My projects

[chesty]

I can't go into much detail, but one project is for a radiation detection system for the ISS. I am in charge of all of the structural testing and analysis for it and have been putting in some overtime.

The other project deals with the new docking system for the new launch vehicle to replace the shuttle and to take dudes to the moon and beyond. It is really cool. All I can say is, wow. Really cool and I am a part of it. I always wanted to be an Astronaut, but this will do. I get to work on the stuff that gets them from point A to B and back and perform their missions.

If I find anything on the NASA public site I'll post a link. Can't say anything more about it though.

 

[UA_Iron]

What do you guys use for structural analysis? Ansys, Nastran, Integrated Pro/E stuff?

 

[chesty]

I use Patran/Nastran. Have used Ansys, but don't like its layout much. Started to use Hypermesh, not a real fan either. I do most of my stuff by hand if possible. Even do Random vibe, transient and frequency response with Nastran as a first shot.

What do you do?

 

[Creepusmaximus]

Got you beat my project this weekend was recalking my shower. That damn old silicone calk is terrible to get out.

 

[UA_Iron]

I use Patran/Nastran. Have used Ansys, but don't like its layout much. Started to use Hypermesh, not a real fan either. I do most of my stuff by hand if possible. Even do Random vibe, transient and frequency response with Nastran as a first shot.

What do you do?

I dont really run structual analysis. I do mechanical design with Solidworks. Cosmos is good enough for most of my applications - its not aerospace like what you do.

 

[samoth]

You have a MS in an engineering field, right? (I can't recall what you told me in the past.) How do you feel your education and experience prepared you for working at NASA? Are you guys noticing the budget cuts or fearfull of layoffs in this economy? Do you personally feel that NASA should get more funding than it has in recent years, or do you feel that space exploration is a dead field with nothing new to learn?

 

[chesty]

You have a MS in an engineering field, right? (I can't recall what you told me in the past.) How do you feel your education and experience prepared you for working at NASA? Are you guys noticing the budget cuts or fearfull of layoffs in this economy? Do you personally feel that NASA should get more funding than it has in recent years, or do you feel that space exploration is a dead field with nothing new to learn?

I have a BS in Aerospace Engineering was working on my masters in Physics and Advanced Space Propulsion. My education prepared me pretty well. If your willing to listen and learn you will go far. Every place is different and so you have to adapt accordingly.

As for the economy, I am not noticing any slowdown and not worried about losing my job due to it or budget cuts.

I personally think NASA is extremely under-funded. Almost everything that we develop or learn and use for space-exploration, etc is directly transferrable to society at large. If we are talking of investing in our future, this would be one place to do it.

Space exploration is far from a dead field and in the coming decades you will see it explode with manned missions to Mars and beyond. This is what is inherent in mans being, his soul if you will or his DNA blueprint. We are explorers and when we stop exploring, we become stagnet and useless and end up with a society like we have today. A worthless collection of beings with no desire to excel and expand our understanding of our world and Universe. We no longer have the desire to live, but rather just to exist.

 

[Frisky]

I dont really run structual analysis. I do mechanical design with Solidworks. Cosmos is good enough for most of my applications - its not aerospace like what you do.

I liked solidworks, but still has its kinks. Cosmos does eh... ok stress tests but I would not put my life on it. Ran cosmos and it failed me... maybe one in a million, but that one almost took a life.

Oh but hey... all this talk makes me hot...

 

[UA_Iron]

I liked solidworks, but still has its kinks. Cosmos does eh... ok stress tests but I would not put my life on it. Ran cosmos and it failed me... maybe one in a million, but that one almost took a life.

Oh but hey... all this talk makes me hot...

Cosmos doesn't understand the heat that you and I would create, nor the fluid mechanics. Does a terrible job with viscoelastic materials too, like skin on skin...

 

[needtogetarmy]

We are explorers and when we stop exploring, we become stagnant and useless and end up with a society like we have today. A worthless collection of beings with no desire to excel and expand our understanding of our world and Universe. We no longer have the desire to live, but rather just to exist.

+1

Awesome job and I am happy you are there!

 

[samoth]

I have a BS in Aerospace Engineering was working on my masters in Physics and Advanced Space Propulsion. My education prepared me pretty well. If your willing to listen and learn you will go far. Every place is different and so you have to adapt accordingly.

As for the economy, I am not noticing any slowdown and not worried about losing my job due to it or budget cuts.

I personally think NASA is extremely under-funded. Almost everything that we develop or learn and use for space-exploration, etc is directly transferrable to society at large. If we are talking of investing in our future, this would be one place to do it.

Space exploration is far from a dead field and in the coming decades you will see it explode with manned missions to Mars and beyond. This is what is inherent in mans being, his soul if you will or his DNA blueprint. We are explorers and when we stop exploring, we become stagnet and useless and end up with a society like we have today. A worthless collection of beings with no desire to excel and expand our understanding of our world and Universe. We no longer have the desire to live, but rather just to exist.

Awesome, thanks!

I always thought it was sad how people seem to think NASA's a waste of money and resources... from what I've heard, there's been so much pressure on NASA in recent decades that half the efforts and funding goes to needless 600-step safety checklists. The media and public scoff when a rare loss of life takes place really shows the small-mindedness and short-term outlook mankind. I can't think of a more honorable way to die -- not for one's country or petty gains, but for mankind and paving of our future.

So how'd you get into your current career path? I'm assuming you didn't just apply to an ad in the paper, lol. Was it through your university or professor contacts in your program?

Is employment with NASA as hyper-competitive as people make it out to be? I know the internships for places like NASA, Los Alamos, Fermi Lab and others are near impossible outside of the Ivys, Cal-Tech, MIT, UChicago, and profs/advisors with an 'in' for a student.

Also, are you classified as a government employee? I'm assuming the government contracts out a decent amout of work for NASA, but I'm not sure to what extebt those people/companies would be under the blanket of a government entiry.

 

[calveless wonder]

i had expectations of hood reppin

 

[Razorguns]

You geeks stop talking like that! You're making the rest of us look dumb. Talk about tranny's and relationships and why pick3 is the way he is. Stuff everyone can talk about.

r

 

[chesty]

Solid works is okay, Cosmos blows in my opinion. But it is good for prelimnary stuff. There is a lot that goes into building finite element model. Verification, element choice, mesh density, element shape, loads, boundary conditions, is it going to be linear or non-linear, are there Kt effects not modeled in, what details were left out that need to be accounted for? It is not easy to model things such as fasteners, press-fits, dynamic effets, etc. Loads models are good only for developing loads to do a detailed stress analysis, fatigue life is not easily modeled or crack growth, etc. And then there is the experience of knowing whether or not the designer has provided for a good fail-safe load path, materials and more. Plus, a good solid hand analysis to verify the finite element model, correct reaction loads ad infitim. This is why I could never be a designer, with all the knowledge they have to have on top of what it would take to be a solid stress analyst I would be brain dead plus I would not have the time to finish everything to a level of detail need for release. I could never do your job frisky! I suck at design.

As for the NASA gig, it is competitive for sure. I co-oped there once in Huntsville, AL I work for a company that is a prime contractor for NASA and NASA provides us all the tools, etc badges, background checks and so on. A recruiter called me and asked if I wanted to apply, was interviewed and got the job.

If you have experience and a degree you have a shot like anyone else, but if you have an inside contact your better off. Navigating the new way of applying to NASA makes me want to hammer my dick with meet tenderizer. Well, not really, but you get the idea.

 

[UA_Iron]

Solid works is okay, Cosmos blows in my opinion. But it is good for prelimnary stuff. There is a lot that goes into building finite element model. Verification, element choice, mesh density, element shape, loads, boundary conditions, is it going to be linear or non-linear, are there Kt effects not modeled in, what details were left out that need to be accounted for? It is not easy to model things such as fasteners, press-fits, dynamic effets, etc. Loads models are good only for developing loads to do a detailed stress analysis, fatigue life is not easily modeled or crack growth, etc. And then there is the experience of knowing whether or not the designer has provided for a good fail-safe load path, materials and more. Plus, a good solid hand analysis to verify the finite element model, correct reaction loads ad infitim. This is why I could never be a designer, with all the knowledge they have to have on top of what it would take to be a solid stress analyst I would be brain dead plus I would not have the time to finish everything to a level of detail need for release. I could never do your job frisky! I suck at design.

As for the NASA gig, it is competitive for sure. I co-oped there once in Huntsville, AL I work for a company that is a prime contractor for NASA and NASA provides us all the tools, etc badges, background checks and so on. A recruiter called me and asked if I wanted to apply, was interviewed and got the job.

If you have experience and a degree you have a shot like anyone else, but if you have an inside contact your better off. Navigating the new way of applying to NASA makes me want to hammer my dick with meet tenderizer. Well, not really, but you get the idea.

Solidworks is the best 3D Mechanical modeling program there is in my opinion. Pro/E doesn't even try and compete with them anymore in the modeling part.

FEA schemes are definitely complicated to come up with. Your results are only as good as your assumptions and methodology. For aerospace this is a lot bigger issue than I have to deal with. I design medical devices and there's just no need to run FEA on every single piece designed. We move so fast paced its ridiculous.

 

[chesty]

Well, I use UG, CatiaV4 and V5 for most of what I do along with Patran and Nastran and I have yet to see a 3D program beat them out. But for a lot of stuff solidworks is good stuff and not nearly as expensive.

 

[Frisky]

Cosmos doesn't understand the heat that you and I would create, nor the fluid mechanics. Does a terrible job with viscoelastic materials too, like skin on skin...

Hey, I had alot of time on my hand at one time or another... and the friction I would have caused it would have fused two bodies together....

LOL

I don't deal with cosmos too much... I design draw, model, and make all the prints... however, I am asked to run cosmos on specifics. I can do it, but it counts for shit. I have knowledge in but not good enough. Just enough to get us by. I run it and if a moron can catch a glitch well... thats good enough for them. work it over... I do not get paid enough to be smart to be stupid. LOL