Orlando Santos, Ph.D.
NASA Ames Research Center
Leadership Developmental Program Year 2003-2004

LDP Helping NASA Astrobiologist
Advance Planetary Protection

Improved bacterial sampling process on the horizon and potential for savings

When astrobiologist Orlando Santos entered NASA's Leadership Development Program (LDP), he wasn't sure what to expect. As it turned out, LDP enabled him to develop skills that could have benefits as far-reaching as Mars.

Like many over-educated scientists, says the Ph.D., he tended to be a "know-it-all." He focused on his research, which is the study of life in space and on other planets. At most, he hoped that participating in LDP would teach him to be more patient and a better listener.

"Instead, the program changed my entire approach to management," says Santos, originally from Tampa, Florida. "It made me more self confidant. I developed a perseverance and political adeptness that is translating into real benefits for NASA."

LDP is a NASA mission devoted to producing leaders who can further the agency's work and produce measurable results. Program candidates compete for LDP slots and must demonstrate a long list of traits and abilities ranging from technical competency to organizational skills. Each must commit to continue their NASA service for at least three years.

Santos entered LDP in 2003, when he was a scientific research coordinator at Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. His LDP assignment required him to relocate temporarily to work at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC, as well as participate in leadership courses.

Although LDP participation does not guarantee a promotion within NASA, it led to one for Santos. After completing the program in 2004, he was promoted to exobiology branch chief of astrobiology at Ames, where he leads a team of scientists.

LDP payoff

For Santos, the most significant payoff from LDP hasn't been the promotion, but the opportunity to improve planetary protection, specifically protecting Mars from contamination by US spacecrafts.

"We have to assess the bacterial load that the spacecrafts have and reduce or mitigate that load," he says.

To determine bacterial load, scientists consider not only the spacecraft but the "clean room" environment where spacecrafts are assembled. The tedious process requires sampling three centimeter areas, including the walls, ceilings and manufacturing equipment surfaces as well as assessing the impact of workers entering the room.

To date, the clean rooms used for testing are small relative to the need. "It's just not possible to get enough samples and those we get always have low bacterial counts of one or zero. We cannot perform a meaningful statistical analysis that accounts for possible variability, which involves employing a statistical formula known as population variance. Right now we are making assumptions," Santos says.

Improving the process requires a much larger clean room where hundreds of samples over a large surface area can be taken over time and with changing conditions. It's the type of clean room would be found at major corporations that manufacturer semi-conductors, such as those used in computers, he says.

In the past, Santos says he and his colleagues assumed that access to such a facility would be too costly, especially at a time when NASA and other government agencies are cost-cutting, and that a private company would never entrust its facilities to anyone else.

Leadership in motion

This is where Santos' LDP-acquired leadership savvy has come into play. He now has the know-how and confidence to network in a way he never had before, which resulted in an introduction to the chief executive officer of a major semi-conductor manufacturer. Once the executive got to know Santos and learned about NASA's problem assessing bacterial loads, he offered the company's vast clean room facilities to NASA, for no charge.

Santos' excitement is palpable. "This is a very expensive 300,000 square foot facility that will enable us to conduct the research without having to pay for the clean room. If we can determine the correct population variance, we'll know that when we get a zero value, it means there really are no bacteria over the spacecraft," he says.

The research would help ensure planetary protection and could spell huge savings for NASA, Santos says. "As it is now, we may be making more effort and spending more than necessary to keep spacecrafts clean. Millions per mission could be saved," he says.

Santos still needs to obtain funding to conduct the bacterial studies, but with a letter in hand from a corporation guaranteeing use of the corporate clean room facilities, he is confident he'll succeed.

LDP has paid off in other ways, he notes, including the improved patience and listening skills he hoped to develop. "The program helped me develop an appreciation for diversity of thought and the importance of taking time to listen and draw others out." Before the program, Santos was more likely to tell everyone else what he believed needed to be done. Since the program, he makes it a point to ask everyone else for input, then tries to arrive at a consensus, even if he has a strong opinion, he says.

His new management approach is also inspiring the bench scientists in his division, who are working more efficiently and making accomplishments. For instance, they won a proposal for a particular instrument to be carried on the Mars Science Lab and have developed new proposals for Discovery, a NASA program that encourages scientists to find innovative ways to explore the mysteries of the solar system. "LDP is helping produce a cadre of scientists in the agency who fully understand the requirements of searching for life elsewhere," Santos says.

3-30-06

When astrobiologist Orlando Santos entered NASA's Leadership Development Program (LDP), he wasn't sure what to expect. As it turned out, LDP enabled him to develop skills that could have benefits as far-reaching as Mars. Like many over-educated scientists, says the Ph.D., he tended to be a "know-it-all." At most, he hoped that participating in LDP would teach him to be more patient and a better listener. "Instead, the program changed my entire approach to management," says Santos. "It made me more self confidant. I developed a perseverance and political adeptness that is translating into real benefits for NASA."

Impact on Mission Success

For Santos, the most significant payoff has been the opportunity to improve planetary protection, specifically protecting Mars from contamination by US spacecrafts. "We have to assess the bacterial load that the spacecrafts have and reduce or mitigate that load," he says. To determine bacterial load, scientists consider not only the spacecraft but the "clean room" environment where spacecrafts are assembled. The tedious process requires sampling three centimeter areas, including the walls, ceilings and manufacturing equipment surfaces as well as assessing the impact of workers entering the room. To date, the clean rooms used for testing are small relative to the need. "It's just not possible to get enough samples and those we get always have low bacterial counts of one or zero. We cannot perform a meaningful statistical analysis that accounts for possible variability, which involves employing a statistical formula known as population variance. Right now we are making assumptions," Santos says. Improving the process requires a much larger clean room where hundreds of samples over a large surface area can be taken over time and with changing conditions. It's the type of clean room would be found at major corporations that manufacturer semi-conductors, such as those used in computers, he says. In the past, Santos says he and his colleagues assumed that access to such a facility would be too costly, especially at a time when NASA and other government agencies are cost-cutting, and that a private company would never entrust its facilities to anyone else.

This is where Santos' LDP-acquired leadership savvy has come into play. He now has the know-how and confidence to network in a way he never had before, which resulted in an introduction to the chief executive officer of a major semi-conductor manufacturer. Once the executive got to know Santos and learned about NASA's problem assessing bacterial loads, he offered the company's vast clean room facilities to NASA, for no charge. Santos' excitement is palpable. "This is a very expensive 300,000 square foot facility that will enable us to conduct the research without having to pay for the clean room. If we can determine the correct population variance, we'll know that when we get a zero value, it means there really are no bacteria over the spacecraft," he says. The research would help ensure planetary protection and could spell huge savings for NASA, Santos says. "As it is now, we may be making more effort and spending more than