1 00:00:00,050 --> 00:00:02,560 [Music] 2 00:00:08,750 --> 00:00:04,519 NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory 3 00:00:11,180 --> 00:00:08,760 presents the von Karman lecture a series 4 00:00:13,549 --> 00:00:11,190 of talks by scientists and engineers who 5 00:00:16,319 --> 00:00:13,559 are exploring our planet our solar 6 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:16,329 system and all that lies beyond 7 00:00:25,820 --> 00:00:22,970 [Music] 8 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:25,830 good evening folks wherever you may be I 9 00:00:30,170 --> 00:00:27,930 am Brian White from JPL's Office of 10 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:30,180 Communications in education and welcome 11 00:00:34,790 --> 00:00:32,370 to a special remote edition of our von 12 00:00:37,430 --> 00:00:34,800 Karman series and normally greet you 13 00:00:40,310 --> 00:00:37,440 live from JPL von Karman auditorium 14 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:40,320 hence the name the von Karman series but 15 00:00:45,430 --> 00:00:42,330 here we are reaching out to you from our 16 00:00:47,630 --> 00:00:45,440 respective homes the show must go on 17 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:47,640 this evening we'll be speaking with the 18 00:00:53,119 --> 00:00:49,890 incomparable Tracy drain on how to 19 00:00:55,549 --> 00:00:53,129 become a NASA engineer what does an 20 00:00:57,890 --> 00:00:55,559 engineer do they create they build they 21 00:00:59,410 --> 00:00:57,900 test they solve problems they developed 22 00:01:02,930 --> 00:00:59,420 a plan they ask questions they 23 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:02,940 collaborate and they dream I'd like to 24 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:05,610 point out that Tracy's journey is not 25 00:01:10,940 --> 00:01:08,130 the only journey there is not one set 26 00:01:12,740 --> 00:01:10,950 path to get to NASA but she will be 27 00:01:14,870 --> 00:01:12,750 giving us some guideposts along the way 28 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:14,880 some helpful tips that helped her out on 29 00:01:22,730 --> 00:01:19,530 her journey right now more than ever we 30 00:01:25,130 --> 00:01:22,740 believe in the power of connection if 31 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:25,140 you are watching live on YouTube or 32 00:01:29,209 --> 00:01:27,210 Facebook we want you to be involved in 33 00:01:30,530 --> 00:01:29,219 this discussion ask questions in the 34 00:01:33,020 --> 00:01:30,540 chat and we will get to as many as we 35 00:01:35,510 --> 00:01:33,030 can during this show and if you're not 36 00:01:37,789 --> 00:01:35,520 seeing the chat right now refresh your 37 00:01:40,340 --> 00:01:37,799 browser and if we run into into any 38 00:01:40,670 --> 00:01:40,350 technical challenges now we'll roll with 39 00:01:44,749 --> 00:01:40,680 it 40 00:01:47,420 --> 00:01:44,759 and finally we ask that you stick around 41 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:47,430 to the end we're gonna have a short 42 00:01:50,450 --> 00:01:48,810 little video about some of the other 43 00:01:52,969 --> 00:01:50,460 incredible things that our engineers are 44 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:52,979 up to right now but without further ado 45 00:02:02,029 --> 00:01:56,250 let's meet our NASA engineer Tracy drain 46 00:02:04,249 --> 00:02:02,039 hi Tracy hey Brian thanks for joining us 47 00:02:06,020 --> 00:02:04,259 tonight let's just jump right into it 48 00:02:07,249 --> 00:02:06,030 don't necessarily need to give you an 49 00:02:08,779 --> 00:02:07,259 introduction because this is your path 50 00:02:11,060 --> 00:02:08,789 how did you become a NASA engineer I 51 00:02:12,350 --> 00:02:11,070 want to kind of check in with your early 52 00:02:15,260 --> 00:02:12,360 interest we I'm sure we have some 53 00:02:17,330 --> 00:02:15,270 students watching us here today yeah I 54 00:02:20,030 --> 00:02:17,340 hope that we do I had a lot of early 55 00:02:21,770 --> 00:02:20,040 interest growing up but um a lot of them 56 00:02:23,900 --> 00:02:21,780 were shaped by my mom who is very 57 00:02:26,570 --> 00:02:23,910 interested in science fiction we watched 58 00:02:28,899 --> 00:02:26,580 Star Trek and Star Wars Battlestar 59 00:02:31,009 --> 00:02:28,909 Galactica all of those cool things and 60 00:02:33,949 --> 00:02:31,019 that's part of the reason why I got 61 00:02:35,180 --> 00:02:33,959 interested in science fiction she also 62 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:35,190 like every time it was a shuttle launch 63 00:02:36,929 --> 00:02:35,650 on 64 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:36,939 she would pause and watch it we either 65 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:38,290 sit there and watch it with her super 66 00:02:42,539 --> 00:02:41,170 exciting that's pretty cool actually if 67 00:02:44,130 --> 00:02:42,549 we could bring up image number two we 68 00:02:45,690 --> 00:02:44,140 got a great combination of that go to 69 00:02:47,940 --> 00:02:45,700 the NASA archives you'll find all sorts 70 00:02:51,479 --> 00:02:47,950 of wonderful things what do we have here 71 00:02:53,940 --> 00:02:51,489 Tracey I love this picture this is the 72 00:02:56,369 --> 00:02:53,950 cast of the original Star Trek standing 73 00:02:58,349 --> 00:02:56,379 next to the Space Shuttle enterprise so 74 00:03:01,039 --> 00:02:58,359 two of my very favorite things all mixed 75 00:03:06,119 --> 00:03:01,049 up together it's super cool 76 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:06,129 quick question was this what you wanted 77 00:03:11,789 --> 00:03:10,090 to do when you were young when I was 78 00:03:13,860 --> 00:03:11,799 really little I was interested in a lot 79 00:03:16,020 --> 00:03:13,870 of things I loved arguing with my older 80 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:16,030 brother if you're watching hi Tim and so 81 00:03:20,129 --> 00:03:17,290 I thought for a while that I wanted to 82 00:03:21,839 --> 00:03:20,139 be a liar I also love digging in my 83 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:21,849 grandma's backyard and finding all sorts 84 00:03:25,020 --> 00:03:23,170 of weird things so I thought it might 85 00:03:27,059 --> 00:03:25,030 like to be an archaeologist I love 86 00:03:28,679 --> 00:03:27,069 flying maybe I want to be a pilot but it 87 00:03:30,390 --> 00:03:28,689 was sometime around my junior year of 88 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:30,400 high school when I started to think 89 00:03:34,020 --> 00:03:31,930 about what am I gonna study in college 90 00:03:36,270 --> 00:03:34,030 but I won't want to do that I decided to 91 00:03:37,589 --> 00:03:36,280 go down a space track and I thought that 92 00:03:41,369 --> 00:03:37,599 that could keep me interested for my 93 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:41,379 entire career so it was around high 94 00:03:46,830 --> 00:03:43,530 school that you you really started to 95 00:03:48,180 --> 00:03:46,840 lean into this was it something that you 96 00:03:49,349 --> 00:03:48,190 thought you could do was it something 97 00:03:52,770 --> 00:03:49,359 that you could thought you could get 98 00:03:54,509 --> 00:03:52,780 into right away I wasn't too sure about 99 00:03:57,030 --> 00:03:54,519 that actually I wanted to study 100 00:03:59,009 --> 00:03:57,040 astronomy but I'm old enough that there 101 00:04:01,020 --> 00:03:59,019 was like no real internet back then and 102 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:01,030 I wasn't sure exactly what an astronomer 103 00:04:04,199 --> 00:04:02,650 would do and so I decided that 104 00:04:06,449 --> 00:04:04,209 engineering because I liked 105 00:04:09,210 --> 00:04:06,459 problem-solving and doing puzzles is 106 00:04:11,399 --> 00:04:09,220 something that I knew NASA would need 107 00:04:13,409 --> 00:04:11,409 and I chose mechanical engineering 108 00:04:15,719 --> 00:04:13,419 because just think if I didn't get hired 109 00:04:17,490 --> 00:04:15,729 by NASA or when the aerospace companies 110 00:04:20,149 --> 00:04:17,500 I could still do a lot of things with a 111 00:04:24,779 --> 00:04:20,159 nice broad mechanical engineering degree 112 00:04:25,890 --> 00:04:24,789 okay let's get some of the the public 113 00:04:28,140 --> 00:04:25,900 involved in this a little bit too we've 114 00:04:30,149 --> 00:04:28,150 got two questions one from Nathan on 115 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:30,159 YouTube and one from Lexie Nathan's 116 00:04:34,620 --> 00:04:32,289 asking one of the best degrees and how 117 00:04:36,899 --> 00:04:34,630 high of a degree bachelor's master's PhD 118 00:04:38,580 --> 00:04:36,909 for an engineering job which I'm sure 119 00:04:41,969 --> 00:04:38,590 you can talk about but another question 120 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:41,979 was is astrophysics also a good measure 121 00:04:46,950 --> 00:04:43,330 to pursue if you want to become a NASA 122 00:04:48,690 --> 00:04:46,960 engineer yes so there's a so many 123 00:04:49,629 --> 00:04:48,700 different degrees that you can choose if 124 00:04:51,399 --> 00:04:49,639 you want to be an asset 125 00:04:53,860 --> 00:04:51,409 there's the obvious ones mechanical 126 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:53,870 aerospace electrical there's lots of 127 00:04:58,420 --> 00:04:55,370 Engineers that I knew who studied 128 00:04:59,860 --> 00:04:58,430 physics who studied astrophysics some of 129 00:05:02,050 --> 00:04:59,870 them later got degrees in engineering 130 00:05:05,070 --> 00:05:02,060 not all of them did because a lot of 131 00:05:07,390 --> 00:05:05,080 what you learn to do in school is 132 00:05:08,830 --> 00:05:07,400 problem-solving that the basic 133 00:05:10,570 --> 00:05:08,840 engineering courses are great for that 134 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:10,580 and then when you get to work that's 135 00:05:14,260 --> 00:05:12,289 when you really learn how to do the 136 00:05:16,119 --> 00:05:14,270 specific things that you need to do to 137 00:05:20,649 --> 00:05:16,129 build spacecraft or cars or wherever you 138 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:20,659 end up working okay where did you end up 139 00:05:26,050 --> 00:05:23,810 going to school I went to school at the 140 00:05:28,179 --> 00:05:26,060 University of Kentucky I chose it 141 00:05:29,769 --> 00:05:28,189 because well it was not too far from 142 00:05:32,379 --> 00:05:29,779 home I'm from Louisville Kentucky there 143 00:05:34,390 --> 00:05:32,389 was only about 70 miles away that made 144 00:05:36,010 --> 00:05:34,400 my mom really happy and it was a big 145 00:05:38,529 --> 00:05:36,020 enough school to have a lot of different 146 00:05:40,269 --> 00:05:38,539 majors so if I changed my mind I could 147 00:05:42,490 --> 00:05:40,279 do something else I was in the marching 148 00:05:44,619 --> 00:05:42,500 band and they had a huge like 20 piece 149 00:05:47,350 --> 00:05:44,629 marching band which was super exciting 150 00:05:49,809 --> 00:05:47,360 when I was that age and I chose 151 00:05:50,879 --> 00:05:49,819 mechanical engineering there to start my 152 00:05:53,350 --> 00:05:50,889 path 153 00:05:54,670 --> 00:05:53,360 can we bring up image five we've got a 154 00:05:56,260 --> 00:05:54,680 little bit of Tracy's path right here 155 00:05:58,510 --> 00:05:56,270 it's kind of a Cliff's Notes version of 156 00:06:00,010 --> 00:05:58,520 it but you went to grad school Kentucky 157 00:06:01,809 --> 00:06:00,020 and then there right there and then 158 00:06:02,890 --> 00:06:01,819 let's talk about grad and undergrad a 159 00:06:06,399 --> 00:06:02,900 little bit sorry not grad school 160 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:06,409 undergrad a little bit were you 161 00:06:10,389 --> 00:06:09,050 successful right away I know it's a lot 162 00:06:12,100 --> 00:06:10,399 times people think that being a NASA 163 00:06:13,540 --> 00:06:12,110 engineer means you have to do this from 164 00:06:14,740 --> 00:06:13,550 when you're really young age you got to 165 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:14,750 know it's the only thing you want and 166 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:16,490 you got to be a straight-a student right 167 00:06:20,980 --> 00:06:19,490 away that's right I talk to lots of 168 00:06:22,329 --> 00:06:20,990 college students and the one thing that 169 00:06:24,399 --> 00:06:22,339 I want to make sure they take away is 170 00:06:26,529 --> 00:06:24,409 you don't have to be perfect the entire 171 00:06:29,110 --> 00:06:26,539 time undergrad is a great place to go 172 00:06:30,999 --> 00:06:29,120 learn some lessons and because this was 173 00:06:32,079 --> 00:06:31,009 my first time away from home there's 174 00:06:33,850 --> 00:06:32,089 lots of people there first time away 175 00:06:35,499 --> 00:06:33,860 from home and you're trying to learn all 176 00:06:38,019 --> 00:06:35,509 the stuff and figure out how to be 177 00:06:40,179 --> 00:06:38,029 independent and eat right and get sleep 178 00:06:41,619 --> 00:06:40,189 and not go to too many parties and when 179 00:06:43,899 --> 00:06:41,629 you're doing all of that at once it can 180 00:06:45,999 --> 00:06:43,909 be easy to make some mistakes and in my 181 00:06:49,300 --> 00:06:46,009 least favorite class that year was 182 00:06:51,100 --> 00:06:49,310 chemistry it was a huge class like one 183 00:06:52,929 --> 00:06:51,110 of those auditorium style classes with a 184 00:06:56,290 --> 00:06:52,939 professor way up front if you sit in the 185 00:06:57,999 --> 00:06:56,300 back like I did and I did all the things 186 00:06:59,619 --> 00:06:58,009 wrong it was a really early class I 187 00:07:02,170 --> 00:06:59,629 stayed up late I didn't read the 188 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:02,180 material in advance all the time like so 189 00:07:05,270 --> 00:07:03,090 many bad things 190 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:05,280 and as you would expect I did not do 191 00:07:10,340 --> 00:07:08,250 well as a matter of fact I got a D in 192 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:10,350 that first chemistry class freshmen 193 00:07:14,689 --> 00:07:12,570 first semester I was really fortunate 194 00:07:17,390 --> 00:07:14,699 though because I got an A in everything 195 00:07:20,090 --> 00:07:17,400 else and so I hung on to my scholarship 196 00:07:22,870 --> 00:07:20,100 I like I'm at eyelash I had to keep it 197 00:07:25,850 --> 00:07:22,880 3.3 GPA and I think it was like 3.3 - 198 00:07:27,890 --> 00:07:25,860 Skeets by but then rather than like 199 00:07:29,450 --> 00:07:27,900 freaking out and deciding well 200 00:07:30,290 --> 00:07:29,460 engineering is not for me I totally 201 00:07:31,820 --> 00:07:30,300 messed that one up 202 00:07:34,730 --> 00:07:31,830 I learned that at my school you could 203 00:07:36,770 --> 00:07:34,740 retake up to three classes repeat and 204 00:07:39,170 --> 00:07:36,780 and if you retake up in the three 205 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:39,180 classes if you get a good grade you can 206 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:41,370 drop the first one and it replaces it so 207 00:07:44,510 --> 00:07:42,690 when you look at my college transcript 208 00:07:45,650 --> 00:07:44,520 it looks like I got a 4.0 that first 209 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:45,660 semester but it didn't actually happen 210 00:07:48,650 --> 00:07:47,490 that way so yeah you don't have to be 211 00:07:50,300 --> 00:07:48,660 perfect straight out of the gate you 212 00:07:52,190 --> 00:07:50,310 just got to figure out how to get back 213 00:07:54,940 --> 00:07:52,200 up and correct our mistakes learn from 214 00:07:57,409 --> 00:07:54,950 them and then don't do that again 215 00:07:59,990 --> 00:07:57,419 so you learn this lesson it sounds like 216 00:08:01,730 --> 00:08:00,000 pretty early on in college it took me a 217 00:08:03,830 --> 00:08:01,740 little longer to kind of learn some of 218 00:08:06,260 --> 00:08:03,840 those lessons you're going through 219 00:08:09,409 --> 00:08:06,270 Kentucky and then you had a pretty 220 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:09,419 middle little part of that slide there 221 00:08:15,770 --> 00:08:12,930 is NASA Langley Research Center and how 222 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:15,780 did that come about one of the things I 223 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:17,850 loved yeah right one of the things I 224 00:08:21,140 --> 00:08:20,010 loved about undergrad at UK and I think 225 00:08:23,060 --> 00:08:21,150 this is true in lots of schools right 226 00:08:24,469 --> 00:08:23,070 they encourage engineering students 227 00:08:26,930 --> 00:08:24,479 science students lots of different 228 00:08:29,029 --> 00:08:26,940 students to do internships coops while 229 00:08:30,890 --> 00:08:29,039 you're in school so that you can get a 230 00:08:31,550 --> 00:08:30,900 chance to see what the job is like if 231 00:08:34,130 --> 00:08:31,560 you're gonna like it 232 00:08:35,329 --> 00:08:34,140 and I wandered into the coop office the 233 00:08:37,610 --> 00:08:35,339 beginning at the end of my sophomore 234 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:37,620 year I guess like you do at UK back then 235 00:08:41,570 --> 00:08:39,930 and I thought they would just hand me a 236 00:08:43,250 --> 00:08:41,580 list of options and say here are the 237 00:08:44,660 --> 00:08:43,260 things right here in Kentucky you're 238 00:08:46,250 --> 00:08:44,670 gonna build construction equipment or 239 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:46,260 build printers or you know the things 240 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:48,930 that I saw around me all the time but 241 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:50,970 they asked me so hey what do you want to 242 00:08:55,790 --> 00:08:53,010 do and I'm like well I want to work for 243 00:08:57,890 --> 00:08:55,800 NASA haha what do you actually have but 244 00:08:59,210 --> 00:08:57,900 they had a contact that NASA Langley and 245 00:09:01,310 --> 00:08:59,220 she called me we did a phone interview 246 00:09:02,780 --> 00:09:01,320 and at the end of the interview she's 247 00:09:07,850 --> 00:09:02,790 like yeah sounds great just show up on 248 00:09:10,340 --> 00:09:07,860 me whatever I'm like and so that was my 249 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:10,350 really first foot in the door working 250 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:13,410 for NASA and it was amazing as you could 251 00:09:16,980 --> 00:09:15,370 imagine just walking on 252 00:09:18,590 --> 00:09:16,990 Center and like seeing the NASA signs 253 00:09:21,030 --> 00:09:18,600 are aware knowing they were working on 254 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:21,040 Windtunnel testing in koulev it's just 255 00:09:25,650 --> 00:09:23,250 great 256 00:09:27,930 --> 00:09:25,660 sir you've going to Langley you're 257 00:09:30,630 --> 00:09:27,940 getting this hands-on thing because you 258 00:09:31,890 --> 00:09:30,640 asked you took the initiative and you 259 00:09:33,450 --> 00:09:31,900 said this is what I want to do you were 260 00:09:36,660 --> 00:09:33,460 kind of joking but it never hurts to ask 261 00:09:38,460 --> 00:09:36,670 right and you you've got to move forward 262 00:09:41,220 --> 00:09:38,470 with it are there any advice that you 263 00:09:42,930 --> 00:09:41,230 would give to people wanting a NASA 264 00:09:45,690 --> 00:09:42,940 internship people who are going to be 265 00:09:47,030 --> 00:09:45,700 going on to a NASA internship some fun 266 00:09:50,250 --> 00:09:47,040 lessons that you learned with that 267 00:09:52,829 --> 00:09:50,260 absolutely exactly what she said like no 268 00:09:54,540 --> 00:09:52,839 one's no one's gonna just randomly drop 269 00:09:56,010 --> 00:09:54,550 opportunities in your lap if you don't 270 00:09:58,140 --> 00:09:56,020 ask for them or at least it'll happen 271 00:10:00,120 --> 00:09:58,150 far less often so even if you feel like 272 00:10:02,430 --> 00:10:00,130 a crazy person saying what you want just 273 00:10:04,290 --> 00:10:02,440 go for it all they can say is no but I 274 00:10:06,030 --> 00:10:04,300 might say no but do this and this and 275 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:06,040 then or they might say let me introduce 276 00:10:09,210 --> 00:10:07,330 you to someone else who could get you 277 00:10:11,010 --> 00:10:09,220 there so definitely ask for the things 278 00:10:12,390 --> 00:10:11,020 that you're interested in and I think 279 00:10:14,460 --> 00:10:12,400 while you're interning some of the 280 00:10:16,710 --> 00:10:14,470 obvious things are you know do a good 281 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:16,720 job learn a lot while you're there but 282 00:10:20,820 --> 00:10:18,730 also keep your head up and look around 283 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:20,830 for the cool opportunities that you 284 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:23,170 might find because one of my favorite 285 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:26,410 things about that whole NASA internship 286 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:28,450 experience what didn't even happen on 287 00:10:33,510 --> 00:10:30,850 Langley right I was staying with some 288 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:33,520 other interns and one of them walked 289 00:10:37,500 --> 00:10:35,410 into the living room and said hey I just 290 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:37,510 found out that the Space Shuttle is 291 00:10:43,530 --> 00:10:41,170 launching in 18 hours and if we pack up 292 00:10:50,430 --> 00:10:43,540 and leave like in an hour we could make 293 00:10:51,900 --> 00:10:50,440 it so what we call a image number for me 294 00:10:57,329 --> 00:10:51,910 image number 295 00:10:58,890 --> 00:10:57,339 neat and a couple of the interns that I 296 00:11:00,780 --> 00:10:58,900 went to NASA Langley with and you can 297 00:11:02,310 --> 00:11:00,790 see way in the background that little 298 00:11:03,870 --> 00:11:02,320 building looks small there but that's 299 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:03,880 actually the Vehicle Assembly Building 300 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:06,370 on the day that we were gonna be 301 00:11:10,590 --> 00:11:08,610 watching a shuttle watch and it was just 302 00:11:12,900 --> 00:11:10,600 magnificent that we got to go down there 303 00:11:14,250 --> 00:11:12,910 and it was only because we seized that 304 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:14,260 opportunity in hopped in a car and drove 305 00:11:18,810 --> 00:11:15,730 I thought we were safe some of us stayed 306 00:11:21,060 --> 00:11:18,820 up all night and took turns but it was 307 00:11:22,410 --> 00:11:21,070 it was just experience and then when the 308 00:11:23,699 --> 00:11:22,420 shuttle actually launched I don't know 309 00:11:26,730 --> 00:11:23,709 how many of the people watching have 310 00:11:29,220 --> 00:11:26,740 ever seen a shuttle watch but it is 311 00:11:32,850 --> 00:11:29,230 crazy you're not even that close to it 312 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:32,860 but just the that overwhelming base 313 00:11:38,130 --> 00:11:36,730 sound of the engines going just watch 314 00:11:40,590 --> 00:11:38,140 through your whole body 315 00:11:42,180 --> 00:11:40,600 it feels like it's launching right on 316 00:11:45,630 --> 00:11:42,190 top of you it's pretty cool I think that 317 00:11:49,490 --> 00:11:45,640 might be image number four where oh my 318 00:11:53,850 --> 00:11:49,500 gosh image for immature yes and four 319 00:11:55,769 --> 00:11:53,860 yeah just amazing and for me to have 320 00:11:57,090 --> 00:11:55,779 been a little girl sitting with my mom 321 00:12:00,150 --> 00:11:57,100 in the living room watching the shuttle 322 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:00,160 launches on TV and then to be a NASA 323 00:12:05,610 --> 00:12:03,850 intern down at KSC watching one live was 324 00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:05,620 just such an incredible dream come true 325 00:12:13,949 --> 00:12:08,110 at such a young age so it was phenomenal 326 00:12:15,690 --> 00:12:13,959 I love that idea we're getting a 327 00:12:18,420 --> 00:12:15,700 question right now from Olivia who's 328 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:18,430 asking and we can always refer her back 329 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:20,170 to NASA's website but any internships 330 00:12:27,570 --> 00:12:21,850 are camps available for fifteen-year-old 331 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:27,580 aspiring engineers available I know 332 00:12:31,769 --> 00:12:30,130 about Space Camp which I never got to go 333 00:12:33,870 --> 00:12:31,779 to so jealous of my friends that I never 334 00:12:35,430 --> 00:12:33,880 did but there's Space Camp which is for 335 00:12:38,579 --> 00:12:35,440 kids of all ages up to teens I think 336 00:12:40,650 --> 00:12:38,589 they do it for adults also I know that I 337 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:40,660 used to see high school interns around 338 00:12:43,650 --> 00:12:42,130 the lab but I'm not really sure we do 339 00:12:46,230 --> 00:12:43,660 that much anymore I think it's mainly 340 00:12:48,350 --> 00:12:46,240 for students who are in college but you 341 00:12:52,260 --> 00:12:48,360 guys might know more about that right 342 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:52,270 well yeah go to NASA or get NASA JPL's 343 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:54,130 website you can go to educational 344 00:12:57,870 --> 00:12:55,930 opportunities go to employment 345 00:12:59,970 --> 00:12:57,880 opportunities and you can find those and 346 00:13:03,180 --> 00:12:59,980 ask questions and emails all the time on 347 00:13:05,850 --> 00:13:03,190 those so you get this great internship 348 00:13:07,230 --> 00:13:05,860 you're working at NASA Langley but you 349 00:13:08,910 --> 00:13:07,240 decide to go to grad school if we could 350 00:13:12,810 --> 00:13:08,920 pull up image five again back there on 351 00:13:15,420 --> 00:13:12,820 the end you've got Georgia Tech that's 352 00:13:16,889 --> 00:13:15,430 right I personally just did not feel 353 00:13:18,690 --> 00:13:16,899 ready to be unleashed on the world as a 354 00:13:20,579 --> 00:13:18,700 little baby engineer by the time I 355 00:13:22,530 --> 00:13:20,589 finished my undergrad degree and I had 356 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:22,540 perfect I didn't know how many things I 357 00:13:27,090 --> 00:13:25,450 would break but I had heard that you got 358 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:27,100 a chance if you do grad school and 359 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:28,570 especially if you do a thesis based 360 00:13:32,850 --> 00:13:30,970 graduate degree you get a chance to do a 361 00:13:35,100 --> 00:13:32,860 lot of independent work you can choose 362 00:13:36,390 --> 00:13:35,110 what item you're gonna research you can 363 00:13:38,069 --> 00:13:36,400 work with your advisors and order to 364 00:13:39,689 --> 00:13:38,079 figure out how to do it and it really 365 00:13:41,849 --> 00:13:39,699 for me anyway 366 00:13:43,349 --> 00:13:41,859 shaped my ability to just go out on the 367 00:13:45,449 --> 00:13:43,359 world into the world and really be able 368 00:13:47,460 --> 00:13:45,459 to do all the things I wanted to do so I 369 00:13:49,049 --> 00:13:47,470 chose Georgia Tech to do my master's 370 00:13:52,650 --> 00:13:49,059 degree in mechanical engineering and 371 00:13:54,179 --> 00:13:52,660 spent two years there doing that but 372 00:13:55,769 --> 00:13:54,189 that was something that you knew you 373 00:13:57,659 --> 00:13:55,779 needed to do that wasn't a choice that 374 00:14:00,539 --> 00:13:57,669 was forced upon you wasn't something 375 00:14:02,159 --> 00:14:00,549 that NASA was like hey you gotta come 376 00:14:04,199 --> 00:14:02,169 and get a graduate degree to work here 377 00:14:05,849 --> 00:14:04,209 right that's exactly right 378 00:14:07,499 --> 00:14:05,859 I know that even as a group supervisor 379 00:14:10,079 --> 00:14:07,509 we've hired people with bachelor's 380 00:14:12,030 --> 00:14:10,089 degree master's degree PhDs in the 381 00:14:13,769 --> 00:14:12,040 engineering realm you can kind of be all 382 00:14:16,169 --> 00:14:13,779 over that map I know that if you want to 383 00:14:18,269 --> 00:14:16,179 be a scientist at NASA you certainly 384 00:14:20,099 --> 00:14:18,279 need your PhD to do that it doesn't mean 385 00:14:22,799 --> 00:14:20,109 you can't be an intern as a scientist 386 00:14:27,119 --> 00:14:22,809 but we typically hire scientists who 387 00:14:30,030 --> 00:14:27,129 have their PhD should go to grad school 388 00:14:31,949 --> 00:14:30,040 and if we can bring up image six this is 389 00:14:33,809 --> 00:14:31,959 where you there was a question asked 390 00:14:36,359 --> 00:14:33,819 about what was your first job out of 391 00:14:40,439 --> 00:14:36,369 college uncertain Gaspar Lopez on 392 00:14:43,829 --> 00:14:40,449 Facebook is this it right here where you 393 00:14:45,119 --> 00:14:43,839 are now today this is it so after the 394 00:14:47,009 --> 00:14:45,129 end of my undergrad at University of 395 00:14:48,900 --> 00:14:47,019 Kentucky I spent a summer in Louisville 396 00:14:50,309 --> 00:14:48,910 my hometown working at GE appliances but 397 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:50,319 I knew I was going to grad school and 398 00:14:53,639 --> 00:14:52,410 then near the end of my grad school 399 00:14:56,309 --> 00:14:53,649 degree 400 00:14:59,309 --> 00:14:56,319 JPL came to a career fair and I was 401 00:15:01,139 --> 00:14:59,319 actually because of things that I had 402 00:15:04,439 --> 00:15:01,149 learned and read I was actually looking 403 00:15:06,419 --> 00:15:04,449 for like the private industry booths and 404 00:15:07,139 --> 00:15:06,429 I was about to walk right past and she 405 00:15:08,519 --> 00:15:07,149 gets the old booth 406 00:15:09,629 --> 00:15:08,529 but the recruiter like reach that and 407 00:15:12,119 --> 00:15:09,639 poked me it was like hey aren't you 408 00:15:14,519 --> 00:15:12,129 gonna stop but I'm like what JPL was 409 00:15:16,949 --> 00:15:14,529 it's so embarrassing and even having 410 00:15:19,109 --> 00:15:16,959 worked at Langley for for internship 411 00:15:20,729 --> 00:15:19,119 rotations I had not heard of the Jet 412 00:15:23,099 --> 00:15:20,739 Propulsion Laboratory you know we tend 413 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:23,109 to sometimes think of JPL as NASA at 414 00:15:26,009 --> 00:15:24,970 this monolithic thing and I realize 415 00:15:27,479 --> 00:15:26,019 there are all these different centers 416 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:27,489 all across the country that all had 417 00:15:31,470 --> 00:15:29,410 their own little personalities and so 418 00:15:33,150 --> 00:15:31,480 once the recruiter let me know that JPL 419 00:15:35,279 --> 00:15:33,160 was a center that's a pathfinder on Mars 420 00:15:37,439 --> 00:15:35,289 was like okay little antennae go up oh 421 00:15:39,389 --> 00:15:37,449 is that okay can we talk and after 422 00:15:41,519 --> 00:15:39,399 talking with them for a while leaving my 423 00:15:43,229 --> 00:15:41,529 resume I was very fortunate they forgave 424 00:15:45,449 --> 00:15:43,239 me for not knowing about JPL and I got 425 00:15:47,460 --> 00:15:45,459 to come out to interview really fell in 426 00:15:49,079 --> 00:15:47,470 love with the campus it's just beautiful 427 00:15:50,850 --> 00:15:49,089 here it feels like a college campus I 428 00:15:52,830 --> 00:15:50,860 pretty much had ruled all over every 429 00:15:55,170 --> 00:15:52,840 body they would let me talk 430 00:15:56,820 --> 00:15:55,180 like please give me a job and I was very 431 00:16:00,000 --> 00:15:56,830 fortunate that they made me a job offer 432 00:16:03,870 --> 00:16:00,010 and I took it so I've been here since 433 00:16:05,580 --> 00:16:03,880 2000 and a great question that we're 434 00:16:07,170 --> 00:16:05,590 getting we got online from Diana Castro 435 00:16:09,030 --> 00:16:07,180 on YouTube she asked if you've always 436 00:16:12,270 --> 00:16:09,040 been a systems engineer or did you start 437 00:16:13,290 --> 00:16:12,280 with a different engineering group is a 438 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:13,300 great question 439 00:16:17,580 --> 00:16:15,370 I was hired directly into the systems 440 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:17,590 engineering division at the lab which 441 00:16:20,750 --> 00:16:18,970 was interesting because I had never 442 00:16:23,220 --> 00:16:20,760 heard systems engineering together 443 00:16:25,230 --> 00:16:23,230 instance before I was interviewing here 444 00:16:28,380 --> 00:16:25,240 yeah this is a long time ago back in 445 00:16:30,540 --> 00:16:28,390 2000 and it was during my internship I 446 00:16:32,850 --> 00:16:30,550 interviews on lab that what was then 447 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:32,860 going to be my supervisor explained what 448 00:16:36,780 --> 00:16:35,530 the job was the fact that a systems 449 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:36,790 engineer needs to know a little bit 450 00:16:40,980 --> 00:16:38,650 about all these different areas and work 451 00:16:43,140 --> 00:16:40,990 with experts in order to figure out how 452 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:43,150 a design is gonna come together and then 453 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:45,850 solve problems along the way and it 454 00:16:49,590 --> 00:16:47,290 entails working with lots and lots of 455 00:16:51,900 --> 00:16:49,600 people which I found very exciting I'm 456 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:51,910 such a people person I love that systems 457 00:16:56,550 --> 00:16:54,250 engineering is a role that plays a lot 458 00:16:57,660 --> 00:16:56,560 in that arena instead of just being like 459 00:17:01,890 --> 00:16:57,670 locked in a room somewhere with a 460 00:17:03,060 --> 00:17:01,900 computer and signing a component I also 461 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:03,070 want to make sure we get this out there 462 00:17:09,180 --> 00:17:07,330 H JPL dot jobs is a good place to go and 463 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:09,190 look for internships and look for jobs 464 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:11,410 particularly with jpo work where Tracy's 465 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:12,610 talking about cut pork with Tracy 466 00:17:18,330 --> 00:17:15,610 someday you started as a system engineer 467 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:18,340 but how did you I love where you where 468 00:17:24,390 --> 00:17:20,530 exactly you've got started though the 469 00:17:26,220 --> 00:17:24,400 the kind of sandbox aspect of it right 470 00:17:27,690 --> 00:17:26,230 it took me a long time actually to 471 00:17:30,060 --> 00:17:27,700 understand why they let me do this as a 472 00:17:32,220 --> 00:17:30,070 brand-new person when I first got 473 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:32,230 started they paired me and a couple of 474 00:17:36,780 --> 00:17:34,570 other brand-new engineers just out of 475 00:17:38,730 --> 00:17:36,790 college with a much more senior engineer 476 00:17:41,370 --> 00:17:38,740 and how does doing this thing called 477 00:17:43,620 --> 00:17:41,380 advanced studies and the particular one 478 00:17:45,780 --> 00:17:43,630 we were working on was okay so pretend 479 00:17:48,180 --> 00:17:45,790 you want to have an all robotic outpost 480 00:17:49,830 --> 00:17:48,190 on Mars like what would you do and if 481 00:17:51,510 --> 00:17:49,840 money was no object and you could darken 482 00:17:52,590 --> 00:17:51,520 the skies with Delft two floor heavies 483 00:17:55,290 --> 00:17:52,600 and land all the stuff on what would you 484 00:17:57,090 --> 00:17:55,300 do and well maybe we can have these huge 485 00:17:59,460 --> 00:17:57,100 Rovers that would build roads than these 486 00:18:01,770 --> 00:17:59,470 giant nuclear power plants that would 487 00:18:05,340 --> 00:18:01,780 beam power wirelessly around all the 488 00:18:07,169 --> 00:18:05,350 other components and telecom antennas of 489 00:18:09,510 --> 00:18:07,179 the mortgage gate it was just it was 490 00:18:11,490 --> 00:18:09,520 hilarious and we had such a great time 491 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:11,500 doing it and I'm like you know like I 492 00:18:15,510 --> 00:18:12,850 don't know what I'm doing yeah just 493 00:18:18,810 --> 00:18:15,520 going to kill engineering but I now 494 00:18:21,270 --> 00:18:18,820 understand why they encourage very young 495 00:18:23,490 --> 00:18:21,280 people to do this kind of creative 496 00:18:25,500 --> 00:18:23,500 out-of-the-box brainstorming thing 497 00:18:27,450 --> 00:18:25,510 because even if those things weren't 498 00:18:29,580 --> 00:18:27,460 going to become real five years ten 499 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:29,590 years twenty years some of the things 500 00:18:33,539 --> 00:18:31,090 that we were playing with could 501 00:18:35,340 --> 00:18:33,549 eventually become the kernel of studies 502 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:35,350 that are done down the road and because 503 00:18:39,690 --> 00:18:37,450 we were too young to kind of know what 504 00:18:42,149 --> 00:18:39,700 the limits were we pressed a little 505 00:18:43,590 --> 00:18:42,159 farther than you might normally do and 506 00:18:45,149 --> 00:18:43,600 they paired us with a much more senior 507 00:18:47,070 --> 00:18:45,159 engineer so that we didn't get too crazy 508 00:18:48,539 --> 00:18:47,080 but that was a lot of fun they can 509 00:18:49,620 --> 00:18:48,549 almost have just not paid me and I would 510 00:18:56,850 --> 00:18:49,630 have just come to work every day because 511 00:18:58,740 --> 00:18:56,860 it was a blast don't tell anything can 512 00:19:00,960 --> 00:18:58,750 we bring up image seven I want to look 513 00:19:02,940 --> 00:19:00,970 at your your path here Tracy because you 514 00:19:07,460 --> 00:19:02,950 you've not you didn't just stay in the 515 00:19:11,370 --> 00:19:07,470 sandbox you really got to go all over 516 00:19:13,110 --> 00:19:11,380 that's right I did one of the things one 517 00:19:15,810 --> 00:19:13,120 of the things that's cool about being at 518 00:19:18,270 --> 00:19:15,820 the lab is that your next job can kind 519 00:19:20,610 --> 00:19:18,280 of come up in a variety of ways and I 520 00:19:22,500 --> 00:19:20,620 was happily in the sandbox doing 521 00:19:24,360 --> 00:19:22,510 advanced studies and I got a call from a 522 00:19:25,649 --> 00:19:24,370 gentleman who was about to start 523 00:19:27,060 --> 00:19:25,659 building up his project system 524 00:19:29,190 --> 00:19:27,070 engineering team on the Mars 525 00:19:30,450 --> 00:19:29,200 Reconnaissance Orbiter and he says Tracy 526 00:19:31,649 --> 00:19:30,460 you know I bumped into you a while ago 527 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:31,659 you're asking you some questions about 528 00:19:35,220 --> 00:19:33,610 things and you seem like a go-getter I'm 529 00:19:36,659 --> 00:19:35,230 trying to get a couple of more junior 530 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:36,669 engineers to pair with so my senior 531 00:19:39,810 --> 00:19:38,530 engineers to round out my team do you 532 00:19:43,649 --> 00:19:39,820 want to come work on Mars Reconnaissance 533 00:19:44,789 --> 00:19:43,659 Orbiter I was too young even then to 534 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:44,799 know you're not supposed to say yes 535 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:46,570 until you talk to your supervisor but 536 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:48,010 I'm sure you talked about a fingernail 537 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:50,530 and so I got to join the Mars 538 00:19:54,930 --> 00:19:52,690 Reconnaissance Orbiter team about four 539 00:19:57,029 --> 00:19:54,940 years before watch half time on the 540 00:19:58,770 --> 00:19:57,039 project system engineering team and half 541 00:20:00,419 --> 00:19:58,780 time on the flight system engineering 542 00:20:02,310 --> 00:20:00,429 team and maybe this is a good time to 543 00:20:03,630 --> 00:20:02,320 say a little more about what systems 544 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:03,640 engineering is and the different 545 00:20:08,460 --> 00:20:06,010 decisions great time because we're 546 00:20:11,010 --> 00:20:08,470 getting questions from people online in 547 00:20:13,169 --> 00:20:11,020 particular from Lexi Torres on YouTube 548 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:13,179 asks what is a systems engineer so what 549 00:20:19,289 --> 00:20:17,730 exactly is a systems engineer eight 550 00:20:20,519 --> 00:20:19,299 images 551 00:20:23,070 --> 00:20:20,529 we kind of take a look at that a little 552 00:20:25,139 --> 00:20:23,080 bit yes perfect yeah so we'll talk a 553 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:25,149 little bit about how we design space 554 00:20:28,950 --> 00:20:27,369 missions here at the lab and then on top 555 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:28,960 of that I'll layer and what is it that a 556 00:20:32,460 --> 00:20:30,610 systems engineer does and I'll try not 557 00:20:34,619 --> 00:20:32,470 to spend like a whole hour on this life 558 00:20:36,210 --> 00:20:34,629 as we could totally do that so when 559 00:20:38,789 --> 00:20:36,220 you're trying to develop a mission you 560 00:20:40,379 --> 00:20:38,799 start with scientists who are trying to 561 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:40,389 decide what questions we want to answer 562 00:20:45,180 --> 00:20:42,850 and then they have to decide well what 563 00:20:47,220 --> 00:20:45,190 data do I need to get those answers can 564 00:20:49,049 --> 00:20:47,230 I use an instrument from the earth and 565 00:20:52,289 --> 00:20:49,059 pointed at that thing can I do a flyby 566 00:20:53,729 --> 00:20:52,299 do I have to go in orbit a target and so 567 00:20:56,099 --> 00:20:53,739 they work with mission designers to kind 568 00:20:58,049 --> 00:20:56,109 of work out a top-level idea and then we 569 00:20:59,909 --> 00:20:58,059 start to put together a concept for a 570 00:21:01,049 --> 00:20:59,919 spacecraft that would support the 571 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:01,059 instruments and get them where they need 572 00:21:05,430 --> 00:21:03,970 to go and then we have to test and test 573 00:21:06,989 --> 00:21:05,440 test and do a bunch of analysis to make 574 00:21:08,340 --> 00:21:06,999 sure it's all going to work and we strap 575 00:21:10,470 --> 00:21:08,350 it on the top of a rocket cross our 576 00:21:12,330 --> 00:21:10,480 fingers poke the heart and then launch 577 00:21:14,340 --> 00:21:12,340 it and off it goes and then engineers 578 00:21:15,690 --> 00:21:14,350 and scientists monitor the data and make 579 00:21:17,070 --> 00:21:15,700 sure the state of fact is okay until it 580 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:17,080 gets where it's going gets all the 581 00:21:21,539 --> 00:21:18,970 science or the data sends it back to the 582 00:21:24,269 --> 00:21:21,549 scientist can analyze it and make 583 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:24,279 awesome discoveries and and advance the 584 00:21:35,099 --> 00:21:32,909 okay so so systems engineers at the 585 00:21:36,090 --> 00:21:35,109 spacecraft level are trying to think 586 00:21:37,919 --> 00:21:36,100 about all the things that need to work 587 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:37,929 together you have to have a thermal 588 00:21:41,879 --> 00:21:40,210 system you need telecom you need 589 00:21:44,489 --> 00:21:41,889 attitude control and power all these 590 00:21:46,139 --> 00:21:44,499 things and there will be subject matter 591 00:21:48,389 --> 00:21:46,149 experts in each of those areas who will 592 00:21:50,220 --> 00:21:48,399 know way more than you do about all of 593 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:50,230 those things but a systems engineer 594 00:21:53,249 --> 00:21:52,090 tries to look at it from the top level 595 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:53,259 how do we make sure things are working 596 00:21:57,090 --> 00:21:54,970 we don't change something over here that 597 00:21:58,619 --> 00:21:57,100 has a bad impact over here or we come up 598 00:22:01,049 --> 00:21:58,629 with a problem and you have all these 599 00:22:02,460 --> 00:22:01,059 different ways of solving it but but you 600 00:22:04,769 --> 00:22:02,470 can pick the way that's the best across 601 00:22:06,509 --> 00:22:04,779 the whole area so that's the spacecraft 602 00:22:08,940 --> 00:22:06,519 or flight system engineering and then a 603 00:22:10,470 --> 00:22:08,950 project engineering job is making sure 604 00:22:12,389 --> 00:22:10,480 that the spacecraft and the instrument 605 00:22:14,340 --> 00:22:12,399 and the ground data system and the 606 00:22:16,289 --> 00:22:14,350 mission design and navigation and launch 607 00:22:18,180 --> 00:22:16,299 vehicle are all know are together and 608 00:22:20,129 --> 00:22:18,190 it's that same kind of thing you're 609 00:22:22,109 --> 00:22:20,139 looking for decisions that you have to 610 00:22:23,669 --> 00:22:22,119 make so that it all works together and 611 00:22:26,129 --> 00:22:23,679 because even though we're super smart 612 00:22:27,269 --> 00:22:26,139 here at NASA sometimes we miss things 613 00:22:29,190 --> 00:22:27,279 because the things that we do are very 614 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:29,200 complicated and so problems crop up 615 00:22:32,790 --> 00:22:31,090 along the way and you need systems 616 00:22:34,110 --> 00:22:32,800 engineers to pull in the right subject 617 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:34,120 our experts to talk over all the 618 00:22:37,620 --> 00:22:35,650 technical details and figure out how to 619 00:22:39,660 --> 00:22:37,630 solve them and the same thing when you 620 00:22:42,210 --> 00:22:39,670 have a spacecraft in operations because 621 00:22:44,340 --> 00:22:42,220 even though it's 300 million miles away 622 00:22:46,290 --> 00:22:44,350 still sometimes things don't work quite 623 00:22:48,210 --> 00:22:46,300 right and you have to figure out what to 624 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:48,220 do you have to get your data back and do 625 00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:49,810 a little mystery search to find what the 626 00:22:53,010 --> 00:22:51,370 problem is and then you either change 627 00:22:54,870 --> 00:22:53,020 the software or change the way you're 628 00:22:57,030 --> 00:22:54,880 commanding it so that it will still work 629 00:22:59,370 --> 00:22:57,040 so systems engineering and the way we 630 00:23:03,930 --> 00:22:59,380 design a mission now you can all go do 631 00:23:05,490 --> 00:23:03,940 it I there's a lot of stuff I think we 632 00:23:06,750 --> 00:23:05,500 can definitely unpack with what your 633 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:06,760 answer with that you're right you could 634 00:23:10,980 --> 00:23:09,490 talk about that cycle over and over 635 00:23:13,830 --> 00:23:10,990 again but two things I want to bring up 636 00:23:15,660 --> 00:23:13,840 that you pull up is number one you just 637 00:23:19,950 --> 00:23:15,670 admitted to everybody all over the world 638 00:23:22,980 --> 00:23:19,960 that you don't know everything from what 639 00:23:27,450 --> 00:23:22,990 you've told me that's a great trait to 640 00:23:28,470 --> 00:23:27,460 have as a NASA engineer yes it is and 641 00:23:30,300 --> 00:23:28,480 one of the things that I like to tell 642 00:23:31,950 --> 00:23:30,310 college students is sometimes when when 643 00:23:33,060 --> 00:23:31,960 you're in class and you have a project 644 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:33,070 and your professors asking you questions 645 00:23:36,570 --> 00:23:35,170 you feel this pressure you have to have 646 00:23:38,460 --> 00:23:36,580 an answer and if you don't have an 647 00:23:39,690 --> 00:23:38,470 answer like like shouldn't make 648 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:39,700 something up like I gotta look like I 649 00:23:43,260 --> 00:23:41,770 know what I'm talkin but that so does 650 00:23:45,150 --> 00:23:43,270 not work when you're trying to build 651 00:23:46,980 --> 00:23:45,160 spacecraft and they have to work if you 652 00:23:50,220 --> 00:23:46,990 don't know something you really need to 653 00:23:53,370 --> 00:23:50,230 say I don't know and the rest of the 654 00:23:56,220 --> 00:23:53,380 engineers will say yay it will go figure 655 00:23:57,930 --> 00:23:56,230 it out because if you just there's 656 00:23:58,410 --> 00:23:57,940 there's there's this line fake it to you 657 00:24:00,270 --> 00:23:58,420 naked 658 00:24:01,710 --> 00:24:00,280 I really just know you fake it till you 659 00:24:03,630 --> 00:24:01,720 break it is what happens when you're 660 00:24:06,060 --> 00:24:03,640 trying to build spacecraft and so it's 661 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:06,070 really important to do things that you 662 00:24:08,940 --> 00:24:07,570 know and be aware of where the 663 00:24:10,110 --> 00:24:08,950 boundaries of your knowledge are and 664 00:24:12,510 --> 00:24:10,120 tell people when you don't know 665 00:24:14,850 --> 00:24:12,520 something and then use that as a lever 666 00:24:18,750 --> 00:24:14,860 to go learn and figure out how things 667 00:24:20,100 --> 00:24:18,760 can move on from there let's go back to 668 00:24:23,130 --> 00:24:20,110 some of the missions you worked on if we 669 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:23,140 can go to image 9 first could you talked 670 00:24:27,060 --> 00:24:24,490 about a little bit before we got into 671 00:24:28,950 --> 00:24:27,070 the details of what is a systems 672 00:24:32,670 --> 00:24:28,960 engineer but you went to Mars 673 00:24:34,530 --> 00:24:32,680 Reconnaissance Orbiter what were some of 674 00:24:36,350 --> 00:24:34,540 the challenges that you've learned on 675 00:24:38,910 --> 00:24:36,360 your many and your different missions 676 00:24:40,170 --> 00:24:38,920 throughout working at JPL well we keep 677 00:24:41,700 --> 00:24:40,180 we're getting that question a lot right 678 00:24:42,210 --> 00:24:41,710 now so I figured let's aspect of that 679 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:42,220 right away 680 00:24:45,450 --> 00:24:44,770 well pretty obvious challenge the way 681 00:24:46,950 --> 00:24:45,460 that I described 682 00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:46,960 engineering it's about knowing enough 683 00:24:50,669 --> 00:24:48,370 about all the things so that you can 684 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:50,679 resolve issues working with people who 685 00:24:55,110 --> 00:24:52,690 are experts right well as a baby systems 686 00:24:57,210 --> 00:24:55,120 engineer you feel like such a 687 00:24:59,370 --> 00:24:57,220 twitchbucks it's a number of things you 688 00:25:01,380 --> 00:24:59,380 do not know feels literally infinite and 689 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:01,390 when you're when you're responsible for 690 00:25:07,019 --> 00:25:04,210 something and a team of experienced 691 00:25:09,299 --> 00:25:07,029 engineers then you just you have to ask 692 00:25:10,919 --> 00:25:09,309 so many questions and questions after 693 00:25:13,380 --> 00:25:10,929 question and that's my number one lesson 694 00:25:15,990 --> 00:25:13,390 from when I first started on MRO when 695 00:25:17,220 --> 00:25:16,000 you're new in any job really you feel 696 00:25:19,620 --> 00:25:17,230 like you shouldn't ask questions because 697 00:25:21,659 --> 00:25:19,630 it's gonna waste the time of the experts 698 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:21,669 but what I found was especially working 699 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:23,890 on a very complicated spacecraft and 700 00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:25,090 you're trying to resolve a specific 701 00:25:29,370 --> 00:25:27,370 issue there will be experts in that area 702 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:29,380 but also people who aren't experts in 703 00:25:33,060 --> 00:25:31,090 that area and so when you're in a 704 00:25:35,070 --> 00:25:33,070 meeting and you ask your question and 705 00:25:36,450 --> 00:25:35,080 the expert explains the other people 706 00:25:38,340 --> 00:25:36,460 around the room are learning things too 707 00:25:39,750 --> 00:25:38,350 and even the people who know what the 708 00:25:41,399 --> 00:25:39,760 experts gonna say there might be some 709 00:25:42,990 --> 00:25:41,409 nuance that comes out that is a little 710 00:25:44,580 --> 00:25:43,000 bit surprising and then that leads you 711 00:25:46,019 --> 00:25:44,590 down a conversation path that might take 712 00:25:47,940 --> 00:25:46,029 you to a solution that might not 713 00:25:50,399 --> 00:25:47,950 otherwise have come up so I learned that 714 00:25:52,620 --> 00:25:50,409 as a young systems engineer that 715 00:25:54,899 --> 00:25:52,630 actually was a good thing to be always 716 00:25:56,519 --> 00:25:54,909 asking questions what did what is this 717 00:25:57,899 --> 00:25:56,529 do why does it work that way why are we 718 00:25:59,220 --> 00:25:57,909 doing it this way and said it that way I 719 00:26:01,200 --> 00:25:59,230 mean you have to ask the questions in a 720 00:26:06,120 --> 00:26:01,210 respectful way you can't say I'm doing 721 00:26:08,070 --> 00:26:06,130 it like that understand why this instead 722 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:08,080 of that because clearly you're still 723 00:26:12,060 --> 00:26:09,970 learning while you're also trying to 724 00:26:14,279 --> 00:26:12,070 move things along so that was a major 725 00:26:17,610 --> 00:26:14,289 lesson that I learned I also learned 726 00:26:20,639 --> 00:26:17,620 that as a young systems engineer 727 00:26:22,500 --> 00:26:20,649 focusing on specific areas sometimes you 728 00:26:23,909 --> 00:26:22,510 just don't have enough bandwidth I'll 729 00:26:26,250 --> 00:26:23,919 say to pay attention to a whole bunch of 730 00:26:29,010 --> 00:26:26,260 things that are going on and I wound up 731 00:26:30,930 --> 00:26:29,020 doing a very similar job on missions 732 00:26:32,220 --> 00:26:30,940 downstream and some people might think 733 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:32,230 we'll why would you do the same kind of 734 00:26:35,519 --> 00:26:33,490 job on another mission would that be 735 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:35,529 boring but the systems engineering job 736 00:26:38,700 --> 00:26:37,450 is so much about troubleshooting all 737 00:26:40,769 --> 00:26:38,710 these little issues that is very 738 00:26:42,779 --> 00:26:40,779 different on the next project and you 739 00:26:44,700 --> 00:26:42,789 can use some of your knowledge from the 740 00:26:47,190 --> 00:26:44,710 past project on the next one and then 741 00:26:48,510 --> 00:26:47,200 you have a little more bandwidth to pay 742 00:26:50,159 --> 00:26:48,520 more attention to other things that are 743 00:26:52,529 --> 00:26:50,169 going on and learn and contribute in 744 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:52,539 more areas I felt like by the way that's 745 00:26:56,610 --> 00:26:54,850 spending six years on MRO from four 746 00:26:57,990 --> 00:26:56,620 years before launch to two years in 747 00:26:59,520 --> 00:26:58,000 operations was 748 00:27:01,620 --> 00:26:59,530 getting my master's degree in systems 749 00:27:06,210 --> 00:27:01,630 engineering because I learned how do the 750 00:27:07,650 --> 00:27:06,220 job here at JPL very cool I want to jump 751 00:27:08,820 --> 00:27:07,660 to image 10 now and talk about a 752 00:27:11,700 --> 00:27:08,830 different mission that you worked on 753 00:27:13,710 --> 00:27:11,710 because a question that really does keep 754 00:27:17,220 --> 00:27:13,720 coming up and I you've talked to me 755 00:27:18,420 --> 00:27:17,230 before about challenges because every 756 00:27:21,210 --> 00:27:18,430 mission has a challenge that's part of 757 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:21,220 what makes I hate to say it your words 758 00:27:26,810 --> 00:27:22,450 not mine that's part of what makes 759 00:27:31,050 --> 00:27:28,680 you don't you don't want it to be 760 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:31,060 fraught with challenges but can you tell 761 00:27:37,530 --> 00:27:35,410 us one or two stories about time on juno 762 00:27:39,510 --> 00:27:37,540 and maybe a couple things that you as a 763 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:39,520 system engineer and the team had to 764 00:27:43,980 --> 00:27:39,970 overcome 765 00:27:45,360 --> 00:27:43,990 I can't so one of the things that makes 766 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:45,370 me laugh when people ask me about my 767 00:27:48,870 --> 00:27:46,570 time on do you know I spent two years 768 00:27:51,330 --> 00:27:48,880 before launch and in five years in 769 00:27:53,850 --> 00:27:51,340 operations just jetting to Jupiter and 770 00:27:55,770 --> 00:27:53,860 then another year and a half or so once 771 00:27:57,060 --> 00:27:55,780 we got there and people say wow five 772 00:27:58,500 --> 00:27:57,070 years and cruise well you people just 773 00:27:59,730 --> 00:27:58,510 twiddling your thumbs and like sitting 774 00:28:02,550 --> 00:27:59,740 around like playing car what were you 775 00:28:04,380 --> 00:28:02,560 okay and there's so many things that the 776 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:04,390 spacecraft had to do in order to make it 777 00:28:08,700 --> 00:28:06,730 all the way to Jupiter and so many 778 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:08,710 things went slightly differently than we 779 00:28:12,750 --> 00:28:10,690 expected that it was just exciting to be 780 00:28:14,940 --> 00:28:12,760 able to you troubleshoot them and one 781 00:28:17,070 --> 00:28:14,950 that I will remember is we only talked 782 00:28:20,490 --> 00:28:17,080 to the spacecraft once a week during one 783 00:28:22,260 --> 00:28:20,500 part of cruise that we no I won't tell 784 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:22,270 you what we used to call it during one 785 00:28:26,730 --> 00:28:24,970 primaries and on one Wednesday we talked 786 00:28:28,290 --> 00:28:26,740 to the spacecraft and it was fine and 787 00:28:30,630 --> 00:28:28,300 then we ended the session the next 788 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:30,640 Wednesday we try to talk to the spare 789 00:28:33,810 --> 00:28:32,290 shaft and it wasn't there they had to 790 00:28:36,870 --> 00:28:33,820 look for it on the emergency frequency 791 00:28:39,810 --> 00:28:36,880 and they found it and had rebooted and 792 00:28:42,780 --> 00:28:39,820 booted again and swamped to the backup 793 00:28:45,020 --> 00:28:42,790 computer like oh why does have it well 794 00:28:47,370 --> 00:28:45,030 then we had to go start our little 795 00:28:48,090 --> 00:28:47,380 investigative search to figure out why 796 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:48,100 did that happen 797 00:28:52,950 --> 00:28:50,050 and what can we do about it and is it a 798 00:28:54,780 --> 00:28:52,960 problem and that led down some really 799 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:54,790 interesting paths because we had SWAT 800 00:28:58,170 --> 00:28:56,290 sides we didn't have all the information 801 00:28:59,850 --> 00:28:58,180 from the primary side to figure out 802 00:29:01,020 --> 00:28:59,860 exactly what happened but we could 803 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:01,030 figure out what happened in the second 804 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:02,290 boot and fix that so it wouldn't happen 805 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:04,090 again and then you would think well okay 806 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:06,370 so you figured you feed it out mostly 807 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:08,170 and the stagecraft is safe so you're 808 00:29:12,710 --> 00:29:11,250 done with that right that was in 24 809 00:29:15,020 --> 00:29:12,720 you know want to say and it was like 810 00:29:17,090 --> 00:29:15,030 2015 before he finally put the boson 811 00:29:19,340 --> 00:29:17,100 that investigation and then we had to 812 00:29:21,500 --> 00:29:19,350 decide so you're a year out from orbit 813 00:29:24,260 --> 00:29:21,510 insertion are you gonna stay on the 814 00:29:26,540 --> 00:29:24,270 backup computer or are you gonna like 815 00:29:28,220 --> 00:29:26,550 tell the spacecraft to swap back and we 816 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:28,230 had some really fun philosophical 817 00:29:32,690 --> 00:29:30,930 conversations about that deciding do you 818 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:32,700 swap away from working hardware because 819 00:29:35,870 --> 00:29:33,930 you want to be on the side that you did 820 00:29:38,060 --> 00:29:35,880 out most of your ground testing on do 821 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:38,070 you stay on side B and you're pretty 822 00:29:47,540 --> 00:29:41,010 sure side a is okay and so that was 823 00:29:49,220 --> 00:29:47,550 exciting and challenging and fun I want 824 00:29:53,380 --> 00:29:49,230 to lean into that what you're talking 825 00:29:55,790 --> 00:29:53,390 about with working in teams lots of I 826 00:29:57,140 --> 00:29:55,800 mean how much of the job is sitting in 827 00:29:59,890 --> 00:29:57,150 meetings with other people who are very 828 00:30:03,980 --> 00:30:02,030 something that you you've told me about 829 00:30:06,710 --> 00:30:03,990 and I think is good because I've started 830 00:30:12,770 --> 00:30:06,720 doing it is is about taking notes in 831 00:30:14,030 --> 00:30:12,780 these meetings yeah I got a story but I 832 00:30:17,020 --> 00:30:14,040 like it I think it's better when you 833 00:30:20,210 --> 00:30:17,030 tell the story you NASA and I'm sure 834 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:20,220 some ginormous descendant of my job a 835 00:30:23,210 --> 00:30:22,050 spend and meeting after meeting after 836 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:23,220 meeting after meeting and it's kind of 837 00:30:26,630 --> 00:30:24,570 hilarious because we're all working from 838 00:30:27,980 --> 00:30:26,640 home right now and my husband works at 839 00:30:29,300 --> 00:30:27,990 the lab too but he has a very different 840 00:30:30,980 --> 00:30:29,310 job for mine he's like are you in 841 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:30,990 another meeting yes and when this one in 842 00:30:34,550 --> 00:30:32,610 to have another one actually today I 843 00:30:36,620 --> 00:30:34,560 have meetings at 8 and 9 and 10 have a 844 00:30:38,090 --> 00:30:36,630 break at 11 and 12 and then one and two 845 00:30:41,540 --> 00:30:38,100 and three and a very short one at far 846 00:30:44,150 --> 00:30:41,550 right so it's a lot and I know that some 847 00:30:46,190 --> 00:30:44,160 meetings can be there's a procession 848 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:46,200 that some meetings can be non-productive 849 00:30:48,980 --> 00:30:47,250 that you're just sitting there and 850 00:30:49,970 --> 00:30:48,990 someone's presenting and half of the 851 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:49,980 people are following asleep but the 852 00:30:55,190 --> 00:30:51,690 meetings a time and are not like that at 853 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:55,200 all we have very specific working issues 854 00:30:58,400 --> 00:30:56,370 we're trying to resolve and they can be 855 00:31:00,590 --> 00:30:58,410 very interactive some of them are about 856 00:31:02,420 --> 00:31:00,600 status and sometimes that status is 857 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:02,430 surprising so that can be very 858 00:31:06,830 --> 00:31:04,650 interactive so there really it's it's 859 00:31:10,100 --> 00:31:06,840 energizing meetings working with a lot 860 00:31:12,500 --> 00:31:10,110 of people and then the note-taking thing 861 00:31:15,170 --> 00:31:12,510 is kind of funny I've started taking a 862 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:15,180 lot of notes when I was much more junior 863 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:16,650 engineer just because there are so many 864 00:31:19,490 --> 00:31:17,970 things being said that I had no idea 865 00:31:21,380 --> 00:31:19,500 what they were so I would write them 866 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:21,390 down so I could go find out later and 867 00:31:23,660 --> 00:31:23,010 then be more informed the next thing 868 00:31:25,670 --> 00:31:23,670 that I had 869 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:25,680 and then later I determined I was 870 00:31:28,850 --> 00:31:27,210 ticking notes just so that I could had 871 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:28,860 something to refer back to we have so 872 00:31:32,750 --> 00:31:31,290 much information in our jobs and I would 873 00:31:34,940 --> 00:31:32,760 sometimes share those with other people 874 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:34,950 and at one point in my career a very 875 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:38,490 well-meaning person gave me a tip that I 876 00:31:42,410 --> 00:31:40,290 never would have thought on thought of 877 00:31:44,990 --> 00:31:42,420 on my own he was like Tracy so I know 878 00:31:46,580 --> 00:31:45,000 that you enjoy taking notion you just do 879 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:46,590 that for yourself it's really kind of 880 00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:47,730 you to share them with other people but 881 00:31:51,650 --> 00:31:49,530 just keep in mind like this is very 882 00:31:53,870 --> 00:31:51,660 male-dominated industry and some things 883 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:53,880 you can do or just make you seem more 884 00:31:57,620 --> 00:31:56,250 like you're just working on the 885 00:31:59,240 --> 00:31:57,630 administrative things and not like doing 886 00:32:01,580 --> 00:31:59,250 engineering things so just keep that in 887 00:32:02,780 --> 00:32:01,590 mind and be careful I'm like wow I thank 888 00:32:04,670 --> 00:32:02,790 you so much I never thought about that 889 00:32:07,670 --> 00:32:04,680 okay let me I'll go on I think about 890 00:32:09,110 --> 00:32:07,680 that and then I realized the flip side 891 00:32:11,330 --> 00:32:09,120 of that is that when I'm in a meeting 892 00:32:12,980 --> 00:32:11,340 with people working on a technical issue 893 00:32:14,900 --> 00:32:12,990 we go through a whole bunch of stuff we 894 00:32:17,540 --> 00:32:14,910 make decisions and then we do actions 895 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:17,550 and then if no one seems out the notes 896 00:32:20,300 --> 00:32:19,410 of what happened every single person 897 00:32:22,190 --> 00:32:20,310 that meeting will have a slightly 898 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:22,200 different understanding of what was done 899 00:32:25,370 --> 00:32:23,490 and what decisions were made and then 900 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:25,380 what should be done next and I realized 901 00:32:29,330 --> 00:32:27,210 that when I take the notes and take very 902 00:32:31,490 --> 00:32:29,340 good notes and when I send them out they 903 00:32:33,110 --> 00:32:31,500 have here the key highlights right 904 00:32:34,630 --> 00:32:33,120 here's what we decided here are the 905 00:32:37,310 --> 00:32:34,640 actions and here's who has to do it and 906 00:32:38,750 --> 00:32:37,320 here's really critical things and I send 907 00:32:40,790 --> 00:32:38,760 those out to people like I am 908 00:32:43,130 --> 00:32:40,800 controlling the history of what happened 909 00:32:44,690 --> 00:32:43,140 and setting the tone for the rest of the 910 00:32:46,610 --> 00:32:44,700 team especially as I got into one 911 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:46,620 leadership position and so I decided 912 00:32:51,530 --> 00:32:48,330 while that was a very well-meaning tip 913 00:32:52,730 --> 00:32:51,540 I'm glad I thought about it but now I'm 914 00:32:54,740 --> 00:32:52,740 gonna keep up my whole third fitting 915 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:54,750 thing because it's my way of making sure 916 00:32:58,520 --> 00:32:56,010 that things are getting done the way I 917 00:32:59,810 --> 00:32:58,530 think that should be done or at least if 918 00:33:01,190 --> 00:32:59,820 I send them out and someone says that's 919 00:33:04,580 --> 00:33:01,200 not how I remember that at all if you 920 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:04,590 can get that disconnect out into the 921 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:06,930 open and figure it out so that it isn't 922 00:33:16,670 --> 00:33:14,850 a problem downstream that's yeah I love 923 00:33:18,260 --> 00:33:16,680 that story and I've started taking so 924 00:33:19,550 --> 00:33:18,270 many notes in my life now because I'm 925 00:33:23,570 --> 00:33:19,560 like yeah I want to make sure I have the 926 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:23,580 history I want to I want to move on to 927 00:33:29,540 --> 00:33:26,370 kind of where somebody people have been 928 00:33:32,690 --> 00:33:29,550 asking online what you what you're 929 00:33:33,830 --> 00:33:32,700 working on now and then any challenges 930 00:33:35,500 --> 00:33:33,840 that might come with that and then I've 931 00:33:37,250 --> 00:33:35,510 got a question for you about that 932 00:33:38,630 --> 00:33:37,260 afterwards of maybe 933 00:33:41,330 --> 00:33:38,640 it's next but let's focus on what you're 934 00:33:43,820 --> 00:33:41,340 working on right now right now I am the 935 00:33:47,690 --> 00:33:43,830 deputy project system engineer for the 936 00:33:49,850 --> 00:33:47,700 psyche mission and it's one of I had a 937 00:33:52,070 --> 00:33:49,860 lot of fun jobs but is one of the more 938 00:33:53,540 --> 00:33:52,080 fun jobs that I have had because this 939 00:33:55,490 --> 00:33:53,550 mission is so different from the ones 940 00:33:57,830 --> 00:33:55,500 that I've done before I've done missions 941 00:34:00,800 --> 00:33:57,840 that what we consider more traditional 942 00:34:03,380 --> 00:34:00,810 chemical propulsion missions where you 943 00:34:04,550 --> 00:34:03,390 launch a spacecraft it does a burn so 944 00:34:06,050 --> 00:34:04,560 that it's on right trajectory to go 945 00:34:08,690 --> 00:34:06,060 somewhere downstream it does another one 946 00:34:10,790 --> 00:34:08,700 right the psyche is a mission that's 947 00:34:12,950 --> 00:34:10,800 launching in 2022 it's going to go visit 948 00:34:15,230 --> 00:34:12,960 an asteroid the scientists think has a 949 00:34:16,730 --> 00:34:15,240 lot of metal in it one of the hypotheses 950 00:34:18,710 --> 00:34:16,740 is maybe it used to be a little baby 951 00:34:19,879 --> 00:34:18,720 planet core we're not sure so we're 952 00:34:22,250 --> 00:34:19,889 taking some instruments to go and 953 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:22,260 investigate and find out and it uses 954 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:24,810 solar electric propulsion it's a low 955 00:34:30,290 --> 00:34:27,810 thrust mission if you took like your 956 00:34:32,180 --> 00:34:30,300 hand and put a slice of bread on it like 957 00:34:35,060 --> 00:34:32,190 the weight of that here on earth and 1g 958 00:34:37,190 --> 00:34:35,070 is the amount of force that the engines 959 00:34:39,260 --> 00:34:37,200 produce it's very very tiny but they are 960 00:34:41,450 --> 00:34:39,270 on and on and on and on you just have to 961 00:34:43,310 --> 00:34:41,460 burn really long time to get where you 962 00:34:46,639 --> 00:34:43,320 build up you know enough acceleration 963 00:34:47,869 --> 00:34:46,649 and get to where you're going and the 964 00:34:51,710 --> 00:34:47,879 thing that's interesting about it is 965 00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:51,720 there's such a connection between that 966 00:34:56,419 --> 00:34:54,690 on time thrusting and how much mass you 967 00:34:58,100 --> 00:34:56,429 take because you need the masses Zenon 968 00:35:00,350 --> 00:34:58,110 but you have to push it all as you're 969 00:35:03,980 --> 00:35:00,360 going and the power that you have in 970 00:35:06,410 --> 00:35:03,990 order to to have higher thrust coming 971 00:35:08,810 --> 00:35:06,420 out of your engine and so those things 972 00:35:10,070 --> 00:35:08,820 play together in a way that's just super 973 00:35:11,720 --> 00:35:10,080 different from missions that I've been 974 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:11,730 on before and have given us some 975 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:13,530 interesting challenges to try to work 976 00:35:17,060 --> 00:35:15,330 out at that project system-level working 977 00:35:18,500 --> 00:35:17,070 with Mission system and the propulsion 978 00:35:22,010 --> 00:35:18,510 folks and guidance navigation and 979 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:22,020 control has been super educational it 980 00:35:28,460 --> 00:35:23,930 sounds like you've had your dream job 981 00:35:31,310 --> 00:35:28,470 multiple times yeah oh yeah what do you 982 00:35:33,410 --> 00:35:31,320 want to be when you grow up you know 983 00:35:35,020 --> 00:35:33,420 what's funny every time my supervisor 984 00:35:37,460 --> 00:35:35,030 asked me this and like I don't know 985 00:35:40,430 --> 00:35:37,470 you're supposed to have a five-year plan 986 00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:40,440 a ten-year plan I just don't know and so 987 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:43,170 for me I've just been having a great 988 00:35:47,240 --> 00:35:45,810 time in my career I was on tomorrow 989 00:35:49,430 --> 00:35:47,250 I left MRO and spent a couple of years 990 00:35:49,910 --> 00:35:49,440 working on the Kepler mission I left 991 00:35:51,710 --> 00:35:49,920 Kepler 992 00:35:53,510 --> 00:35:51,720 spent nine years of my life on juno 993 00:35:56,900 --> 00:35:53,520 mission doing project system in flight 994 00:35:59,120 --> 00:35:56,910 system engineering again and because the 995 00:36:00,559 --> 00:35:59,130 missions are so different and the number 996 00:36:01,789 --> 00:36:00,569 of the things that I focus on are so 997 00:36:04,039 --> 00:36:01,799 different from requirements development 998 00:36:06,349 --> 00:36:04,049 to running tests analyzing data to 999 00:36:09,380 --> 00:36:06,359 troubleshooting anomalies it's just it's 1000 00:36:13,069 --> 00:36:09,390 crazy amounts of fun I just really enjoy 1001 00:36:14,839 --> 00:36:13,079 it and so I've never been able to think 1002 00:36:18,049 --> 00:36:14,849 well someday I want to be the lab 1003 00:36:21,020 --> 00:36:18,059 director I might or someday I want to be 1004 00:36:23,390 --> 00:36:21,030 a project manager or those things I'm 1005 00:36:25,789 --> 00:36:23,400 just super happy enjoying what I'm doing 1006 00:36:28,250 --> 00:36:25,799 and it's interesting because my plan 1007 00:36:30,380 --> 00:36:28,260 when I joined psyche for years before 1008 00:36:32,660 --> 00:36:30,390 launch was to see that whole development 1009 00:36:33,829 --> 00:36:32,670 cycle stick around for operations it's 1010 00:36:35,180 --> 00:36:33,839 gonna take about three and a half years 1011 00:36:37,190 --> 00:36:35,190 for the spacecraft to get to the 1012 00:36:38,839 --> 00:36:37,200 asteroid and a couple of years to do the 1013 00:36:40,460 --> 00:36:38,849 mission I just wanted to do that whole 1014 00:36:42,710 --> 00:36:40,470 cradle to grave thing it's a really cool 1015 00:36:45,049 --> 00:36:42,720 mission but the opportunity has come up 1016 00:36:46,970 --> 00:36:45,059 for me to go and now be the lead fly 1017 00:36:50,089 --> 00:36:46,980 system engineer on the Europa clipper 1018 00:36:51,950 --> 00:36:50,099 mission and I really can't couldn't I 1019 00:36:55,069 --> 00:36:51,960 just couldn't turn away from path and so 1020 00:36:57,349 --> 00:36:55,079 I'm super excited for that it's a brand 1021 00:36:59,270 --> 00:36:57,359 new mission for me though Tina's been 1022 00:37:01,670 --> 00:36:59,280 working on it for a long time now but 1023 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:01,680 now I get to help see that mission to 1024 00:37:07,849 --> 00:37:04,770 the launch pad get back near Jupiter but 1025 00:37:10,039 --> 00:37:07,859 to go study Europa which is fascinating 1026 00:37:12,530 --> 00:37:10,049 place to learn more of that because the 1027 00:37:15,559 --> 00:37:12,540 scientists are pretty sure that there is 1028 00:37:18,890 --> 00:37:15,569 a lot of liquid water beneath the thick 1029 00:37:21,049 --> 00:37:18,900 shell of ice on that moon and maybe all 1030 00:37:24,410 --> 00:37:21,059 the ingredients where life could arise 1031 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:24,420 so I'm super super excited to get to be 1032 00:37:31,190 --> 00:37:28,530 a part of that whole mission one of the 1033 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:31,200 things I appreciate just talking with 1034 00:37:38,020 --> 00:37:34,410 you is how much joy and vibrancy you 1035 00:37:40,220 --> 00:37:38,030 bring to well you bring to everything I 1036 00:37:42,260 --> 00:37:40,230 want to if we can bring up image of 1037 00:37:44,030 --> 00:37:42,270 eleven this is something that I've 1038 00:37:47,180 --> 00:37:44,040 always noticed about you is that you 1039 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:47,190 still are 1040 00:37:55,490 --> 00:37:51,690 kid at heart and I've seen anything both 1041 00:37:57,620 --> 00:37:55,500 of those faces before that kind of that 1042 00:38:00,250 --> 00:37:57,630 passion and joy that you bring into it 1043 00:38:03,190 --> 00:38:00,260 this is you seem excited to go to work 1044 00:38:05,180 --> 00:38:03,200 every day 1045 00:38:07,190 --> 00:38:05,190 absolutely one of the other things that 1046 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:07,200 I like to tell students is just because 1047 00:38:10,220 --> 00:38:08,490 you grow up to be an engineer or a 1048 00:38:11,570 --> 00:38:10,230 scientist doesn't mean you have to be 1049 00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:11,580 like this super serious stick into my 1050 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:14,130 personal time and I love the fact that 1051 00:38:18,170 --> 00:38:16,170 most of the people that I work with on 1052 00:38:20,420 --> 00:38:18,180 lab also really enjoy what they're doing 1053 00:38:22,250 --> 00:38:20,430 and so before a meeting start were 1054 00:38:23,300 --> 00:38:22,260 joking around with each other talking 1055 00:38:25,940 --> 00:38:23,310 about the things that we've done what 1056 00:38:28,490 --> 00:38:25,950 our hobbies are like it's it just makes 1057 00:38:31,070 --> 00:38:28,500 your life much more worth living if you 1058 00:38:32,570 --> 00:38:31,080 can enjoy it as you go and I do enjoy 1059 00:38:35,240 --> 00:38:32,580 going to work every day I mean not every 1060 00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:35,250 day there are those days but most of the 1061 00:38:40,460 --> 00:38:38,490 day and as a whole super excited about 1062 00:38:43,670 --> 00:38:40,470 the kind of work that we're doing and 1063 00:38:44,870 --> 00:38:43,680 how many people get to go help develop 1064 00:38:46,730 --> 00:38:44,880 things that are gonna get launched off 1065 00:38:48,110 --> 00:38:46,740 this planet to go learn other things 1066 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:48,120 about our solar system it's kind of 1067 00:38:52,220 --> 00:38:50,490 amazing that I got to grow up and have 1068 00:38:53,570 --> 00:38:52,230 this hasn't been done maybe I dunno why 1069 00:38:55,610 --> 00:38:53,580 do I do you want to grow up this this is 1070 00:38:56,780 --> 00:38:55,620 it right this is it you're doing it 1071 00:38:58,640 --> 00:38:56,790 right now 1072 00:39:00,470 --> 00:38:58,650 and I love the bookend of your career 1073 00:39:02,180 --> 00:39:00,480 not that there's an end to your career 1074 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:02,190 right now but if we bring up image 12 1075 00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:05,490 how you got started and really where you 1076 00:39:11,660 --> 00:39:09,930 can be today I mean that's that's O'Hara 1077 00:39:13,730 --> 00:39:11,670 right there that's you and O'Hara 1078 00:39:15,350 --> 00:39:13,740 it is for those of you who don't 1079 00:39:18,050 --> 00:39:15,360 recognize her that is in the shell 1080 00:39:20,750 --> 00:39:18,060 Nichols who was the original O'Hara on 1081 00:39:23,240 --> 00:39:20,760 Star Trek and she came to visit the lab 1082 00:39:24,980 --> 00:39:23,250 a few years ago and fortunately for me I 1083 00:39:27,380 --> 00:39:24,990 was one of the people who got to go and 1084 00:39:30,200 --> 00:39:27,390 meet her and tell her how important she 1085 00:39:31,880 --> 00:39:30,210 was to help set me on the trajectory 1086 00:39:33,620 --> 00:39:31,890 that I'm on now because one of the 1087 00:39:36,290 --> 00:39:33,630 reasons that my mom a lot of Star Trek 1088 00:39:38,270 --> 00:39:36,300 is that Laura looks like my mom's older 1089 00:39:40,340 --> 00:39:38,280 sister and so they would rush home from 1090 00:39:42,230 --> 00:39:40,350 school to watch the show and that's how 1091 00:39:44,450 --> 00:39:42,240 she got hooked on science fiction and 1092 00:39:46,160 --> 00:39:44,460 why she dragged me along with her so I 1093 00:39:48,380 --> 00:39:46,170 don't know my life would have turned out 1094 00:39:50,750 --> 00:39:48,390 like if mom wasn't watching that show 1095 00:39:53,330 --> 00:39:50,760 and wasn't such a sci-fi buff so it was 1096 00:39:55,370 --> 00:39:53,340 my very great pleasure to meet her and 1097 00:39:58,850 --> 00:39:55,380 tell her thanks and hello from my little 1098 00:40:00,560 --> 00:39:58,860 MoMA I want to open it up to some 1099 00:40:05,450 --> 00:40:00,570 questions online that we're getting 1100 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:05,460 right now Brandon Lee on YouTube asks 1101 00:40:10,270 --> 00:40:07,410 what extracurricular activities should 1102 00:40:12,410 --> 00:40:10,280 you do to prepare to be a NASA engineer 1103 00:40:13,610 --> 00:40:12,420 that's a great question there are a lot 1104 00:40:14,930 --> 00:40:13,620 of things that you could do to help 1105 00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:14,940 prepare to be a NASA engineer while 1106 00:40:18,030 --> 00:40:16,330 you're in school 1107 00:40:20,690 --> 00:40:18,040 it's so great right now that they have 1108 00:40:22,620 --> 00:40:20,700 it's really inexpensive to get those 1109 00:40:24,240 --> 00:40:22,630 computer parts you could build your own 1110 00:40:26,220 --> 00:40:24,250 little Rovers have you heard of Arduino 1111 00:40:27,630 --> 00:40:26,230 is right you have an opportunity to go 1112 00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:27,640 and explore some of those things and 1113 00:40:31,620 --> 00:40:29,770 learn those problem-solving skills on 1114 00:40:34,050 --> 00:40:31,630 your own when you're in high school now 1115 00:40:36,780 --> 00:40:34,060 or college you can join robotics groups 1116 00:40:39,270 --> 00:40:36,790 there are colleges now that build nano 1117 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:39,280 satellites and sounding rockets and the 1118 00:40:45,030 --> 00:40:41,170 experience that you can get doing those 1119 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:45,040 things directly applies to what you need 1120 00:40:49,020 --> 00:40:47,410 as an engineer working at NASA it's also 1121 00:40:51,510 --> 00:40:49,030 great if you want to go do internships 1122 00:40:52,650 --> 00:40:51,520 like I was able to do and if you try to 1123 00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:52,660 get involved in those things and you 1124 00:40:56,310 --> 00:40:54,370 can't like don't yeah there's plenty of 1125 00:40:58,110 --> 00:40:56,320 other things you can do that aren't also 1126 00:41:00,030 --> 00:40:58,120 applicable to being an engineer one of 1127 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:00,040 the things that we like for systems 1128 00:41:05,550 --> 00:41:02,850 engineers to show is a diversity of 1129 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:05,560 interest not someone who's just doing 1130 00:41:08,580 --> 00:41:06,850 engineering engineering engineering 1131 00:41:12,150 --> 00:41:08,590 engineering but people who aren't sports 1132 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:12,160 teams learn a lot about teamwork people 1133 00:41:16,710 --> 00:41:14,650 who are musicians lots about team work 1134 00:41:18,390 --> 00:41:16,720 people who do art a lot about creativity 1135 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:18,400 and thinking outside the box so you 1136 00:41:21,570 --> 00:41:19,810 don't have to think that you must stick 1137 00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:21,580 to engineering science activities do 1138 00:41:24,990 --> 00:41:23,050 some of those other things too so that 1139 00:41:26,220 --> 00:41:25,000 you can be a well-rounded person don't 1140 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:26,230 kill yourself don't get them sleep like 1141 00:41:30,690 --> 00:41:28,530 we try to do too many things at once 1142 00:41:32,150 --> 00:41:30,700 well that's a good segue question to 1143 00:41:34,890 --> 00:41:32,160 James T on YouTube kind of 1144 00:41:36,060 --> 00:41:34,900 extracurriculars but then and I imagine 1145 00:41:37,740 --> 00:41:36,070 this is just your opinion there's not 1146 00:41:40,080 --> 00:41:37,750 the official opinion of NASA but is 1147 00:41:42,780 --> 00:41:40,090 there more pressure to graduate from a 1148 00:41:45,210 --> 00:41:42,790 traditional engineering powerhouse MIT 1149 00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:45,220 Caltech Georgia Tech than it is to have 1150 00:41:50,970 --> 00:41:48,090 research experience and the high GPA 1151 00:41:53,580 --> 00:41:50,980 thanks for the question yeah definitely 1152 00:41:56,610 --> 00:41:53,590 my opinion and not the opinion of NASA 1153 00:41:58,170 --> 00:41:56,620 but I do think that there is pressure 1154 00:42:01,170 --> 00:41:58,180 there and whether that's pressure that's 1155 00:42:02,790 --> 00:42:01,180 coming from the internet from the 1156 00:42:05,460 --> 00:42:02,800 culture from what you hear from other 1157 00:42:07,020 --> 00:42:05,470 people whether it's you know where 1158 00:42:09,060 --> 00:42:07,030 companies go and do their recruiting 1159 00:42:12,060 --> 00:42:09,070 right if you go to Georgia Tech you'll 1160 00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:12,070 see ginormous recruiting from all sorts 1161 00:42:16,470 --> 00:42:14,290 of places around industry if you go to a 1162 00:42:18,570 --> 00:42:16,480 very small college that might not have 1163 00:42:20,910 --> 00:42:18,580 as high of a profile maybe they don't 1164 00:42:22,830 --> 00:42:20,920 have a career fair that's that big but 1165 00:42:25,770 --> 00:42:22,840 one of the things that I think is great 1166 00:42:27,720 --> 00:42:25,780 about the world today is the Internet it 1167 00:42:29,339 --> 00:42:27,730 gives people much more access to 1168 00:42:31,380 --> 00:42:29,349 information my 1169 00:42:32,670 --> 00:42:31,390 more ability to get your resume and the 1170 00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:32,680 things that you're doing out in front of 1171 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:34,450 people one of the things that you always 1172 00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:36,970 always always want to do is network you 1173 00:42:41,940 --> 00:42:39,130 might feel like you can't hear in some 1174 00:42:44,279 --> 00:42:41,950 small college town but if you can just 1175 00:42:46,859 --> 00:42:44,289 get online search for some people to 1176 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:46,869 people a cold you know hey I'm a student 1177 00:42:49,380 --> 00:42:48,130 studying blah blah blah can you just 1178 00:42:51,059 --> 00:42:49,390 talk to me for half an hour and give me 1179 00:42:53,249 --> 00:42:51,069 some career advice you'd be surprised 1180 00:42:55,109 --> 00:42:53,259 the number of people who will say yes to 1181 00:42:57,239 --> 00:42:55,119 that I talked to students frequently 1182 00:42:59,579 --> 00:42:57,249 just to give them some tips and tricks 1183 00:43:01,229 --> 00:42:59,589 that might seem obvious to people who 1184 00:43:03,029 --> 00:43:01,239 have been around the block for 20 years 1185 00:43:04,589 --> 00:43:03,039 but certainly isn't obvious to someone 1186 00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:04,599 who's just starting out like don't 1187 00:43:10,469 --> 00:43:08,410 everybody call me because I do like to 1188 00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:10,479 do that and once a month or so to try to 1189 00:43:13,529 --> 00:43:12,130 help our students and what I can't then 1190 00:43:15,539 --> 00:43:13,539 I might try to hook them up with other 1191 00:43:17,759 --> 00:43:15,549 people that I know just to give them 1192 00:43:20,819 --> 00:43:17,769 some insight yeah lots of things you can 1193 00:43:22,769 --> 00:43:20,829 do when I was a great addition to Becca 1194 00:43:24,569 --> 00:43:22,779 H asked is how do you find time for 1195 00:43:27,690 --> 00:43:24,579 mentoring while doing all this systems 1196 00:43:29,519 --> 00:43:27,700 engineering mmm another key you guys are 1197 00:43:32,009 --> 00:43:29,529 great with the questions today for me 1198 00:43:34,349 --> 00:43:32,019 that one is tough because especially 1199 00:43:36,539 --> 00:43:34,359 when we're in times where we have like 1200 00:43:38,339 --> 00:43:36,549 major reviews coming up our major launch 1201 00:43:39,900 --> 00:43:38,349 is coming up you have to figure out how 1202 00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:39,910 to compress some of the other things in 1203 00:43:43,950 --> 00:43:41,170 your life so you can get all the work 1204 00:43:46,049 --> 00:43:43,960 done and not like be up for 24 hours a 1205 00:43:48,150 --> 00:43:46,059 day every day and so I might do a little 1206 00:43:52,650 --> 00:43:48,160 less mentoring during those times but 1207 00:43:55,049 --> 00:43:52,660 for me I I just really enjoy seeing 1208 00:43:57,209 --> 00:43:55,059 people succeed and I had so many people 1209 00:43:58,950 --> 00:43:57,219 helped me in my career that I just like 1210 00:44:01,319 --> 00:43:58,960 to give back and to sort of pay that 1211 00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:01,329 forward and so if it means that I will 1212 00:44:04,829 --> 00:44:02,650 have a mentoring conversation during a 1213 00:44:06,660 --> 00:44:04,839 lunch time I've done that you know quite 1214 00:44:09,779 --> 00:44:06,670 a bit with people that I'm mentoring 1215 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:09,789 right now hi Kristina and if I have to 1216 00:44:14,549 --> 00:44:11,890 do it like at 5 p.m. or on a Saturday 1217 00:44:16,229 --> 00:44:14,559 like I will try to get in an hour here 1218 00:44:19,709 --> 00:44:16,239 and there on a regular basis to try to 1219 00:44:21,509 --> 00:44:19,719 help out people like that so we'll do 1220 00:44:23,099 --> 00:44:21,519 one last question and then we'll move on 1221 00:44:24,269 --> 00:44:23,109 we've got there a lot of questions 1222 00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:24,279 coming through and they've been amazing 1223 00:44:30,509 --> 00:44:26,890 questions but one that we are getting a 1224 00:44:32,099 --> 00:44:30,519 lot it's kind of broader than but I 1225 00:44:35,459 --> 00:44:32,109 think knowing you you'll be very 1226 00:44:38,249 --> 00:44:35,469 specific about it what do you think is 1227 00:44:40,229 --> 00:44:38,259 the best way to inspire the next 1228 00:44:42,719 --> 00:44:40,239 generation and is there any advice that 1229 00:44:42,940 --> 00:44:42,729 you would the one piece of advice from 1230 00:44:49,870 --> 00:44:42,950 this 1231 00:44:54,940 --> 00:44:49,880 works for you it works and if it doesn't 1232 00:44:57,430 --> 00:44:54,950 I'm sorry I think the best thing that 1233 00:44:59,410 --> 00:44:57,440 the thing that I like to do let's say it 1234 00:45:04,060 --> 00:44:59,420 that way to inspire the next generation 1235 00:45:05,470 --> 00:45:04,070 is to just a do what I enjoy so that 1236 00:45:06,760 --> 00:45:05,480 when I'm talking about it like you said 1237 00:45:08,770 --> 00:45:06,770 you can tell that it's something that 1238 00:45:10,960 --> 00:45:08,780 I'm excited about and I love doing 1239 00:45:12,099 --> 00:45:10,970 instead of saying engineering is really 1240 00:45:13,450 --> 00:45:12,109 important and you should do it because 1241 00:45:15,880 --> 00:45:13,460 we really have to have figure Raiders 1242 00:45:18,670 --> 00:45:15,890 and selfishly those things are great but 1243 00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:18,680 it's lovely when you can feel fired up 1244 00:45:21,670 --> 00:45:20,210 about the thing that you're doing the 1245 00:45:23,740 --> 00:45:21,680 second thing I will say which is gonna 1246 00:45:26,380 --> 00:45:23,750 sound super contradictory to that third 1247 00:45:28,089 --> 00:45:26,390 thing is I know that students here 1248 00:45:29,200 --> 00:45:28,099 coming at them all the time like find 1249 00:45:31,120 --> 00:45:29,210 your passion and do what you're 1250 00:45:34,180 --> 00:45:31,130 passionate about but the next thought is 1251 00:45:35,829 --> 00:45:34,190 okay how do I do that like how do how do 1252 00:45:39,490 --> 00:45:35,839 I know what I'm passionate about and how 1253 00:45:41,650 --> 00:45:39,500 do I go about doing it there's um I wish 1254 00:45:44,170 --> 00:45:41,660 that someone had told me this which is 1255 00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:44,180 you don't have to get it right the first 1256 00:45:46,089 --> 00:45:44,690 time 1257 00:45:48,280 --> 00:45:46,099 you really don't there's so much 1258 00:45:49,390 --> 00:45:48,290 pressure on students to pick a career 1259 00:45:52,210 --> 00:45:49,400 that they're going to be satisfied with 1260 00:45:54,040 --> 00:45:52,220 forever because if they don't they will 1261 00:45:56,050 --> 00:45:54,050 have wasted X number of years and X 1262 00:45:57,819 --> 00:45:56,060 number of dollars and loans and you know 1263 00:45:59,680 --> 00:45:57,829 into the world kind of situation right 1264 00:46:02,050 --> 00:45:59,690 but there are people that I know who 1265 00:46:04,690 --> 00:46:02,060 chose a career path started down a 1266 00:46:05,500 --> 00:46:04,700 career path ten years into it said this 1267 00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:05,510 isn't working for me 1268 00:46:09,190 --> 00:46:07,970 I'm on to something else and figured out 1269 00:46:11,230 --> 00:46:09,200 how to go back to school while working 1270 00:46:13,089 --> 00:46:11,240 and try something else and now they are 1271 00:46:14,950 --> 00:46:13,099 satisfied with what they're doing so I 1272 00:46:17,200 --> 00:46:14,960 think you just have to like just don't 1273 00:46:19,780 --> 00:46:17,210 stress yes you have to pick something 1274 00:46:21,819 --> 00:46:19,790 but try it and see how it goes and if 1275 00:46:23,530 --> 00:46:21,829 it's not great two months in it's only 1276 00:46:26,650 --> 00:46:23,540 been two months like keep going for a 1277 00:46:28,930 --> 00:46:26,660 while and know that you can change your 1278 00:46:30,790 --> 00:46:28,940 mind even though it might feel like the 1279 00:46:33,609 --> 00:46:30,800 walls are closing in when you want to 1280 00:46:35,920 --> 00:46:33,619 choose to do that what I like talking 1281 00:46:37,480 --> 00:46:35,930 about you is I'm not an engineer but I 1282 00:46:39,250 --> 00:46:37,490 feel like a lot of the advice that you 1283 00:46:42,460 --> 00:46:39,260 give is good for no matter what you're 1284 00:46:44,109 --> 00:46:42,470 doing and stick around with us for a 1285 00:46:46,089 --> 00:46:44,119 second but we want to just let everybody 1286 00:46:48,069 --> 00:46:46,099 know before we leave you tonight we're 1287 00:46:50,700 --> 00:46:48,079 gonna step in on John Krasinski's 1288 00:46:53,020 --> 00:46:50,710 territory and talk about some good news 1289 00:46:55,599 --> 00:46:53,030 on April 1st NASA launched an 1290 00:46:56,710 --> 00:46:55,609 agency-wide call for ideas or how the 1291 00:46:58,870 --> 00:46:56,720 agency can lever 1292 00:46:59,920 --> 00:46:58,880 his expertise and capabilities to help 1293 00:47:04,030 --> 00:46:59,930 the nation with this unprecedented 1294 00:47:07,240 --> 00:47:04,040 crisis in just two weeks 250 ideas from 1295 00:47:11,020 --> 00:47:07,250 NASA scientists engineers everybody were 1296 00:47:13,570 --> 00:47:11,030 submitted into this now here's what some 1297 00:47:17,350 --> 00:47:13,580 JPL engineers decided to do and we're 1298 00:47:17,360 --> 00:47:25,190 [Music] 1299 00:47:31,890 --> 00:47:29,160 we are designing a easy and rapidly 1300 00:47:41,040 --> 00:47:31,900 mapped manufacturable ventilator device 1301 00:47:43,760 --> 00:47:41,050 and it is a easy project this crisis is 1302 00:47:47,670 --> 00:47:43,770 unprecedented in our lives and and 1303 00:47:52,809 --> 00:47:47,680 requires fascinating action 1304 00:47:55,849 --> 00:47:52,819 [Music] 1305 00:47:58,190 --> 00:47:55,859 I'm so amped up I mean it really the 1306 00:48:00,470 --> 00:47:58,200 adrenaline rush it's exciting but it's 1307 00:48:08,630 --> 00:48:00,480 exhausting it I think we all just want 1308 00:48:08,640 --> 00:48:13,720 [Music] 1309 00:48:20,650 --> 00:48:16,120 I would say the biggest personal 1310 00:48:28,540 --> 00:48:20,660 challenges that I have myself is I don't 1311 00:48:30,370 --> 00:48:28,550 have time to sleep I think that what JPL 1312 00:48:32,609 --> 00:48:30,380 brings to the table is extraordinary 1313 00:48:35,740 --> 00:48:32,619 talent it also brings to the table 1314 00:48:38,490 --> 00:48:35,750 tremendous innovation the third thing it 1315 00:48:42,040 --> 00:48:38,500 brings to the table is tremendous focus 1316 00:48:45,580 --> 00:48:42,050 the other thing that I felt I see it in 1317 00:48:48,760 --> 00:48:45,590 our team and that is a call to duty I 1318 00:48:53,730 --> 00:48:48,770 have this talent I'm an engineer or a 1319 00:48:58,990 --> 00:48:57,339 we have the potential to save human 1320 00:49:01,800 --> 00:48:59,000 lives people that we might know our 1321 00:49:08,950 --> 00:49:01,810 neighbors our families and that 1322 00:49:10,839 --> 00:49:08,960 intensity amazing it's amazing and it's 1323 00:49:14,890 --> 00:49:10,849 stressful as hasn't been for everybody 1324 00:49:16,530 --> 00:49:14,900 in the last a ballute week not one of us 1325 00:49:30,000 --> 00:49:16,540 can stop 1326 00:49:30,010 --> 00:49:42,250 [Music] 1327 00:49:47,690 --> 00:49:45,430 Fido was recently authorized by the FDA 1328 00:49:50,360 --> 00:49:47,700 it is designed to treat patients with 1329 00:49:52,310 --> 00:49:50,370 milder symptoms thereby keeping the 1330 00:49:54,020 --> 00:49:52,320 nation's limited supply of traditional 1331 00:49:55,580 --> 00:49:54,030 ventilators available for patients with 1332 00:49:57,710 --> 00:49:55,590 more severe Kovach symptoms 1333 00:50:00,230 --> 00:49:57,720 the Weisse can be built faster 1334 00:50:01,550 --> 00:50:00,240 maintained more easily and with far 1335 00:50:03,950 --> 00:50:01,560 fewer parts than a traditional 1336 00:50:06,800 --> 00:50:03,960 ventilator thus making it more 1337 00:50:08,240 --> 00:50:06,810 economical to produce the designs for 1338 00:50:10,580 --> 00:50:08,250 licensing through the licensing 1339 00:50:14,140 --> 00:50:10,590 licensing these are royalty-free during 1340 00:50:18,350 --> 00:50:14,150 this time this is just one of the few 1341 00:50:21,250 --> 00:50:18,360 NASA responses to our current world so 1342 00:50:26,420 --> 00:50:21,260 what do engineers do they solve problems 1343 00:50:28,070 --> 00:50:26,430 they collaborate they help I want to 1344 00:50:30,200 --> 00:50:28,080 thank Tracy drain for sharing her time 1345 00:50:32,210 --> 00:50:30,210 with us this evening thank you so much 1346 00:50:35,960 --> 00:50:32,220 Tracy I learned a lot I hope everybody 1347 00:50:39,890 --> 00:50:35,970 watching really learned something too my 1348 00:50:41,600 --> 00:50:39,900 pleasure Bane I want I hope everybody 1349 00:50:43,670 --> 00:50:41,610 joins us next month when my colleague 1350 00:50:46,280 --> 00:50:43,680 Preston dikes will be hosting making a 1351 00:50:48,950 --> 00:50:46,290 Mars rover thank you for joining us this 1352 00:50:51,470 --> 00:50:48,960 evening thank you to tracy drain please 1353 00:50:57,920 --> 00:50:51,480 stay safe stay kind and we'll see you