ORLANDO, Fla. – NASA Administrator Bill Nelson met with former astronauts in Orlando Friday for a discussion about the future of space exploration.
During a panel at the Plaza Live, Nelson, former NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, and several of their Space Shuttle Columbia STS-61C crewmates spoke with college and local high school students.
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“The value of your teachers, if they can inspire you to achieve what you want to, there’s nothing better in the world than that,” said former astronaut George D. Nelson.
The discussion centered around ethics and leadership.
“Part of being a leader is recognizing when you make mistakes and trying to correct those mistakes,” Administrator Nelson said.
The meeting came as NASA’s Artemis 1 rocket is planning an unmanned test flight later this year.
Nelson said he hopes the students would take Friday’s conversation and apply it toward their next steps in school and the workforce.
“It takes great systems to launch people to the Moon, but it takes great leaders and people in the organization to bring them back,” he said.
The STS-61C crew was in Orlando ahead of an event with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Several members of the crew perform in the astronaut band Max Q and will accompany the orchestra in a Saturday evening performance in Longwood.