3 Min Read
Lagniappe for February 2025
Explore Lagniappe for February 2025 featuring:
- NASA Stennis Becomes Winter Wonderland
Gator Speaks
Gator Speaks
NASA/Stennis
Welcome to February, folks!
The shortest month of the year is here, but do not let its number of days fool you.
The month is full of energy and is welcomed with great enthusiasm.
We have dusted ourselves off from a historic snowfall in January.
The Super Bowl will be played in nearby New Orleans this month.
Mardi Gras season is here, which means King Cake for all! What is not to love about that?
The same kind of enthusiasm welcoming February is like the energy Gator felt when reading this month’s NASA Stennis employee feature story. I invite you to read it as well.
It is a reminder that bringing energy into what you do is all about genuine passion and commitment. The “get-it-done attitude” at NASA Stennis is that kind of energy.
The NASA Stennis culture of meeting any challenge head-on is what has helped power space dreams for six decades and counting in Mississippi.
It helps fuel the NASA Stennis federal city, where skilled people daily support the space agency and various commercial test customers that conduct work onsite.
When people come together, whether it is for the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, or to power space dreams at NASA Stennis, something extraordinary can happen.
When you combine a “get-it-done attitude” and a skilled workforce like the one at NASA Stennis, it leads to being a part of something great.
Enjoy the month of February, and if, in the small chance you have an extra slice, pass this Gator some King Cake!
NASA Stennis Top News
NASA Stennis Becomes Winter Wonderland
A series of cell phone and stationary camera images record recent snowfall at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, on Jan. 21. NASA Stennis near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the nation’s largest propulsion test site, is known for its “shake, rattle, and roar” rocket stage and engine hot fires that have helped power the nation’s space dreams since the first humans stepped foot on the Moon. However, like much of the Deep South, NASA Stennis turned into a winter wonderland Jan. 21 when it received a historic amount of snow across the unique federal city. Hancock County, where NASA Stennis is located, received five to seven inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. It marked the most snow the county has received in 61 years. A December 31, 1963, weather event holds the record at 10 inches of snow for Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
NASA/Stennis
A series of cell phone and stationary camera images record recent snowfall at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, on Jan. 21. NASA Stennis near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the nation’s largest propulsion test site, is known for its “shake, rattle, and roar” rocket stage and engine hot fires that have helped power the nation’s space dreams since the first humans stepped foot on the Moon. However, like much of the Deep South, NASA Stennis turned into a winter wonderland Jan. 21 when it received a historic amount of snow across the unique federal city. Hancock County, where NASA Stennis is located, received five to seven inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. It marked the most snow the county has received in 61 years. A December 31, 1963, weather event holds the record at 10 inches of snow for Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
NASA/Stennis
A series of cell phone and stationary camera images record recent snowfall at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, on Jan. 21. NASA Stennis near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the nation’s largest propulsion test site, is known for its “shake, rattle, and roar” rocket stage and engine hot fires that have helped power the nation’s space dreams since the first humans stepped foot on the Moon. However, like much of the Deep South, NASA Stennis turned into a winter wonderland Jan. 21 when it received a historic amount of snow across the unique federal city. Hancock County, where NASA Stennis is located, received five to seven inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. It marked the most snow the county has received in 61 years. A December 31, 1963, weather event holds the record at 10 inches of snow for Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
NASA/Stennis
A series of cell phone and stationary camera images record recent snowfall at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, on Jan. 21. NASA Stennis near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the nation’s largest propulsion test site, is known for its “shake, rattle, and roar” rocket stage and engine hot fires that have helped power the nation’s space dreams since the first humans stepped foot on the Moon. However, like much of the Deep South, NASA Stennis turned into a winter wonderland Jan. 21 when it received a historic amount of snow across the unique federal city. Hancock County, where NASA Stennis is located, received five to seven inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. It marked the most snow the county has received in 61 years. A December 31, 1963, weather event holds the record at 10 inches of snow for Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
NASA/Stennis
A series of cell phone and stationary camera images record recent snowfall at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, on Jan. 21. NASA Stennis near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the nation’s largest propulsion test site, is known for its “shake, rattle, and roar” rocket stage and engine hot fires that have helped power the nation’s space dreams since the first humans stepped foot on the Moon. However, like much of the Deep South, NASA Stennis turned into a winter wonderland Jan. 21 when it received a historic amount of snow across the unique federal city. Hancock County, where NASA Stennis is located, received five to seven inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. It marked the most snow the county has received in 61 years. A December 31, 1963, weather event holds the record at 10 inches of snow for Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
NASA/Stennis
A series of cell phone and stationary camera images record recent snowfall at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, on Jan. 21. NASA Stennis near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the nation’s largest propulsion test site, is known for its “shake, rattle, and roar” rocket stage and engine hot fires that have helped power the nation’s space dreams since the first humans stepped foot on the Moon. However, like much of the Deep South, NASA Stennis turned into a winter wonderland Jan. 21 when it received a historic amount of snow across the unique federal city. Hancock County, where NASA Stennis is located, received five to seven inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. It marked the most snow the county has received in 61 years. A December 31, 1963, weather event holds the record at 10 inches of snow for Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
NASA/Stennis
A series of cell phone and stationary camera images record recent snowfall at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, on Jan. 21. NASA Stennis near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the nation’s largest propulsion test site, is known for its “shake, rattle, and roar” rocket stage and engine hot fires that have helped power the nation’s space dreams since the first humans stepped foot on the Moon. However, like much of the Deep South, NASA Stennis turned into a winter wonderland Jan. 21 when it received a historic amount of snow across the unique federal city. Hancock County, where NASA Stennis is located, received five to seven inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. It marked the most snow the county has received in 61 years. A December 31, 1963, weather event holds the record at 10 inches of snow for Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
NASA/Stennis
A series of cell phone and stationary camera images record recent snowfall at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, on Jan. 21. NASA Stennis near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the nation’s largest propulsion test site, is known for its “shake, rattle, and roar” rocket stage and engine hot fires that have helped power the nation’s space dreams since the first humans stepped foot on the Moon. However, like much of the Deep South, NASA Stennis turned into a winter wonderland Jan. 21 when it received a historic amount of snow across the unique federal city. Hancock County, where NASA Stennis is located, received five to seven inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. It marked the most snow the county has received in 61 years. A December 31, 1963, weather event holds the record at 10 inches of snow for Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
NASA/Stennis
A series of cell phone and stationary camera images record recent snowfall at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, on Jan. 21. NASA Stennis near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the nation’s largest propulsion test site, is known for its “shake, rattle, and roar” rocket stage and engine hot fires that have helped power the nation’s space dreams since the first humans stepped foot on the Moon. However, like much of the Deep South, NASA Stennis turned into a winter wonderland Jan. 21 when it received a historic amount of snow across the unique federal city. Hancock County, where NASA Stennis is located, received five to seven inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. It marked the most snow the county has received in 61 years. A December 31, 1963, weather event holds the record at 10 inches of snow for Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
NASA/Stennis
A series of cell phone and stationary camera images record recent snowfall at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, on Jan. 21. NASA Stennis near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the nation’s largest propulsion test site, is known for its “shake, rattle, and roar” rocket stage and engine hot fires that have helped power the nation’s space dreams since the first humans stepped foot on the Moon. However, like much of the Deep South, NASA Stennis turned into a winter wonderland Jan. 21 when it received a historic amount of snow across the unique federal city. Hancock County, where NASA Stennis is located, received five to seven inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. It marked the most snow the county has received in 61 years. A December 31, 1963, weather event holds the record at 10 inches of snow for Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
NASA/Stennis
A series of cell phone and stationary camera images record recent snowfall at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, on Jan. 21. NASA Stennis near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the nation’s largest propulsion test site, is known for its “shake, rattle, and roar” rocket stage and engine hot fires that have helped power the nation’s space dreams since the first humans stepped foot on the Moon. However, like much of the Deep South, NASA Stennis turned into a winter wonderland Jan. 21 when it received a historic amount of snow across the unique federal city. Hancock County, where NASA Stennis is located, received five to seven inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. It marked the most snow the county has received in 61 years. A December 31, 1963, weather event holds the record at 10 inches of snow for Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
NASA/Stennis
Center Activities
NASA Stennis Attends SpaceCom
NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell participates in a NASA discussion panel session entitled, “Doing What We’ve Never Done to Do What We’ve Never Done” during SpaceCom in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 30. The conference and exposition focused on advancing the commercial space industry, produced in partnership with the 51st Space Congress.
NASA/Troy Frisbie
NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell participates in a NASA discussion panel session entitled, “Doing What We’ve Never Done to Do What We’ve Never Done” during SpaceCom in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 30. The conference and exposition focused on advancing the commercial space industry, produced in partnership with the 51st Space Congress.
NASA/Troy Frisbie
NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell participates in a NASA discussion panel session entitled, “Doing What We’ve Never Done to Do What We’ve Never Done” during SpaceCom in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 30. The conference and exposition focused on advancing the commercial space industry, produced in partnership with the 51st Space Congress.
NASA/Troy Frisbie
NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell participates in a NASA discussion panel session entitled, “Doing What We’ve Never Done to Do What We’ve Never Done” during SpaceCom in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 30. The conference and exposition focused on advancing the commercial space industry, produced in partnership with the 51st Space Congress.
NASA/Troy Frisbie
NASA Attends FAN EXPO New Orleans
NASA reached out to inspire members of the Artemis Generation on Jan. 10-12, joining one of the largest comic con producers in the world to host an outreach booth at the 2025 FAN EXPO in New Orleans.
NASA ASTRO CAMP® Hosts FIRST Robotics Kickoff Event
The NASA ASTRO CAMP® Community Partners (ACCP) program hosted a FIRST® Robotics Competition 2025 season kickoff event Jan. 4 at INFINITY Science Center, the official visitor center of NASA’s Stennis Space Center. NASA representatives welcomed competition teams as the event revealed the challenge for the new season. Teams will use engineering skills during the REEFSCAPE℠ challenge to strengthen one of the ocean’s most diverse habitats to build a better world. The third annual FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Magnolia Regional, a NASA-sponsored event, is scheduled for March 13-15 in Laurel, Mississippi, at the South Mississippi Fairgrounds. The regional competition will serve as a championship-qualifying event for teams to compete in Houston in the world championship event in April. FIRST Robotics is described as the ultimate sport of the mind as teams concentrate and share in the excitement of success.
NASA ASTRO CAMP
The NASA ASTRO CAMP® Community Partners (ACCP) program hosted a FIRST® Robotics Competition 2025 season kickoff event Jan. 4 at INFINITY Science Center, the official visitor center of NASA’s Stennis Space Center. NASA representatives welcomed competition teams as the event revealed the challenge for the new season. Teams will use engineering skills during the REEFSCAPE℠ challenge to strengthen one of the ocean’s most diverse habitats to build a better world. The third annual FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Magnolia Regional, a NASA-sponsored event, is scheduled for March 13-15 in Laurel, Mississippi, at the South Mississippi Fairgrounds. The regional competition will serve as a championship-qualifying event for teams to compete in Houston in the world championship event in April. FIRST Robotics is described as the ultimate sport of the mind as teams concentrate and share in the excitement of success.
NASA ASTRO CAMP
The NASA ASTRO CAMP® Community Partners (ACCP) program hosted a FIRST® Robotics Competition 2025 season kickoff event Jan. 4 at INFINITY Science Center, the official visitor center of NASA’s Stennis Space Center. NASA representatives welcomed competition teams as the event revealed the challenge for the new season. Teams will use engineering skills during the REEFSCAPE℠ challenge to strengthen one of the ocean’s most diverse habitats to build a better world. The third annual FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Magnolia Regional, a NASA-sponsored event, is scheduled for March 13-15 in Laurel, Mississippi, at the South Mississippi Fairgrounds. The regional competition will serve as a championship-qualifying event for teams to compete in Houston in the world championship event in April. FIRST Robotics is described as the ultimate sport of the mind as teams concentrate and share in the excitement of success.
NASA ASTRO CAMP
The NASA ASTRO CAMP® Community Partners (ACCP) program hosted a FIRST® Robotics Competition 2025 season kickoff event Jan. 4 at INFINITY Science Center, the official visitor center of NASA’s Stennis Space Center. NASA representatives welcomed competition teams as the event revealed the challenge for the new season. Teams will use engineering skills during the REEFSCAPE℠ challenge to strengthen one of the ocean’s most diverse habitats to build a better world. The third annual FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Magnolia Regional, a NASA-sponsored event, is scheduled for March 13-15 in Laurel, Mississippi, at the South Mississippi Fairgrounds. The regional competition will serve as a championship-qualifying event for teams to compete in Houston in the world championship event in April. FIRST Robotics is described as the ultimate sport of the mind as teams concentrate and share in the excitement of success.
NASA ASTRO CAMP
NASA Stennis Employee Receives Service Leadership Award
NASA’s Stennis Space Center employee Tim Pierce received the Roy S. Estess Service Leadership Award on Jan. 8 during a retirement ceremony honoring his NASA career. Pierce retired Jan. 11. The award, established and named in memory of the NASA Stennis director who led the center from 1989 to 2002, recognizes NASA civil servants whose career achievements demonstrate business and/or technical leadership leading to significant advancement of NASA’s mission and whose record of volunteerism reflects a profound commitment to surrounding communities. Pierce received the award for more than 25 years of sustained business and technical leadership supporting the NASA Stennis mission and a record of volunteerism supporting the city of Long Beach, Mississippi. Pierce served in multiple NASA Stennis positions, including as a senior accountant, budget integration lead, lead of the center’s facility planning and utilization efforts, and chief of the Planning and Development Division for the NASA Stennis Center Operations Directorate. He provided strategic leadership in such areas as tenant agreements, financial planning, sitewide master planning, and strategic federal city development, providing innovative and ongoing contributions to the future of the center. Within the community, Pierce served in school board and city public service roles for more than 20 years, gaining a reputation as a leader, collaborator, and innovator.
NASA/Stennis
NASA in the News
- Artemis II Stacking Operations Update – NASA
- NASA Invests in Artemis Studies to Support Long-Term Lunar Exploration – NASA
- NASA Space Tech’s Favorite Place to Travel in 2025: The Moon! – NASA
- NASA to Explore Two Landing Options for Returning Samples from Mars – NASA
- How to Fly NASA’s Orion Spacecraft – NASA
Employee Profile: Tim Stiglets
Tim Stiglets’ work at NASA’s Stennis Space Center gives him a front-row seat to the growth and opportunity potential of NASA Stennis. His work ranges from managing data for how a test stand is configured to tracking the configuration of NASA Stennis buildings and utilities systems that make up the infrastructure for America’s largest rocket propulsion test site.
NASA/Danny Nowlin
Two words come to Tim Stiglets’ mind when he thinks about NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi – growth and opportunity.
Looking Back
A 1977 photo shows a space shuttle fuel tank arriving at the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-1/B-2) at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, then known as National Space Technology Laboratories, as NASA prepared to test its space shuttle main propulsion test article (MPTA). The MPTA testing involved installing a shuttle fuel tank, a mockup of the shuttle orbiter, and the vehicle’s three-engine configuration on the stand, then firing all three engines simultaneously, as would be done during an actual launch.
NASA/Stennis
Additional Resources
Subscription Info
Lagniappe is published monthly by the Office of Communications at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The NASA Stennis office may be contacted by at 228-688-3333 (phone); ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov (email); or NASA OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, Attn: LAGNIAPPE, Mail code IA00, Building 1111 Room 173, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (mail).
The Lagniappe staff includes: Managing Editor Lacy Thompson, Editor Bo Black, and photographer Danny Nowlin.
To subscribe to the monthly publication, please email the following to ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov – name, location (city/state), email address.
