Workforce Management magazine features an excellent cover story on imminent change in NASA’s space shuttle program.

August 2009 issue of Workforce Management.

When we think of job security, “astronaut” (or any of the hundreds of supporting scientific, technical and administrative titles associated with this elite crew) sounds pretty stable, occasional zero gravity notwithstanding. But America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration is scheduled to end its space shuttle program in 2010, pending budgets and review by the Human Space Flight Plans Committee.

From the article:

NASA surveyed its civil service shuttle workforce of approximately 1,500 people in the last year to reveal employee concerns. Those include “losing the team they’re working with—especially the contractor members,” says Paul Cruz, the HR development representative for the shuttle program office at Johnson Space Center. “Some people want to know today what they’ll be doing in a year. Some people are worried that all the good jobs will be gone. They’re worried about the skills they’ll need. They fear the unknown.”

Sally Ride. First American woman to enter space.

Workforce Management reports that NASA is demonstrating proactive leadership in preparing its employees for the change, including acceptance of the intangible aspects of such transitions and offering grief counseling.

Life-changing economics are constant, but let’s concede that they’re more extensive in the current economy. And sometimes it’s helpful to realize that we’re all in this together.

If our next Neil Armstrong or Sally Ride have to divert their career trajectories—NASA is retraining personnel for different missions—maybe reevaluating our daily habits, interpersonal skills and leadership practices to respond to changing opportunities on Earth isn’t as hard as it seems.