A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lights the evening sky along Florida’s Space Coast in February 2025. The rocket launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center carrying a commercial lander bound for the surface of the Moon. Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux
Newsletter ends as APPEL KS moves website to new location and redoubles focus on internal audience.
After more than seven years of sharing the fascinating stories of NASA’s technical workforce, who work every day on programs and projects at the cutting edge of science and technology, INSIGHT is drawing to a close.
When APPEL Knowledge Services launched INSIGHT in 2018, it was more than a new publication. It was an effort to share the unique challenges and successes of NASA’s project managers, systems engineers, and technical workforce, tracing a path from hard-won lessons learned to mission milestones.
This group photo of engineers and technicians in the cleanroom at NASA Goddard, was captured in the spring of 2017, before the telescope was transported to NASA Johnson for cryogenic testing. Credit: NASA/Desiree Stover
We sought to amplify the voices of the engineers, scientists, project managers, and technical leaders whose dedication drives the agency’s most ambitious work, pushing the envelope in aeronautics, advancing scientific knowledge of our Universe, and preparing for the next giant leaps in space exploration.
In the first issue, APPEL KS promised that INSIGHT would “offer articles and videos on topics such as NASA project milestones, engineering accomplishments, project management (PM) activities, and knowledge management efforts. Over the years, we’ve delivered on that promise to both an internal technical audience at NASA, and to stakeholders and those interested in space in the public.
INSIGHT articles have focused on project insights, career journeys, and reflections from across the agency, highlighting lessons learned, as well as APPEL Knowledge Services courses, career development resources, and special events.
One of our most popular series, This Month in NASA History, looked back on the defining moments in NASA’s storied history, from the bold decision to send Apollo 8 to the Moon, to the first untethered spacewalk.
Although it was past 2 a.m., a crew of more than 2,000 people were on hand at Ellington Air Force Base to welcome the members of the Apollo 8 crew back home.
Photo Credit: NASA
Our Critical Knowledge Insight series provided practical advice teams could use immediately to improve productivity and team dynamics, such as A Guide for Capturing Knowledge and Lessons Learned in Meetings.
INSIGHT also brought readers links to Small Steps, Giant Leaps, a successful podcast that APPEL KS launched in December 2018 to share the stories of NASA’s technical workforce in their own words.
“INSIGHT achieved its mission, and there’s a lot for the team to be proud of after seven years.”
As APPEL KS moves to an internal website, INSIGHT will be retired to focus on targeted communications with our core audience. We do plan to maintain a basic presence on NASA’s website at nasa.gov/appel, and you will be able to find Small Steps, Giant Leaps there.
We’re grateful to everyone who read, contributed, and engaged with our work over the years. Your participation transformed INSIGHT from a publication into a community.
“INSIGHT was created to help showcase the breadth and depth of NASA knowledge to people interested in understanding the technical work conducted across the agency every day. Kevin Wilcox, our senior technical writer, shined a light on some amazing moments in NASA history for our readers, and he found great contemporary stories to highlight as well,” said Tiffany L. Smith, Chief Knowledge Officer and Director, Academy of Program/Project and Engineering Leadership (APPEL) Knowledge Services.
“Other writers contributed to helping people delve into wisdom shared by engineers and project managers, and they highlighted lessons learned that made a difference to NASA projects. INSIGHT achieved its mission, and there’s a lot for the team to be proud of after seven years. We look forward to sharing stories like these at NASA.gov and through internal NASA forums in the future,” Smith added.
As we close this chapter, APPEL KS will continue its mission to train and support NASA’s program managers, project managers, systems engineers, and technical workforce with courses, webinars, career development resources, and knowledge management tools.
We encourage you to explore stories across the agency through:
Thank you for being part of the INSIGHT.
