NASA Engineer Kobie Boykins shares his inspirations behind his career, challenges, advice and future projects.
Q: What has inspired you to pursue a career with NASA?
A: As a kid I looked at the stars and wondered what was up there. We had a human space program at the time, and I was amazed that people wanted to go to space. We all watched as Challenger and Columbia happened. One while I was already at JPL/NASA. I love Star Trek and Star Wars.
Q: How did your educational background prepare you for your role at NASA?
A: I picked Mechanical Engineering at a small engineering school (RPI) that had a good relationship with NASA. Having a hands-on, technical education was very important to me, as that was really how my brain works. I am not too theoretical, but really practical and hands-on.
Q: What’s the most fulfilling part of your job and the biggest challenge?
A: I get to learn almost every day. I work with the most amazing people, and most of them are either the best in their field or among the best. Where else can you go and talk to the person who Found… Discovered…. Invented … Created…. Or just walk into an office and discuss the origins of the Universe. It's crazy to think that I am offered the chance to just be part of these kinds of conversations. Challenges - that is everyday. Something goes wrong, a new weird thing happens, something breaks, and we need to figure out what happened and why. It is like being a PI or detective, looking at the clues and using the education to put the pieces together.
Q: What advice would you give someone aiming for your specific engineering field?
A: Be curious about the world around you. Try to understand how it works and how it is all interconnected. Make the connections to the things you learn to practical examples you have in your real life. Don’t let go of your dreams.
Q: What future projects are you working on?
A: In my new role, I work on a lot of projects, but not to the depth of Rovers and Clipper. I get to see a lot of things, but from a different seat. It is very interesting. I am working on NEOS (Near Earth Object Surveyor), the Quantum mission I talked about above, and a lot of rebuilding that is happening at JPL at the moment. All crazy, fun, and exciting.