- All
- General
Wednesday July 25, 2007
Notes From An Aerospace Engineer
This note was written by Michael Zedd.
I am a volunteer officer of the American Astronautical Society (AAS). Through my participation in the affairs of the society, I learned more about our association with SEDS. My venture to strengthen the bonds between our organizations begins by participating in this blog.
Kirk asked me to write a few paragraphs about where I work and what I do.
In early July 2007 I achieved 25 years with the same employer: the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC. I have always been an analyst within the spacecraft department. I followed a technical path, with a short stint as a technical manager.
I chose to work here because an engineer can participate in the same project from cradle to grave: the proposal, the design, the analysis, the build, the testing, the launch preparation, and the flight operations of spacecraft. I have participated in all portions of this list for several spacecraft and some portions for other spacecraft.
My interests are in designing orbits to accomplish the mission goals, maneuver planning to transfer the spacecraft from rocket injection to mission orbit, the flight operations to specify the burn attitude and duration, and the orbit determination to figure out where the previous burns placed us before retargeting the remaining burn(s).
The Naval Research Laboratory calls itself the corporate research laboratory for the Navy. There are many science and engineering specialists supporting the fleet, the Department of Defense, and other national organizations.
I am an active member of the AAS and lifetime member at the Associate Fellow grade of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
By the way, in 2003 I was accepted into the docent training program for the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy National Air & Space Museum located about 5 miles south of the Dulles Airport terminal. I lead tours of the museum every other Sunday. All docents for all Smithsonian museums are volunteers.
Posted by mzedd [General] ( July 25, 2007 01:14 PM ) Permalink
Hi Michael. Thanks for daring to make the first post. Now let's see if you get an email to notify you of the first comment...
Posted by Kirk on July 25, 2007 at 02:30 PM EDT #
If I am the first one to comment on the first post of this site, Kirk is to blame ;)
Your story and your work is fascinating. I am currently considering a masters/phd in orbital dynamics at McGill with Dr. Arun Misra. Also hypersonic propulsion with Dr. Sislian at UTIAS. I'm having a hell of a time. Any coments?
-mike
Posted by Michael Jensen on July 26, 2007 at 11:27 AM EDT #
Hello sir,I am Sandeep from India.Is there any oppurtunity for undergraduate students for astronaut training in US or any contests for Indian students(International) in US.I shall be greatly thankful to you,if you provide me the relevant information.Hope to hear from you soon.Thank you.
Posted by Sandeep Sagar on July 27, 2007 at 02:45 PM EDT #
for Michael Jensen
Thanks for the compliments. Arun and I know of one another through conference attendance and participation as AAS leaders. What exactly are you having a hell of time doing? I’ll interpret this a positive statement, such as life is great and I am so happy in aerospace looking forward to grad school. (Let me know if this is a negative statement.) I saw your SEDS website, photo, and read of your unique interest in the arts.
I offer that you pause to think about where you want to be in five years (and arguably 10 years and your career). Writing down your goals and looking back at that piece of paper will help you decide if opportunities you earn and choices you make are going to help you reach your goal. Of course you can have separate sheets for professional, personal, etc. goals.
I do not know how soon you will graduate, however a co-op or intern program during school may help you see good things and not-so-good things about work and the specific organization you are working for.
You might enjoy sections of Jim Longuski’s book Advice to Rocket Scientists.
Posted by Michael Zedd on August 02, 2007 at 07:55 AM EDT #
for Sandeep
I do not know of opportunity for undergraduate students for astronaut training in the US. If you mean to ask how do you get into the NASA astronaut candidate school, the answer is you apply for the school. I am certain information is available on the NASA web site on the application and qualification process.
What kind of U.S. contests do you mean for Indian or international students?
to win entrance in the NASA astronaut program,
to win an expense-paid education to a graduate engineering program
to win a trip to Las Vegas
to win the lottery
I do not know of contests for the first two items. Have you investigated the International Space University?
Posted by Michael Zedd on August 02, 2007 at 07:57 AM EDT #
Hello Mr. Zedd,
Your line of work sounds fascinating, and since I have some interest in orbital dynamics as well, I'd like to ask if you've had formal schooling/training in the field, and if so, where?
Posted by Lavina on August 05, 2007 at 03:06 AM EDT #
Hi Lavina
I did not have formal class work in orbital dynamics. My graduate degree, from the Univ. of Washington, was in Aero & Astro with an emphasis on control systems. I have done little control system work in my professional career! My undergraduate interests were in spacecraft work and dynamics. I worked for 2 years before grad school. Those work experiences suggested controls studies would prepare me for broader opportunities. I really like the orbit work and quickly found my career in that area.
My orbit mechanics knowledge was and is from on-the-job training, co-workers, texts, and papers. Some graduate programs with stronger orbit mechanics:
Univ. of Texas at Austin
Texas A & M
Univ. of Colorado at Boulder
Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Purdue
and others
of course your professors may be able to guide you
By your careful perusing of papers published in
Journal of the Astronautical Sciences
Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics
and the conference papers listed in programs for
AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference
AAS/AIAA Spaceflight Mechanics Meeting
AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference
you will see where “orbit” work is being done.
Posted by Michael Zedd on August 06, 2007 at 12:29 PM EDT #
Thank you!
Posted by Lavina on August 07, 2007 at 08:22 AM EDT #