Inside NASA Mission Control: Payload Operations and ISS mission control with Stephanie Anderson

INTRO:
Welcome to Launch Pod, where we chat with innovators who are overcoming challenges, pushing boundaries, and collaborating to make space more accessible and sustainable for humanity—one launch at a time.
It’s one small step for man…
Here’s your host, Susan Wise.

Susan Wise:
Hi, and welcome to Launch Pod. I’m Susan Wise and excited to have with us Stephanie Anderson, Payload Operations Lead at the Mission Control Center. How are you doing, Stephanie?

Stephanie Anderson:
Good! How are you?

Susan Wise:
Very good—and excited to talk to you. You have a very interesting and very important job at NASA.

Stephanie Anderson:
Yeah, it’s a ton of fun. I’ve been on the ISS program for over 10 years, and working in payload operations is definitely a rewarding experience.

Susan Wise:
Well, Launch Pod is all about space science and innovation, so we’re wondering: what are you working on right now to further the space industry?

Stephanie Anderson:
Right now, I’m supporting all of the NASA-sponsored payload facilities onboard the Space Station. That means making sure the facilities the astronauts use function properly.
When something malfunctions, we’re there to help diagnose the problem and get it fixed quickly so science can resume. Because one of the most important parts of the Space Station is the science we’re able to do.

Susan Wise:
You need everything in tip-top shape and working perfectly—you really can’t afford mistakes.

Stephanie Anderson:
Absolutely. And safety is, of course, our number one concern. Making sure the crew is safe and that we’re achieving our science objectives is our top priority.

Susan Wise:
Have you had maybe an aha moment—or a breakthrough—where you thought, Yes! That was it!?

Stephanie Anderson:
Yeah! When you’re diagnosing problems and trying to come up with solutions, sometimes things seem really complex, and you’re racking your brain over what could possibly be wrong.
But sometimes, the answer is right in front of you.
That’s why it’s so important to take a break, step back, and ask your peers for help or insight. Because sometimes the answer is standing right in front of you—and you just can’t see it because you’re so deep into the problem.
As engineers, we like to know every single piece of data, but that can be overwhelming. So leaning on peers is a big part of our process.
And those moments where you realize, Oh my gosh, the solution was right there the whole time, happen a lot in our work.

Susan Wise:
It’s good to surround yourself with really smart, like-minded people. That’s part of what Launch Pod is about—bringing scientists and innovators together to share knowledge and support one another.

Stephanie Anderson:
Absolutely. I go to a lot of conferences and put myself in training situations so I can meet people across different fields at NASA. That way, when I come across a problem, I have a network of people I can reach out to for insight.
We definitely lean on each other a lot at NASA.

Susan Wise:
Sharing is important.

Stephanie Anderson:
It is! We share the problems, and we share the wins.

Susan Wise:
Absolutely. So speaking of problems and wins, what has been your biggest challenge—and how did you overcome it?

Stephanie Anderson:
I think the biggest challenge has been gaining confidence in real-time operations.
We communicate with our teams in Mission Control using headsets during live operations. Sometimes the crew runs into an issue during an activity and needs an answer right now.
That pressure can be intense.
Early in my career, I struggled with confidence—second-guessing myself, wondering if I really knew the right answer.
Eventually, I realized that if I’ve put in the work, if I know my systems, and I trust my gut, I need to speak up.
Of course, that kind of confidence takes time and training. We’re expected to know everything about our facilities inside and out to be able to make those calls.
But that ability to respond quickly, confidently, and correctly—that’s something you need to succeed in this job.

Susan Wise:
That confidence grows with experience and time.

Stephanie Anderson:
Absolutely.

Susan Wise:
And putting in the work. Putting in the hours.
So let’s back up a little. Did you always know this is what you wanted to do?

Stephanie Anderson:
I always knew, from a very young age, that I wanted to work at NASA.
I didn’t always know I’d end up in real-time operations in Mission Control—that part evolved over time. But I always wanted to be involved with NASA, either as a researcher or an engineer.
My career path just led me here.
And honestly, I don’t think I could ever leave real-time operations. It’s such a fun, energetic, high-paced environment that I really thrive in.
Like you said, it takes time to get comfortable.
Our training takes over a year to get certified to work console. And even after that, you keep learning every day. I learn something new all the time.
You can never stop learning in this role.
And confidence has to build naturally. If you’re overconfident at the start—or faking it to look good—that can be dangerous.
So take your time. Learn your system. Build that confidence the right way.

Susan Wise:
Are we focused on going to the Moon now? Is that your focus these days?

Stephanie Anderson:
Yes—though it’s been a bit up in the air with recent administration changes and budget constraints going into the new fiscal year.
The Moon-to-Mars plan has always been the goal.
I think returning to the Moon as a stepping stone makes sense—to develop and test the technologies we’ll need for Mars.
But there’s also a growing push to skip ahead and go straight to Mars.
Personally, I think going back to the Moon is a good thing. There’s still so much valuable research we can do there.
I’m excited to see where we go next—Moon, Mars—it’s all incredibly exciting. Hopefully, I get to be a part of it.

Susan Wise:
I’m sure you will.
What would be one piece of advice—or maybe a resource—you’d like to share with everyone?

Stephanie Anderson:
One thing that’s really helped me is that I’ve never stopped learning.
I’ve always taken every training opportunity I could to better myself—as an engineer and a team player.
I have a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering, two master’s degrees, and I’m working on my PhD right now.
My husband asked, “What are you going to do after you get your PhD?” and I said, “Maybe I’ll get another one!”
I have four kids too. So yeah, you can see the gray hair coming in—but I just love learning.
Keeping your mind open and knowing that you’ll never know everything—that’s why you should always keep pursuing knowledge.

Susan Wise:
Wow, I have a tremendous amount of respect for you. I didn’t know you had four kids! A family, ongoing education, and your work at Mission Control Center—that’s a lot.
But you seem to thrive on that kind of challenge.

Stephanie Anderson:
I do—and I think that’s why I work well in this operational environment. I thrive in the chaos.
When things hit the fan and everything’s blowing up, I’ve learned to internalize, stay calm, and focus on the problem.
And that helps at home too.
The way I solve problems with my kids is very similar to how I solve them on console. Mediation, problem-solving, staying calm—I use those tools everywhere.
Even my mom, who’s visiting for my child’s birthday this weekend, uses that language with the kids: “Okay, if we have a problem, let’s figure out the solution.”

Susan Wise:
Work the problem, everybody, right?

Stephanie Anderson:
Yes—work the problem. That’s what they say on console. “We’ve got a problem—let’s work the problem.”
Put emotions aside, focus, and solve it. That applies to all parts of life.

Susan Wise:
Stephanie, I feel a lot more confident knowing that if there’s a problem to be worked, you’re there at Mission Control. It gives me real peace of mind.

Stephanie Anderson:
Oh, thank you. But really, our team makes everything possible.
Nothing at NASA is a one-person job.
The Space Station is massive, with so many systems and people contributing.
Our NASA team is incredible—hardworking, intelligent, and collaborative.

Susan Wise:
Stephanie Anderson, thank you so much for joining us today on Launch Pod. We really appreciate it.

Stephanie Anderson:
Thank you very much.

Susan Wise:
If you enjoyed today’s episode, leave us a review and subscribe. And until next time, keep looking up.
It’s Launch Pod—space, science, and innovation.

CLOSE:
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe on your favorite streaming platform, watch us on YouTube, and follow us on social media.
Launch Pod—propelling us forward, one launch at a time.