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Hemanth Koralla was working as a software developer for General Motors when he received a LinkedIn message inviting him to apply for a NASA contract position with Jacobs Technology. While unexpected, Koralla seized the opportunity. \u201cYou can\u2019t say no to NASA!\u201d <\/p>\n
Koralla has spent the last two years helping to develop the Vehicle System Manager (VSM) for Gateway, NASA\u2019s lunar space station. The VSM is vehicle-level software that will allow the station\u2019s different components to communicate with each other and enable both human-directed and autonomous operations. Much of Koralla\u2019s work involves designing prototypes for software that can build Gateway\u2019s autonomous capabilities. He is also part of a design support team that works to \u201cunblock problems\u201d for the VSM team and provide help wherever it is needed.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on his favorite NASA experiences to date, Koralla declared the community at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center to be \u201cmuch more exciting\u201d than in his previous positions, citing his opportunity to don Cosmo\u2019s inflatable mascot suit for an Artemis I launch event as one example. \u201cI just love how these emails go out asking, who wants to be a part of this? I said, yes, I\u2019m going to do that, and then I just showed up and got to be Cosmo and take pictures with people. I didn\u2019t expect to do that, and it was a really fun experience,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Koralla has also enjoyed helping to organize the Engineering Directorate\u2019s annual employee picnics, in part because they have allowed him to meet colleagues from across the entire organization. His involvement in the planning created other opportunities, as well. \u201cAs a thank you, they invited us to the OSIRIS-REx sample reveal,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s those moments that you step back and realize, wow, we\u2019re working on something really cool here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Koralla got active in the ASIA Employee Resource Group (ERG) shortly after arriving at Johnson in 2022, when the chair asked him to join as a cohort member and to help lead the group\u2019s social activities. He was elected as the ERG\u2019s recording secretary for 2023. In that role, Koralla continued to play an important part in the group\u2019s events \u2013 including its AA and NHPI Heritage Month festival. He was particularly inspired by NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, whom he got to introduce as the festival\u2019s emcee, and the performers who helped celebrate diversity at Johnson. <\/p>\n
Koralla observed that the festival and other ASIA ERG events help spread cultural awareness, noting, as an example, that he did not know Nowruz was a holiday until the ERG organized a related celebration. An Iftar dinner, the fast-breaking evening meal of Muslims in Ramadan, was another opportunity to engage with Johnson team members. \u201cThere\u2019s such a big community at NASA that this opens the door for them to meet each other as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Meeting diverse Johnson colleagues and building connections through the ERG has given Koralla a better picture of NASA\u2019s full scope of work.<\/p>\n
Outside of the ERG, Koralla tries to support diversity and inclusion by making sure everyone\u2019s voice is heard. \u201cWe do these deep dives where we try to work out a design for something in six to eight weeks. I definitely notice that people who are earlier in their career have a tougher time speaking up, which I can relate to because I\u2019ve been in that situation. In those moments I try to say, let\u2019s see what everyone in the room is thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
He appreciates being part of a team that values the sharing of experiences and cultures, as well. \u201cWe have created a nice open space where we can talk openly about a lot of things and ask questions without any fear of judgment,\u201d he said, noting that he and his teammates have many conversations about their respective cultures.<\/p>\n
Koralla also points to the uniting power of food. \u201cWe had a Thanksgiving lunch last year, and most team members brought in typical Thanksgiving food. I didn\u2019t grow up with that American tradition, so I brought in some Indian food instead,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was a nice cultural sharing moment. Everyone bonds over food.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n