If you can name NASA’s three most flown space shuttles, you really know your space program history: Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour. They were named in honor of sailboats that persevered through the oceans on significant exploration missions.
Atlantis is only one of the three on exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, the subject of this month’s Uniquely Florida.
Launched into space 33 times, Atlantis flew 125 million miles. It had the shortest turnaround (50 days) between landing and its next launch, and had the fewest interim problem reports, which refer to flight hardware issues.
Commander Frederick Gregory has been quoted that he talked to Atlantis’ main engines about having a safe journey, and they “responded.”
“I’ve never aborted or had to unload from the orbiter. Atlantis was a beautiful bird,” he says.
If Atlantis could talk, it probably would tell about perseverance and how it made the difference in being successful for all its missions.
Complex ventures such as launching a spaceship into outer space have a long history of how obstacles were overcome time and time again.
So do many businesses. A CEO I interviewed told me how his $2 billion company rebranded itself overnight. His advice was to have plenty of persistence and perseverance.
“You just can’t give up,” he says. “When you own a business, the thought of giving up does enter your mind periodically when the challenges are great. That is why we started our company, because I felt like the success equation for business owners was going the wrong way.
“It was getting harder to be successful, in the level of success, the degree and the likelihood, and we wanted to provide services and support to improve that success equation.”
His rebranding project was successful due to the significant amount of communication efforts used to nurture employees, giving them a chance to come on board.
“At some point, you just have to say, ‘This is what we are doing,’” he says. “People normally are going to stay in their comfort zone absent a significant reason to get out of it.
“So after you try all the different positive ways to do that, eventually you just have to say, ‘You know what? The train is leaving the station. If you’re staying on it, you’ve got to get with it. If you’re not, the best to you, and thanks for your contribution.’”
When the astronauts got on board the Atlantis, it was after years of training had taught them the skills and perseverance to make their mission a success. Small, achievable goals that were met added up to a major success.
The simple truth is that every monumental endeavor can only be achieved in increments. In business, perseverance means leaning into the unknown, placing one foot ahead of the other, until you’ve reached your milestones and achieved your goal.
