Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site
Advancing Elastocaloric Refrigeration through Co-design of Materials and Systems
-
Similar Topics
-
By NASA
Throughout the life cycles of missions, Goddard engineer Noosha Haghani has championed problem-solving and decision-making to get to flight-ready projects.
Name: Noosha Haghani
Title: Plankton Aerosol Clouds and Ecosystem (PACE) Deputy Mission Systems Engineer
Formal Job Classification: Electrical engineer
Organization: Engineering and Technology Directorate, Mission Systems Engineering Branch (Code 599)
Noosha Haghani is a systems engineer for the Plankton Aerosol Clouds and Ecosystem (PACE) mission at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Credit: NASA What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard?
As the PACE deputy mission systems engineer, we solve problems every day, all day long. An advantage I have is that I have been on this project from the beginning.
Why did you become an engineer? What is your educational background?
I was always very good at math and science. Both of my parents are engineers. I loved building with Legos and solving puzzles. Becoming an engineer was a natural progression for me.
I have a BS in electrical engineering and a master’s in reliability engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. I had completed all my course work for my Ph.D. as well but never finished due to family obligations.
How did you come to Goddard?
As a freshman in college, I interned at Goddard. After graduation, I worked in industry for a few years. In 2002, I returned to Goddard because I realized that what we do at Goddard is so much more unique and exciting to me.
My mother also works at Goddard as a software engineer, so I am a second-generation Goddard employee. Early on in my career, my mother and I met for lunch occasionally. Now I am just too busy to even schedule lunch.
Describe the advantages you have in understanding a system which you have worked on from the original design through build and testing?
I came to the PACE project as the architect of an avionics system called MUSTANG, a set of hardware electronics that performs the function of the avionics of the mission including command and data handling, power, attitude control, and more. As the MUSTANG lead, I proposed an architecture for the PACE spacecraft which the PACE manager accepted, so MUSTANG is the core architecture for the PACE spacecraft. I led the team in building the initial hardware and then moved into my current systems engineering role.
Knowing the history of a project is an advantage in that it teaches me how the system works. Understanding the rationale of the decision making we made over the years helps me to better appreciate why we built the system way we did.
How would you describe your problem-solving techniques?
A problem always manifests as some incorrect reading or some failure in a test, which I refer to as evidence of the problem. Problem solving is basically looking at the evidence and figuring out what is causing the problem. You go through certain paths to determine if your theory matches the evidence. It requires a certain level of understanding of the system we have built. There are many components to the observatory including hardware and software that could be implicated. We compartmentalize the problem and try to figure out the root cause systematically. Sometimes we must do more testing to get the problem to recreate itself and provide more evidence.
As a team lead, how do you create and assign an investigation plan?
As a leader, I divide up the responsibilities of the troubleshooting investigation. We are a very large team. Each individual has different roles and responsibilities. I am the second-highest ranking technical authority for the mission, so I can be leading several groups of people on any given day, depending on the issue.
The evidence presented to us for the problem will usually implicate a few subsystems. We pull in the leads for these subsystems and associated personnel and we discuss the problem. We brainstorm. We decide on investigation and mitigation strategies. We then ask the Integration and Test team to help carry out our investigation plan.
As a systems engineer, how do you lead individuals who do not report to you or through your chain of command?
I am responsible for the technical integrity of the mission. As a systems engineer, these individuals do not work for me. They themselves answer to a line manager who is not in my chain of command. I lead them through influencing them.
I use leadership personality and mutual respect to guide the team and convince them that the method we have chosen to solve the problem is the best method. Because I have a long history with the project, and was with this system from the drawing board, I generally understand how the system works. This helps me guide the team to finding the root cause of any problem.
How do you lead your team to reach consensus?
Everything is a team effort. We would be no where without the team. I want to give full credit to all the teams.
You must respect members of your team, and each team member must respect you as a leader. I first try to gather and learn as much as possible about the work, what it takes to do the work, understanding the technical aspects of the work and basically understanding the technical requirements of the hardware. I know a little about all the subsystems, but I rely on my subsystem team leads who are the subject matter experts.
The decision on how to build the system falls on the Systems Team. The subject matter experts provide several options and define risks associated with each. We then make a decision based on the best technical solution for the project that falls within the cost/schedule and risk posture.
If my subject matter experts and I do not agree, we go back and forth and work together as a team to come to a consensus on how to proceed. Often we all ask many questions to help guide out path. The team is built on mutual respect and good communication. When we finally reach a decision, almost everyone agrees because of our collaboration, negotiation and sometimes compromise.
What is your favorite saying?
Better is the enemy of good enough. You must balance perfectionism with reality.
How do you balance perfectionism with reality to make a decision?
Goddard has a lot of perfectionists. I am not a perfectionist, but I have high expectations. Goddard has a lot of conservatism, but conservatism alone will not bring a project to fruition.
There is a level of idealism in design that says that you can always improve on a design. Perfection is idealistic. You can analyze something on paper forever. Ultimately, even though I am responsible for the technical aspects only, we still as a mission must maintain cost and schedule. We could improve a design forever but that would take time and money away from other projects. We need to know when we have built something that is good enough, although maybe not perfect.
In the end, something on paper is great, but building and testing hardware is fundamental in order to proceed. Occasionally the decisions we make take some calculated risk. We do not always have all the facts and furthermore we do not always have the time to wait for all the facts. We must at some point make a decision based on the data we have.
Ultimately a team lead has to make a judgement call. The answer is not in doing bare minimum or cutting corners to get the job done, but rather realizing what level of effort is the right amount to move forward.
Why is the ability to make a decision one of your best leadership qualities?
There is a certain level of skill in being able to make a decision. If you do not make a decision, at some point that inability to make a decision becomes a decision. You have lost time and nothing gets built.
My team knows that if they come to me, I will give them a path forward to execute. No one likes to be stuck in limbo, running in circles. A lot of people in a project want direction so that they can go forward and implement that decision. The systems team must be able to make decisions so that the team can end up with a finished, launchable project.
One of my main jobs is to access risk. Is it risky to move on? Or do I need to investigate further? We have a day-by-day risk assessment decision making process which decides whether or not we will move on with the activities of that day.
As an informal mentor, what is the most important advice you give?
Do not give up. Everything will eventually all click together.
What do you like most about your job?
I love problem solving. I thrive in organized chaos. Every day we push forward, complete tasks. Every day is a reward because we are progressing towards our launch date.
Who inspires you?
The team inspires me. They make me want to come to work every day and do a little bit better. My job is very stressful. I work a lot of hours. What motivates me to continue is that there are other people doing the same thing, they are amazing. I respect each of them so much.
What do you do for fun?
I like to go to the gym and I love watching my son play sports. I enjoy travel and I love getting immersed in a city of a different country.
By Elizabeth M. Jarrell
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage.
Share
Details
Last Updated Oct 08, 2024 EditorMadison OlsonContactRob Garnerrob.garner@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related Terms
People of Goddard Earth Goddard Space Flight Center PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem) People of NASA Explore More
6 min read Astrophysicist Gioia Rau Explores Cosmic ‘Time Machines’
Article 7 days ago 8 min read Julie Rivera Pérez Bridges Business, STEM to ‘Make the Magic Happen’
Article 2 weeks ago 5 min read Rob Gutro: Clear Science in the Forecast
Article 3 weeks ago View the full article
-
By NASA
A preview image of the Minecraft world inspired by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: Minecraft NASA invites gamers, educators, and students to grab their pickaxe and check out its latest collaboration with Minecraft exploring a new world inspired by the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope. The partnership allows creators to experience NASA’s discoveries with interactive modules on star formation, planets, and galaxy types, modeled using real Webb images.
The James Webb Space Telescope Challenges were developed to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and technicians. Through the game, students can immerse themselves in the science and technology behind Webb, deepening their understanding of NASA’s mission and sparking an interest in the real-world applications of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
“We’re thrilled to bring the wonders and science of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope into the hands of the Artemis Generation through this exciting Minecraft collaboration,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “This collaboration is yet another way anyone can join NASA as we explore the secrets of the universe and solve the world’s most complex problems, making space exploration engaging for learners of all ages.”
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope launched to space Dec. 25, 2021, and has gone on to make detailed observations of the planets within our own solar system, peer into the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars outside our solar system, and capture images and spectra of the most distant galaxies ever detected.
“NASA’s collaboration with Minecraft allows players to experience the excitement of one of the most ambitious space missions ever,” said Mike Davis, Webb project manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “No matter where Webb looks, it sees something intriguing, setting the stage for amazing discoveries yet to come. As people explore the Minecraft world of Webb, we hope they will be inspired to carry that interest further and maybe someday help NASA build future space telescopes.”
Webb is the world’s premier space science observatory. The space telescope is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement provides unique opportunities for students to learn about STEM. In 2023, NASA partnered with Minecraft on an Artemis Challenge where users could build and launch a rocket, guide their Orion spacecraft, and even establish a lunar base alongside their team. Through collaboration with partners such as Microsoft, NASA can share the excitement of space exploration with even more students who are part of the Artemis Generation.
Learn more about how NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement is inspiring the next generation of explorers at:
https://www.nasa.gov/stem
View the full article
-
By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
A major component of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope just took a spin on the centrifuge at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Called the Outer Barrel Assembly, this piece of the observatory is designed to keep the telescope at a stable temperature and shield it from stray light.
This structure, called the Outer Barrel Assembly, will surround and protect NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from stray light that could interfere with its observations. In this photo, engineers prepare the assembly for testing.NASA/Chris Gunn The two-part spin test took place in a large, round test chamber. Stretching across the room, a 600,000-pound (272,000-kilogram) steel arm extends from a giant rotating bearing in the center of the floor.
The test itself is like a sophisticated version of a popular carnival attraction, designed to apply centrifugal force to the rider — in this case, the outer covering for Roman’s telescope. It spun up to 18.4 rotations per minute. That may not sound like much, but it generated force equivalent to just over seven times Earth’s gravity, or 7 g, and sent the assembly whipping around at 80 miles per hour.
“We couldn’t test the entire Outer Barrel Assembly in the centrifuge in one piece because it’s too large to fit in the room,” said Jay Parker, product design lead for the assembly at Goddard. The structure stands about 17 feet (5 meters) tall and is about 13.5 feet (4 meters) wide. “It’s designed a bit like a house on stilts, so we tested the ‘house’ and ‘stilts’ separately.”
The “stilts” went first. Technically referred to as the elephant stand because of its similarity to structures used in circuses, this part of the assembly is designed to surround Roman’s Wide Field Instrument and Coronagraph Instrument like scaffolding. It connects the upper portion of the Outer Barrel Assembly to the spacecraft bus, which will maneuver the observatory to its place in space and support it while there. The elephant stand was tested with weights attached to it to simulate the rest of the assembly’s mass.
This photo shows a view from inside the Outer Barrel Assembly for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The inner rings, called baffles, will help protect the observatory’s primary mirror from stray light.NASA/Chris Gunn Next, the team tested the “house” — the shell and a connecting ring that surround the telescope. These parts of the assembly will ultimately be fitted with heaters to help ensure the telescope’s mirrors won’t experience wide temperature swings, which make materials expand and contract.
To further protect against temperature fluctuations, the Outer Barrel Assembly is mainly made of two types of carbon fibers mixed with reinforced plastic and connected with titanium end fittings. These materials are both stiff (so they won’t warp or flex during temperature swings) and lightweight (reducing launch demands).
If you could peel back the side of the upper portion –– the house’s “siding” –– you’d see another weight-reducing measure. Between inner and outer panels, the material is structured like honeycomb. This pattern is very strong and lowers weight by hollowing out portions of the interior.
Designed at Goddard and built by Applied Composites in Los Alamitos, California, Roman’s Outer Barrel Assembly was delivered in pieces and then put together in a series of crane lifts in Goddard’s largest clean room. It was partially disassembled for centrifuge testing, but will now be put back together and integrated with Roman’s solar panels and Deployable Aperture Cover at the end of the year.
In 2025, these freshly integrated components will go through thermal vacuum testing together to ensure they will withstand the temperature and pressure environment of space. Then they’ll move to a shake test to make sure they will hold up against the vibrations they’ll experience during launch. Toward the end of next year, they will be integrated with rest of the observatory.
To virtually tour an interactive version of the telescope, visit:
https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/interactive
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech/IPAC in Southern California, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are BAE Systems, Inc in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.
By Ashley Balzer
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Media Contact:
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
301-286-1940
Share
Details
Last Updated Oct 08, 2024 EditorJamie AdkinsContactClaire Andreoli Related Terms
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Goddard Space Flight Center Science-enabling Technology Technology Explore More
2 min read Tech Today: Spraying for Food Safety
Article 19 hours ago 5 min read NASA: New Insights into How Mars Became Uninhabitable
NASA’s Curiosity rover, currently exploring Gale crater on Mars, is providing new details about how…
Article 20 hours ago 2 min read Hubble Observes a Peculiar Galaxy Shape
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image reveals the galaxy, NGC 4694. Most galaxies fall into…
Article 4 days ago View the full article
-
By NASA
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
President and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation Jose Antonio Tijerino, left, and NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, sign a Space Act Agreement between the HHF and NASA to collaborate and expand STEM opportunities for Latino K-12 and university students and reduce barriers to agency activities and opportunities, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington.NASA/Bill Ingalls During an event at NASA Headquarters in Washington Monday, the agency and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation signed a Space Act Agreement to collaborate and expand STEM opportunities for Latino K-12 and university students and reduce barriers to agency activities and opportunities.
The signing is the latest in a series of efforts by NASA to expand access to STEM education for underrepresented communities across the nation.
“Through this agreement, NASA and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation are not just formalizing a partnership; we are igniting a commitment to innovation that will shape the future of our endeavors,” said Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “This initiative will help build a diverse future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce, showcasing our commitment to making America’s space agency accessible to all.”
As part of the agreement, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation will incorporate NASA STEM education resources, content, and themes into its Latinos on the Fast Track (LOFT) program, which aims to connect, inspire, and empower young Latino professionals and college students on their career journey. In turn, NASA will provide access to aerospace STEM education professionals to support technical reviews for the development of new curriculum materials and facilitate information sharing with NASA experts and mentors who will lead presentations and workshops to expose students to STEM careers.
“The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is thrilled to partner with NASA to expand STEM opportunities and expose Latinos to career pathways in aerospace and space travel,” said Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. “This innovative partnership with NASA will allow us to expand our mission even beyond our planet!”
While initial efforts will be led by NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, the umbrella agreement also allows for further collaboration and partnership in the future. Specifically, the agency and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation will look to support certain areas of NASA’s Equity Action Plan.
NASA works to explore the secrets of the universe and solve the world’s most complex problems, which requires creating space for all people to participate in and learn from its work in space. Providing access to opportunities where young minds can be curious and see themselves potentially at NASA and beyond is how the agency will continue to inspire the next generation of STEM innovators.
For more information on how NASA inspires students to pursue STEM visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources
Share
Details
Last Updated Sep 30, 2024 Related Terms
General Explore More
3 min read NASA’s BioSentinel Studies Solar Radiation as Earth Watches Aurora
Article 4 days ago 9 min read SARP West 2024 Oceans Group
Article 5 days ago 10 min read SARP West 2024 Whole Air Sampling (WAS) Group
Article 5 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics
Missions
Humans in Space
Climate Change
Solar System
View the full article
-
By Space Force
Delta 8 recently partnered with the JCO cell integrate Space Cockpit-customized dashboards into their COP on their operations floors providing them a tailored approach to domain awareness and to set specific alert parameters to bring their attention quickly to an asset that may be at risk.
View the full article
-
-
Check out these Videos
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.