience; not just words, but feelings.

I found in subsequent weeks an ignited passion, a compelling desire to relate not only the awe-inspiring adventures I’ve found myself fortunately a part of over the years, but the tale of the organization that made those very adventures possible. I realized the importance and power of imparting (or attempting to, anyhow) in others the same passion, vigor, excitement, marvel in space exploration that I experienced the first time I saw Mission Control; the first time I went diving in the largest pool in the world; the first time I flew on the “Vomit Comet” (definitely NOT a misnomer, as folks on my flights will attest!); the first time I sat at a console, supporting real-time operations onboard the ISS (you know, SPACE!); the first time I saw a shuttle launch…really, the list could go on.

In the days following, it occurred to me, as I sat in a backroom in the bowels of Mission Control, reeling from an adrenaline-inducing event like a shuttle launch, seeing my crew on-orbit: I, too, have a duty, a sort of unspoken, undirected oath, to share not just my experiences and my stories, but those of NASA.

With the advent of social media, private industry and government alike have been given the power to communicate its message, its purpose, its vision, with the general public in a much quicker, more efficient format. NASA has embraced this new medium with open arms, using it to not just broadcast information out, but to engage and interact. Likewise, these outlets and services have allowed many within the agency to also share their perspectives with those very people, weaving a rich and personal tapestry of stories and experiences that humanize the agency like never before. From astronauts to engineers, scientists to mascots (@Camilla_SDO – I’m looking at you!), NASA has successfully leveraged a mechanism for interaction with the general public like no other organization.

Since…

I first saw Twitter feeds light up with questions to and answers from astronaut TJ Creamer (@Astro_TJ) & the excitement that his crewmate Soichi Noguchi’s (@Astro_Soichi) “space pictures” caused around the world,

I gave Camilla Corona (@Camilla_SDO), whose exploits are followed by many on the Internet, a tour of the NBL – and she tweeted about it,

I saw the passion with which astronaut Ron Garan (@Astro_Ron) spoke of his experiences in human spaceflight and the impact he hopes to have on the world on his website, Fragile Oasis (http://www.fragileoasis.org),

I watched as people’s faces lit up when they first met one of Twitter’s biggest proponents at NASA, the lovely Beth Beck (@bethbeck), who’s made it her job to share NASA with everyone,

I’ve seen the value of adding human faces to all of the incredible things that we do. And with this enlightening perspective, I’ve come to realize that it is no longer solely NASA’s responsibility to communicate with the world. As employees, we are ambassadors for the organization for which we all have such passion and reverence. It is our duty to share NASA with those around us, to share the sense of wonder and awe with which we came to realize our dreams. In such changing, often uncertain times, more so than any other, we must appreciate the importance and impact of humanizing a very incredible, beautiful, but risky endeavor – sustaining human presence off of the planet Earth.

And so, if with the above, for any reason, I’ve been unable to convey how incredibly imperative I feel this engagement is, I leave you with the following anecdote:

The same friend I mentioned earlier in this post related to me a story from the tour she gave to her family friends, whose children are 9 and 11, of our ISS mockup training facility. As they came upon the prototype of a rover the little 9-year-old had seen on TV, he grabbed my friend’s hand and said,

“This is the best day of my life!”

As she shared that moment with me, I couldn’t help but think that perhaps that child’s life was changed forever. Perhaps in that opportunity, he discovered a passion and interest he never knew existed…all because of the simple act of sharing an experience, a perspective, an opportunity we all, as employees, are fortunate enough to have.

And so, I challenge those who are reading, who have the privilege to be a part of human spaceflight, in whatever capacity, to inspire such a reaction from just one person in your life.

Share a story, give a tour, volunteer at an outreach event…communicate not just your drive and passion for human spaceflight, but NASA’s message and vision. We are the best advocates for the value of space exploration, not just in our lives, but those around us.

And those of you who know of people who work in the human spaceflight industry, I encourage you to ask your friends and family to share their life’s work with you.

Perhaps together, by simply sharing – a tenet of our younger years, we could very well see a surge in public interest in something so many of us hold so near and dear to our hearts.