By Kristin Courtemanche, Contributing Writer
Few have seen our world from a truly objective vantage; however, Jerry Linenger’s time in orbit has afforded him a uniquely clear perspective. A NASA astronaut who logged nearly five months aboard the Russian space station Mir, Linenger is also a licensed MD, retired Navy flight surgeon, and holds a doctorate in epidemiology and master’s degrees in both systems management and public health policy.
Linenger is no stranger to emergencies: His time aboard Mir was peppered with disasters, from fires to life-support failures. “In a crisis, I say to myself, ‘Jerry, calm down, use your brain, think it through, and execute it perfectly’ whether I’m in space or in the ER,” he said, noting the similarity of both environments, which depend on complex systems working under exacting time constraints where errors can prove fatal.
With this in mind, Linenger plans to speak about his appreciation for reliable systems, and for transparency in development. “Innovation comes from the people, and improvements come through iterative steps,” he said, believing technology can only be refined through trial and error, meticulous feedback and our willingness to learn from our mistakes.
“When we appreciate the effort under the tip of the iceberg,” he said of all the thought, development and human hours that precede an astronaut’s moment at the controls or a surgeon poised with scalpel over the patient, “we can really focus on increasing reliability and minimizing errors.”
Linenger describes his time on Mir as profoundly life-changing: “I see life through a new lens – I’m living amidst the miracle of our world,” he said, citing the perspective of Earth from orbit as a useful metaphor.
“Step back, and really see the bigger picture,” he said. “Remind yourself we’re all contributing to something important here. Think of the miracles we perform every day.”
Linenger will deliver his keynote address Wednesday, April 8th, at 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.