Found in Space

As a kid, Lori Motes decided that the best job in the universe would be driving a truck for Bluebell Ice Cream. Now that she's a space flight hardware developer at NASA, her cargo goes much further.
Astronaut Steve Swanson installing GPS antenna B on the JAXA Section of the ISS. photo courtesy NASA


But first, she has to build it. Here she is, testing one of the antennas for the International Space Station's GPS Antenna Project. Motes was lead engineer on that one, in charge of repairing and re-certifying three antennas and then building and certifying three spares. The Space Station's GPS antennas are crucial, as they pinpoint the attitude, position and speed of the ISS as it orbits the earth. "The safety of the crew is one thing there's no cutting corners on," says Motes. "It's our first priority."