Leonard Fisk Quotes

You think NASA is going to be cutting edge, but they've got so many buildings that are just left over from the '60s. It's old.

All the traditional STEM fields, the science, technology, engineering, and math fields, are stoked when you dream big in an agency such as NASA.

NASA is an engine of innovation and inspiration as well as the world's premier space exploration agency, and we are well served by politicians working to keep it that way, instead of turning it into a mere jobs program, or worse, cutting its budget.

NASA feeds the fuel of the technological furnace of America.

It appears that there are enormous differences of opinion as to the probability of a failure with loss of vehicle and of human life. The estimates range from roughly 1 in 100 to 1 in 100,000. The higher figures come from the working engineers, and the very low figures from management. What are the causes and consequences of this lack of agreement? Since 1 part in 100,000 would imply that one could put a Shuttle up each day for 300 years expecting to lose only one, we could properly ask "What is the cause of management's fantastic faith in the machinery? .. It would appear that, for whatever purpose, be it for internal or external consumption, the management of NASA exaggerates the reliability of its product, to the point of fantasy.

NASA has made a difference.

The folks at NASA really look at the world and try to envision how things can be better.

Betting on the success of innovative technologies in the marketplace can carry all the uncertainty and risk that betting on the next card in the deck does at a blackjack table in Las Vegas. There is a factor of randomness that must be factored in, but precisely how to do so is anyone's guess.

I feel we need to remind the world about the Apollo missions and that we can still do impossible things.

If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.

Space and exploration are also related to inspiration.

I haven't failed, I've found 10,000 ways that don't work.

Worldly wisdom teaches that it is better for reputation to fail conventionally then to succeed unconventionally.

In medicine, or in science, you go down a path and it turns out to be a dead end, you really made a contribution, because we know we don’t have to go down that path again. In the press, they call it failure. And so people are unwilling to innovate, unwilling to take risks in government …

… discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man — and I will show you a failure.

I think when you take the big swings - and I've done plenty of big swings that I was told were never going to work - those are always the things that break through.

Failing passionately is a success in its own right.

I feel every day that everything I create - everything I do - I want it to be a risk. I think when you take the big swings - and I've done plenty of big swings that I was told were never going to work - those are always the things that break through.

There's a silly notion that failure's not an option at NASA. Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.

One thing about technology is that there's always a win, place, and show, and everyone else goes under.

Science does not just drive space travel - space travel also drives science.

One of the great things about the space program is it's super well-documented.

As far as it growing, I believe it is always necessary to evolve. I am not one to rest on my laurels.

My dad worked at NASA his whole career; he's a research scientist.

When there is change, there are always sceptics who think it won't work. I am sure someone at some point thought the iPhone wouldn't take off.