Contractor to Civil Servant: NASA Welcomes Kristie Foster

Kristie Foster, a quality engineer at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, has transitioned from a contractor to a civil servant at the agency's facility. Foster’s move, part of NASA’s directive to bolster technical skills within its civil service workforce, is aimed at preserving crucial institutional knowledge. Foster, who manages quality assurance and engineering at Stennis, works at America’s largest rocket propulsion test site, overseeing critical facilities like the High Pressure Gas Facility and High Pressure Industrial Water Facility.

At the gas facility, she oversees the creation, storage, and distribution of gaseous nitrogen, helium, hydrogen, and air through a 7-mile pipeline for propulsion testing. The water facility, which relies on a 66-million-gallon reservoir, supplies water for cooling and sound suppression at test stands. Foster also supports the safety measures at the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-2), where Blue Origin will conduct tests for Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket.

Foster’s technical responsibilities involve reviewing test preparation sheets, verifying operational plans, and ensuring processes adhere to initial design phases through final closeout. She emphasizes the importance of safety and quality from the outset of projects, stating that this approach leads to superior outcomes. Foster’s commitment to Artemis missions, including Artemis II, III, and IV, reflects her enthusiasm for advancing space exploration.

Her journey to NASA began with an internship at Stennis Space Center, where she initially worked as a contractor supporting naval projects before landing a full-time position. Foster balances her NASA career with life on a farm in Poplarville, Mississippi, where her son shares her passion for space exploration.