Aaron Rose: NASA's Guardian of Cold Science in Space

Aaron Rose, a member of NASA's Crew and Thermal Systems Division, plays a vital role in supporting cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS). His work focuses on the safe transport of temperature-controlled science experiments to and from the station. He collaborates with payload developers to utilize portable coolers, freezers, and refrigerators for this purpose.

Rose and his team are responsible for coordinating all cold stowage hardware, operations, and personnel throughout the entire flight cycle. Their goal is to ensure the secure and safe handling of science experiments from launch through to landing.

These experiments are considered crucial for advancing discoveries unique to space, which can benefit life on Earth and contribute to future lunar and Martian missions.

A Career Inspired by Space

Rose, originally from Canton, Ohio, has been with Johnson Space Center for 18 years. His career at NASA began as a co-op with Jacobs Engineering in 2003 while he was a student at The Ohio State University. He was inspired to apply after a talk by retired NASA astronaut Nancy Currie. After completing several co-op semesters and graduating with an industrial and systems engineering degree, he joined Jacobs Engineering full-time in Houston as a test engineer for a new docking system.

Specializing in Temperature-Controlled Transportation

He describes his current role as specializing in temperature-controlled transportation. This involves receiving domestic and international science experiments, packing them into appropriate cold stowage units, and ensuring their correct installation into spacecraft. Following splashdown, his team receives the samples and quickly returns them to researchers. Rose also contributes to the selection of ice cream provided for the crew.