Meet: Laura Hoppe, first female INCO Flight Controller

Laura Hoppe is the first-ever-female INCO Flight Controller and works at the Johnson Space Center. INCO stands for Instrumentation and Communication Officer. INCOs are responsible for the orbiter's communications, and, in a sense, are actively commanding the orbiter. It's more of a science discipline than a math discipline at this point. Maintaining communications involves knowing one's systems well and being prepared for all types of failures or unexpected scenarios.

The next mission Laura is scheduled to work is STS-96. When STS-96 launches, she will be working on the Orbit 2 team supporting the second half of the astronauts' day. In preparation, Laura works to support many of the mission-specific simulations (sims). When she is off mission, she is usually busy taking part in the many simulations NASA uses to train its people. She is also doing preparations for Missions STS-99 and STS-100 and must be in attendance for all the meetings or activities involving these upcoming missions.

She is constantly in training, usually working sims a couple of days a week. Practice for the real thing is obtained working generic sims and mission specific sims. There are always other projects going on that need input. Laura, as the GA (group administrator for the INCOs), is also responsible for ensuring all the updated software is ready for the next mission. Laura explains that preparing for a mission is so much more intensive then most people realize. The e-mail alone is monumental and is an important way to provide communication throughout mission preparation.

Of course, Laura explains, the most exciting and enjoyable part of an INCO's job is when they are supporting a shuttle flight or working a simulation. Because of the failures thrown in, sims are usually much more interesting than the real thing. But nothing beats the excitement of a mission up on orbit. Being part of the team is important and is a wonderful feeling. She knows her job is important, and she makes a difference to the NASA team. Her job is to make sure the astronauts have communication with MCC as much as possible. The crew depend on her for this when she is sitting console.

As a child going to school, Laura was good in math and science and enjoyed these subjects. Though a bit on the shy side, she said she never felt pressured to like something more "girlish" instead of science and math, and she never felt like the boys were smarter or better than her. She never ran into any gender-based obstacles that stood in her way either. She comments that this has never been a problem for her at NASA.

Laura grew up and attended school in Spring Branch, Texas, a suburb of Houston. She was the first person in her family to go to college, though she found college to be a bit intimidating at first. But this didn't stop her from succeeding and reaching her goals.

When she is not training or working on console, she loves to play double sand volleyball (two on two). She also enjoys skiing, soccer, hiking, scuba diving, jogging, landscaping - anything outdoors. She does enjoy reading, a more sedentary activity. She has two dogs - a Rotweiller, Digger, and a Miniature Schnauzer, Shurlee, that love to follow her around.

Looking back on being a young adult in junior high and high school, Laura said, "I wish I had figured out a way to be less insecure and less worried about what others thought, especially when it came to material possessions. I wish I had realized that some of the stuff I thought was so important really wasn't important at all."

Laura shared that she always thought it would be neat to work at NASA. As a young adult, she felt this would mean she was really smart. What it really means is that she is part of an important team making a difference for a lifetime.