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By NASA
“I would say family and part of that ‘first-gen experience’ [shaped me]. Being born in the U.S. gave me a lot of opportunities that my family and parents were robbed of because of situations in their home country. It shaped me to be a hard worker and to aspire to large things because not only was it my goal at this point, but it was also my parents’ aspiration.
“I feel that a lot of their pride comes from their kids. That pushes me to be a better employee or to want to do better for myself because I know that they’ve made a lot of sacrifices for me while I was building up to becoming an engineer. Now that I’ve accomplished my goal, it’s very important for me to always thank them and be a grateful person.
“Culture also shaped me. Coming from a minority background, and I’m only familiar with the Hispanic culture, it was an education-first mindset…and very supportive. I think that’s important. When I do outreach, I always like to share my experiences because sometimes, people don’t realize how much impact they can have, like the teacher who told me about [a NASA] internship. She didn’t know that was going to be my career. Or, my mom staying up with me during late night study sessions when I was like, ‘I can’t be an engineer’ and failed a test and she was like, ‘No, you can do it. I believe in you.’
“It might not be memorable for the person who [says it], but it was super important for my motivation to keep going. So, [online, I am that voice for] first-gen motivation.”
– Zaida Hernandez, Engineer, Lunar Architecture Team, NASA Johnson Space Center
Image Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford
Interviewer: NASA/Tahira Allen
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By NASA
“When I was around 16 or 17, I came across this book by Arthur C. Clarke called Space Odyssey 2001. That was actually the first science fiction book that I’ve ever read. I was just so captured by what he had written because the things that he wrote about weren’t [happening] in the far-off future, but in the year 2001. In the book, he talks about a lot about space stations, and space shuttles that go up to the space station, and vehicles that go to the Moon or the Moon base, and all that. I mean, these are terms that you hear now all the time, right? And Arthur C. Clarke actually envisioned it at that time. So that was interesting to me. I hoped that someday I could work on something like that.
“In terms of my education, I was actually going to go into the space engineering, but then someone advised me that mechanical engineering would give me a broader background. So I followed the advice, and it was the right thing to do. I ended up learning a lot of things, not just mechanical engineering but also a lot about electrical engineering and systems engineering at the same time.
“…Then an opportunity came with NASA. It was at that time that they started talking about the space station. Ronald Reagan at that time was the President, and he proposed this initiative to develop the space station. At that time, he called the space station ‘Freedom.’
“I thought, ‘Wow, what an exciting concept; it would be great if I could work on that.’
“And of course, one thing led to another, and [I ended up working on the International Space Station.] So you never know what you’re going to end up doing.
“I believe in synchronicity sometimes. The things that you do, one way or another, lead to your final destination. Some invisible forces push you in that direction. When you look back, you realize that everything fits together.”
— Douglas Wong, Systems Engineer, ISS CRS Visiting Vehicle Safety & Mission Assurance Integration Focal, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
Image Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford
Interviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos
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By NASA
Chris Barnett-Woods is shown at the E-1 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where NASA Stennis accelerates the exploration and commercialization of space and innovates to benefit NASA and industry.NASA/Danny Nowlin Chris Barnett-Woods’ favorite movie growing up – Back to the Future – led him to dream of one day building a DeLorean automobile. Instead, the electrical engineer is doing something never imagined as he helps NASA support the commercialization of space for the benefit of all.
“If there is any interest, always apply to work at a place like NASA because you never know where it will take you,” said Barnett-Woods, who is approaching two decades of work at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. “In college, I never thought I would work for NASA. I thought it was a far-off fantasy and could not be a reality. Turns out, it was closer than I thought.”
The Diamondhead, Mississippi, resident is in his 10th year as a NASA engineer and 17th overall at NASA Stennis, following seven years as a contractor before joining NASA.
Barnett-Woods is the electrical lead and instrumentation engineer at the E-1 Test Stand. It has four test cell positions and is a part of the versatile four-stand E Test Complex at NASA Stennis. Overall, the complex includes 12 active test cell positions capable of various component, engine, and stage test activities.
He describes the customer-focused approach at E-1 as a fast-paced workflow in a constant phase of testing while always keeping safety at the forefront.
“Safety is priority number one, followed by collecting data to help our customers,” said Barnett-Woods. “We ensure everyone goes home in the condition they entered. There is no hesitation that if we are entering an unsafe process or configuration, we will stop right there and make sure we are doing it the right way.”
A typical day for the engineer includes running a system calibration, which ensures all sensors on the facility and test article are reading accurately, followed by red line checks.
The red line checks help maintain a safe work environment in the event a pressure or temperature goes too high. If that were to happen, this process will safely shut down the engine.
Once checks are complete, the hot fire test begins with flowing fuel and oxidizer through the test article to facilitate firing and record data. The data tells the story of performance and allows for design analysis as engineers determine the most optimal way to run the test article.
“It is a fun environment,” the NASA engineer said. “We have a lot of very dedicated people that know the job, love the job, and would do nearly anything for it. We are one big, happy team, like family.”
A hot fire can range between one second to 200 seconds, depending on what is tested. The 2023 NASA Silver Achievement Medal recipient has supported hundreds of hot fires for commercial customers, including companies brand new to the aerospace industry and those more experienced that are looking for specific parameters.
“NASA Stennis is a one-of-a-kind facility in the world,” Barnett-Woods said. “This is the only place where we can do a ground level test of an actual engine hot fire and if you like rockets, this is the place to be.”
For information about NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit:
Stennis Space Center – NASA
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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Coby Asselin, from left, Adam Curry, and L. J. Hantsche set up the data acquisition systems used during testing of a senor to determine parachute canopy material strength at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The sensor tests seek to quantify the limits of the material to improve computer models and make more reliable supersonic parachutes.NASA/Genaro Vavuris Landing rovers and helicopters on Mars is a challenge. It’s an even bigger challenge when you don’t have enough information about how the parachutes are enduring strain during the descent to the surface. Researchers at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, are experimenting with readily available, highly elastic sensors that can be fixed to a parachute during testing to provide the missing data.
Knowing how the canopy material stretches during deployment can enhance safety and performance by quantifying the limits of the fabric and improving existing computer models for more reliable parachutes for tasks such as landing astronauts on Earth or delivering scientific instruments and payloads to Mars. This is the work Enhancing Parachutes by Instrumenting the Canopy, or EPIC, seeks to advance the ability to measure the strain on a parachute.
“We are aiming to prove which sensors will work for determining the strain on parachute canopy material without compromising it,” said L.J. Hantsche, project manager. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate funds the team’s work through the Early Career Initiative project.
Starting with 50 potential sensor candidates, the team narrowed down and tested 10 kinds of different sensors, including commercially available and developmental sensors. The team selected the three most promising sensors for continued testing. Those include a silicone-based sensor that works by measuring a change in storage of electrical charge as the sensor is stretched. It is also easy to attach to data recording systems, Hantsche explained. The second sensor is a small, stretchable braided sensor that measures the change in electrical storage. The third sensor is made by printing with a metallic ink onto a thin and pliable plastic.
The test team prepares a test fixture with a nylon fabric sample at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The fabric in the test fixture forms a bubble when pressure is applied to the silicone bladder underneath. A similar test can be performed with a sensor on the fabric to verify the sensor will work when stretched in three dimensions.NASA/Genaro Vavuris Pressure is applied to a test fixture with a nylon fabric sample until it fails at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The fabric in the test fixture forms a bubble when pressure is applied to the silicone bladder underneath. In this frame, the silicone bladder is visible underneath the torn fabric after it was inflated to failure. A similar test can be performed with a sensor on the fabric to verify the sensor will work when stretched in three dimensions.NASA/Genaro Vavuris Determining methods to bond each of the sensors to super thin and slippery canopy material was hard, Hantsche said. Once the team figured out how to attach the sensors to the fabric, they were ready to begin testing.
“We started with uniaxial testing, where each end of the parachute material is secured and then pulled to failure,” she said. “The test is important because the stretching of the sensor causes its electrical response. Determining the correlation of strain and the sensor response when it is on the fabric is one of our main measurement goals.”
This stage of testing was accomplished in partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. A high-speed version of this test, which simulates the speed of the parachute deployment, was performed at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.
The team used a bubble test for the sensors, which simulates testing of a 3D parachute. It consists of the fabric sample and a silicone membrane sandwiched between a four-inch-diameter ring and the test structure. When it is pressurized from the inside, the silicone membrane expands the fabric and sensor into a bubble shape. The test is used to validate the sensor’s performance as it bends and is compared to the other test results.
Erick Rossi De La Fuente, from left, John Rudy, L. J. Hantsche, Adam Curry, Jeff Howell, Coby Asselin, Benjamin Mayeux, and Paul Bean pose with a test fixture, material, sensor, and data acquisition systems at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The sensor tests seek to quantify the limits of the material to improve computer models and make more reliable supersonic parachutes.NASA/Genaro Vavuris With the EPIC project nearing completion, follow-on work could include temperature tests, developing the data acquisition system for flight, determining if the sensor can be packed with a parachute without adverse effects, and operating the system in flight. The EPIC team is also working with researchers at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to flight test their sensors later this year using the center’s drone test, which drops a capsule with a parachute.
In addition, the EPIC team is partnering with the Entry Systems Modeling Group at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley to propose an all-encompassing parachute project aimed at better understanding parachutes through modeling and test flights. The collaborative NASA project may result in better parachutes that are safer and more dependable for the approaching era of exploration.
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Last Updated Jun 27, 2024 Related Terms
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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Danielle Koch, an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, was honored by the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio as a 2024 Woman of Distinction. She accepted the award during a ceremony on May 16. Credit: Girl Scouts of North East Ohio/Andrew Jordan You’d think a NASA aerospace engineer who spends her days inside a giant dome researching how to make plane engines quieter and spacecraft systems more efficient would have a pretty booked schedule. Still, advocacy and mentoring, especially for women and girls in STEM, is something Danielle Koch always tries to say yes to.
For decades, Koch has tutored students, volunteered as a mentor for engineering challenges, and engaged Pre-K through Ph.D. classes with stories from her career at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Koch also works to recruit women and others from underrepresented groups to the field and find ways to remove barriers to their advancement.
For her efforts, Koch was recently recognized by the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio as a 2024 Woman of Distinction. The award, presented to Koch during a ceremony on May 16, celebrates women whose leadership contributes to the community, providing girls with positive role models. Koch says that diverse people and programs have similarly shaped her own career path.
“None of this is anything I’ve done myself; there are huge groups of people who are making change and making things better for all of us,” Koch said. “Every story I tell about me being a woman at NASA is really a story about them.”
Danielle Koch (right) is an aerospace engineer in the Acoustics Branch at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, where she works to make flight quieter and spacecraft systems more efficient.Credit: NASA/Jef Janis A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Case Western Reserve University, Koch began her career as a test engineer at NASA Glenn in 1990 as the only woman in her work group. While there were women around her, Koch says she did not see many senior-level female engineers or scientists “working ahead of her.” With determination and the “rock-solid” support of colleagues, family, and friends, Koch forged ahead, becoming a research aerospace engineer in NASA Glenn’s Acoustics Branch in 1998.
“She’s somebody that goes above and beyond almost all of the time, while using her knowledge and career to bring others up to her level,” said John Lucero, Koch’s supervisor and the chief of the Acoustics Branch at NASA Glenn.
Koch realized the landscape around her was evolving in 2016 when she sat down in one of NASA Glenn’s biggest conference rooms for the center’s annual Women Ignite workshop. It was the first time she’d seen the space entirely filled with women.
“It was striking,” Koch said. “Learning from each other and being visible to each other, it’s so huge.”
Koch points to insights gleaned from these workshops — which are focused on networking, skill-building, and empowerment — as propelling her forward, along with the center’s Women in STEM Leadership Development Program, launched to help the women of NASA Glenn connect and grow as leaders.
NASA Glenn Research Center aerospace engineer Danielle Koch gives a tour of the Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory to a group of students in 2017.Credit: NASA/Marvin Smith Koch also spotlights the value of the Women at Glenn employee resource group, which organizes events and panels, shares job and volunteer opportunities, and provides a platform for addressing issues in the workplace.
“The employee resource group offers a great sense of community for women at the center,” said Women at Glenn co-chair and aerospace engineer Christine Pastor-Barsi. “When you feel like you’re unique, it’s good to know that there are others out there like you, even if you don’t always see them in the room.”
Koch says she’ll continue working as a mentor in the community and advocating for the diverse range of people who choose to take the leap into the STEM fields.
“It’s difficult to be the only one that’s visibly different in a room; it changes the way you communicate, the way you’re perceived,” Koch said. “It’s really important to reach out to people who are different from us and invite them to consider engineering as a career. We all benefit when we work with someone who’s different from ourselves.”
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Learn about the Girls in STEM program at NASA Glenn, designed to inspire middle school students’ interest in STEM fields. The event features women working in STEM fields at NASA Glenn, an engaging STEM activity, and tours of NASA Glenn facilities. Continue celebrating International Women in Engineering Day with more inspiring stories of Women at NASA. Explore content from NASA’s observance of Women’s History Month. Discover how to engage with NASA experts. Explore More
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