What aerospace projects have you worked on?

Hi everyone. I actually registered a few months ago but this is my first post. I just wanted to see who works in the aerospace industry and what projects you have worked on or are working on. I have about seven years experience in the aerospace industry, mostly in the assembly, integration, and test of geosynchronous commerical satellites. I've had the opportunity to work at some really neat launch facilities (Kourou, French Guiana and Baikonur Cosmodrome) and have seen some cool launches in person; Ariane IV, Ariane V and a Soyuz launch.

I've also worked on a student cubesat project called Katysat. I'd like to get into manned spacecraft design and assembly. I know in the next few years several manned spacecraft may be ready for operation (at least I hope!)

Some background on my screen name. It's kind of a joke really. A few years ago a friend of mine was wearing a t-shirt at work that said:

"Actually, I am a Rocket Scientist"

Anyone?

Actually, I don't think there's too many industry folks here. A few alt.spacers frequent the board, such as the guys from Armadillo and Masten. But not too many traditional aerospace folks. There seem to be a number of college students who are studying aerospace, and then a handful of older Enthusiasts, like me.

I'm a chemical engineer by education and a software developer by trade. My main connection to space is that my Dad worked for NASA in the sixties and seventies. He did some of the high mach number aerodynamic studies on the Apollo CM. (I still have a wind tunnel model they used.) Later he worked on Skylab and some of the unmanned earth resources missions.

Glad to have you on the board. We could use a few card-carrying Rocket Scientists.

I wish i could say yes now but the sad case is that i hope in a few years i could say yes.

I see. I like the fact that the Armadillo and Masten folks post here. I like that they are open and willing to share as they work towards their goals. I've been a space ethusiast far longer than I've been working in the aerospace industry.


You dad seems like an interesting guy. What kind of software work do you do? Any aerospace software work?


Thanks! I really like this forum. I look forward to meeting new friends and learning more about other aspects of aerospace.

Thanks for the reply. I didn't mean to imply any disrespect to Armadillo and Masten. That's actually what I like about this board, too. There are other boards where the traditional aerospace guys hang out.

I work for an engineering software company. My department develops advanced process control software used by oil companies and chemical companies to run their chemical plants and refineries. It's a dynamic control problem sort of like flight control, but with longer time constants. I don't know why I didn't end up in aerospace. I've been fascinated with it since childhood. Probably had something to do with how bad the aerospace job market was when I was in college (late seventies) and how good the chemical engineering market was.

I worked on engine development (especially injection related) and saw and *fealt* several Vulcain 1+2 (and several smaller engines) development and qualification runs from not far away (interestingly you have to be much farther away at real launches).