Spotlight: Dr Kimberly Robinson

Please introduce yourself to our readers. I’m a native of Birmingham, where I graduated from Shades Valley High School. I attended Vanderbilt University for my bachelor’s degree and received a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. I worked for NASA for many years as an engineer, crew trainer, communicator, and project manager. I’m passionate about STEM education and taught at UAH while at NASA and at Oakwood University as a NASA Administrator’s Fellow. I love animals and serve as president of the board of A New Leash on Life, an animal rescue organization.

I read that you could pinpoint the moment that inspired you to be an engineer and want to work at NASA. Would you share about that? I have told this story many times as it illustrates that one person in one moment can make a big difference in someone’s life. When I was a senior in high school, I won an award from the Society of Women Engineers. A female NASA astronaut came to my high school in Birmingham to present me with the award, and I was awestruck.

It was the first time I had an inkling that a female could become an astronaut or even an engineer, and quite frankly that profoundly changed my life. She told me becoming an engineer was her first step in her journey to the astronaut corps, and that set my trajectory. I went to Vanderbilt University, where I received my bachelor’s in mechanical engineering, and got a job at NASA right after college. The rest, as they say, is history.

While, unfortunately, I didn’t become an astronaut, I had a long and rewarding career at NASA before coming to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in 2021.

What stands out most about your career with NASA? Do you have favorite projects or moments? I was at NASA for more than 30 years and got to do so many interesting things, but one project that rises above the rest was the Ares 1-X rocket launch system. This was the first rocket NASA had designed in almost 40 years. The administrator tasked us with getting NASA back into designing rockets again with a new in-line configuration and delivering an early flight test in record time with few resources.

I was part of the five-member management group, and our dedicated team of hundreds of workers across the country built, tested, and launched the prototype rocket in just a little more than three years and within budget. We came up with an early test rocket and were clever enough in how we met the challenges that we were named Time’s Invention of the Year and were featured on the cover of the magazine. Every launch you see is exciting but watching a launch and knowing that your team designed and built the rocket from the first bolt forward was an incredibly meaningful experience.

In your words, what makes the US Space & Rocket Center so inspiring? The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is the coolest place on Earth. I don’t know how many people who drive past our facility know the extent of what we do here. People from all over the world come to the Rocket Center to learn about Alabama’s role in space exploration and to get inspired by what we call “the spirit of discovery.” It is always a thrill to watch people’s jaws drop when they see the engines of the Saturn V for the first time or be amazed by the sheer size of the space shuttle stack.

Of course, our Space Camp programs are designed to inspire the thousands of children, adults and teachers who attend our programs each year. We want them to not only understand the value of space exploration but to see themselves as the astronaut, the engineer, the scientist or technician, all while having fun. Most of all, we want them to understand the importance of teamwork, leadership and problem-solving, just as Space Camp has done since 1982.

What does the future hold for USSRC? We are busy renovating and renewing our campus, such as our newly reopened Rocket Park and our space shuttle stack that is easily visible from I-565. We are also working on new exhibits like a new Mars rover display coming very soon. The space industry has evolved so much since the Rocket Center opened in 1970, so we’re continually adding to our “Dare to Explore: Frontiers of Space,” exhibit that highlights today’s innovations. We are in the next golden age of space exploration right now, so there will always be something new and exciting to share with our visitors.

Our big news of the moment is that we have begun our Inspiration4 Skills Training Complex. This project will expand Space Camp and Aviation Challenge programs in a game-changing way. In this space, made possible by Jared Isaacman, an entrepreneur, civilian astronaut, and Aviation Challenge alumnus, we’re adding new mission areas with some terrific, futuristic concepts to inspire our kids.

We’ll also have an indoor ropes course that will help make many of our activities weather-proof, a critical feature in our climate. We couldn’t be more excited about this project and what it will mean for our programs and the kids who attend them.

Of course, we also have Space Camp Robotics and U.S. Cyber Camp, programs that teach important skills and point the way toward careers in engineering and cyber security.

What is your favorite spot in Huntsville (outside of the Center?) I love the energy of Big Spring Park and seeing all the families enjoying our beautiful downtown Huntsville. It’s also fun to spot all the rocket references around town in the murals and at fun and funky local businesses.

Talk about your family. My incredibly supportive husband, Keith, works at NASA, where we met originally, and we have three children, two of whom have graduated from college and our youngest is a senior in high school.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work? We are big water people, so we enjoy anything on the water. We love taking our boat out on Lake Guntersville or spending time at the beach. We’re also sports fans, so we like to cheer on our youngest son as he plays multiple sports and to support our local and favorite teams.