From ASHI to Aerospace
Bill Loden has always assessed risks, from houses to, well, rockets.

Bill Loden is thinking about rockets. To be more precise—he’s thinking about a very big rocket, one that will return America to the moon. It’s called the Space Launch System.
That’s because Loden is currently the Program Risk Manager for the Space Launch System at NASA. But he’s also been an active ASHI Certified home inspector. Loden worked part-time inspecting homes from 1996 to 2004, then full-time from 2004 to 2020. He hasn’t inspected a house since, but he continues to be a valuable resource, answering a few questions from real estate agents he used to work with about report findings from other inspectors.
“I am still very interested in the profession,” he said. “I maintain contact with the many inspectors from around the country I met through my involvement with ASHI and keep up with what is happening in the industry. Every month I look forward to receiving the ASHI Reporter and usually read it cover to cover as soon as it arrives in the mail. I especially like to look through the membership anniversaries for the names of my many friends who are members of ASHI.”
We recently talked to Loden to find out more about his experience both with NASA and as a home inspector.


I hear you’re a rocket scientist turned home inspector and back. Is that accurate?
That is a fair statement, though I would say I am more accurately an engineer and not a scientist, though many people use the terms interchangeably.
How did you go from that work into home inspecting?
I started at NASA in the aftermath of the Challenger disaster in the late 1980s as NASA was strengthening the Flight Safety program. I had learned of the home inspection profession in the mid-90s and, having a BS in construction engineering technology, it sounded like an interesting field. It also mirrored much of my work at NASA. I was initially in the problem reporting area at NASA, and I also worked on the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Postflight Inspection team, where our team would spend two weeks after every flight disassembling and inspecting the boosters after every launch.
Also, at this time my son was nearing graduation from high school, and I wanted to pay for his college education without going into debt, so I decided to start a side business as a home inspector.
I studied everything I could find about the process and began in 1996 by inspecting the houses of my friends for free on the weekends, developing a report format and learning the skills I would need to perform inspections for paying clients. I gradually built up my business in my free time, but the real breakthrough for me was when I found ASHI. I remember my first InspectionWorld in New Orleans. It was a fantastic learning experience for me, and I became a strong believer in ASHI and its benefit to home inspectors.
My side business soon began to take up most of my evenings and weekends, and at NASA I transitioned out of the Space Shuttle program into Risk Management, becoming an instructor and working with various projects in setting up risks management processes and conducting risk workshops.
In 2003, I moved into a managerial role at NASA, where my time was increasingly devoted to management and personnel issues with little technical responsibility. Being a hands-on type of engineer, this caused me great frustration, so in 2004 I decided to leave NASA and become a full-time home inspector where I could again use my technical skills in a hands-on way.
We are all risk managers. Every day our very lives depend on how well we manage risks.”
What do you love about inspecting homes?
Homes are complex systems, just like rockets, and the various systems interact in sometimes surprising ways. Every home presents an opportunity to observe and learn more about these systems, knowing you have the responsibility to provide the client with as much useful information about the condition of these systems as possible.
I have always loved investigations—searching for problems and finding solutions. I also found satisfaction in knowing home inspections are a very valuable risk management tool for homebuyers. I have always believed that we as home inspectors provide a very valuable service to our clients. In many instances we have the ability to help home buyers avoid financial ruin. In some cases, we identify safety issues that could potentially save our clients’ lives. I also love that no matter how long you are in this profession, there is always more to learn. It was very satisfying to me to provide useful information to my clients.


What interests you about risks? Is that something your careers have had in common?
When I started at NASA, I managed the problem reporting system on the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster. I also became a part of the Booster Postflight Assessment team, inspecting the hardware after each mission. When something went wrong, we fully investigated and resolved the problem and worked to make changes that would prevent it from happening again. Later, I moved into risk management where we proactively worked to identify the potential for failure and to take steps to reduce the likelihood of a problem. No one ever wants to hear an astronaut say, “Houston, we’ve had a problem.”
We are all risk managers. Every day our very lives depend on how well we manage risks. In your home, the stairs’ treads are a uniform height and depth to prevent falls. When you get in your vehicle to go to an inspection you put on your seat belt. When you are performing your inspection, you practice ladder safety, and you have the proper PPE when entering crawl spaces. And, of course, as home inspectors we play a very important role in managing the risks that a homebuyer faces when purchasing a property.

How have your different roles informed your work?
While at NASA I often had to deal with hardware contractors who tried to skirt around the contract requirements and would have to identify and cite these requirements to enforce compliance. When working as a home inspector I ran into the same issues in dealing with the building contractors, and it would often come down to my word against theirs in regard to construction defects. To counter this I obtained and studied the building codes and product installation details. If I found a variance in either during an inspection on new construction, I would document the code or installation instructions in the report.
Once I started doing this I seldom ever had an argument from the builder, though a few tried to ban me from inspecting their properties. I know many home inspectors and insurers are frightened by this tactic, but I made it clear in the inspection report and my pre-inspection agreement that I was not conducting a code compliance inspection, and any reference to the building codes was simply to provide my client with an authoritative source to confirm
my observations.
What advice do you have for other home inspectors?
First, I would advise an inspector to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by their ASHI membership. Continuing education is imperative for any professional. ASHI also provides an inspector opportunities for professional growth through networking at both the local and national level. Learning is not limited to the classroom, and I personally have benefited tremendously from relationships with inspectors across North America.

What’s next for you?
Initially I had planned on staying at NASA through the Artemis III mission when we will again land astronauts on the moon. However, recently there was a shift in the schedule and the moon landing is now scheduled for September 2026. I’m reassessing and will likely retire after the crewed Artemis II Mission in September 2025.
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In this Issue
Is Home Inspecting a Good Career?
Stand Out in a Stagnant Market
Giving Back
Code Conundrums: Foundation Anchorage
Postcards from the Field
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