Once in a while I break the constant obsession with my current world and end up back on the NASA web site.
The world of NASA (or any other part of government) isn't a fast paced one so a check-in every few years generally does it. But, they do work with cool things like spaceships and airplanes, and remotely controlled vehicles, and jet engines, and…. You get the picture.
Today, while I was looking for endeavor launch video I found this piece produced by my friends at Dryden Flight Research Facility where I worked during the first (8) formative years of my career.
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=87782181
t's not super informative but actually gives a pretty good day-in-the-life of what it is like to work there. Not everyday, but it's the cool parts for sure. The video shows a snapshot of the different airborn platforms they are testing. Some are based around test F-18 aircraft and others are remotely piloted vehicles. Worth a watch.
Darby is heading to College this fall, she was born during the last year Lura and I spent at Dryden. Last weekend at dinner one night we were talking about all the cool things you could do in your career. I was talking about how much I learned and respected Controls as an area of study. For those who don't know a Control System is basically mechanical, electrical, hydraulic integrated system that understands the thing being controlled, the physics of the world the thing resides in, and itself in order to make something happen effectively. Elevators, Engines, Heating and Cooling, Aircraft, Spacecraft, Coffee pots have control systems of various complexities. Think of it like the way your brain tells your foot to press hard on the gas to get your car moving from a stop, but then immediately backs off on the gas once the car is in motion and then further backs off as you approach your desired speed without overshooting the mark. Humans are pretty good control systems.
I like any science or technology that results in a real-world observable result. That's what I loved about working at Dryden. Good job guys, looks like it was a fun year.
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