$1.$ Why he might be feeling that way. Exploring space seems like an intrinsically motivating job$$why is he not feeling that sentiment$?$

$1.$ I believe the reason being is there is a routine that anyone can fall into. Yes, it$$s exciting to be where no man has gone before but the journey is probably highly monotonous. It wouldn$$t feel rewarding to do the same thing with little to no reward. You fill the time and gaps with some sort of excitement but even when your heart is in it and you don$$t see progress then it$$s easy to lose hope.

$2.$ In high school one of my least favorite sports to train for was wrestling because the routine was to push yourself to exhaustion every day $6$ days a week. The discipline to do the things you don$$t want to $...$ is and was not a very rewarding experience. If you were to ask me why I continued a sport that felt unrewarding $...$ I don$$t think I can answer still to this day.

$2.$ Is his malaise likely to be an ebb and flow in his feelings toward work, or something more persistent? What could he do to regain a sense of motivation? $(*$q$1$&$2$ are about motivating the self $)$

$1.$ Its about something more persistent. There is a book called $$flow$$ by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi that explains that even with the most monotonous tasks you can still get yourself in a state that drives purpose and self$-$fulfillment. It$$s important to work on finding even the simple tasks meaningful to add value and purpose to one$$s life.

$3.$ Let's switch to the perspective of leaders $($motivating others$).$ What are some techniques and theories that leaders use to motivate employees to achieve a desired action or goal?

$1.$ There is the Equity Theory $($Developed by J$.$ Stacy Adams$)$ where equity theory suggests that individuals are motivated by a sense of fairness and equity in the workplace. Leaders should ensure that there is perceived fairness in the distribution of rewards and recognition.

$2.$ Also, Recognition and Rewards where simple gestures like acknowledging hard work, providing regular feedback, and offering tangible rewards can boost motivation. Recognizing achievements publicly can also contribute to a positive workplace culture.