Real Life Survivor
Maintaining Your Career in the Aerospace
Industry
Dr. Robert Howard
Director, NSBE Space SIG
Disclaimer: The contents of this presentation do not
represent the opinion or policy of NSBE, NASA, or any
other organizational body. They are the sole opinion of
the author and presenter.
Survivor
• Reality show strands contestants in the
wilderness with minimal tools for survival
• Vote each other off the island until only one
remains
• But what does Survivor have to do with NSBE
or with the Space SIG? Or with you?
Engineers Would Suck on Survivor
• First person who should be voted off the island – the
useless engineer
• No process documents, no requirements, no charge
codes, etc.
• No technician or contractor support
• Problems without clear procedures for resolution
• Used to long product development cycles
• Unfortunately, Aerospace industry is much like
Survivor
Survival in the 21st Century Aircraft
Manufacturing Industry
• Defunct major aircraft manufacturers of the 20th century:
– Wright, Curtiss, Martin, Douglas, Convair, North American, Republic,
Grumman, McDonnell, Vought, Rockwell
• Casualties of Contract Terminations:
– End of World War II
• North American: employment dropped from 100,000 to 6,500 in two
months
• Casualties of Poor Business Decisions
– Lockheed L-1011 vs. McDonnell Douglas DC-10
• Market could sustain one plane, but not both
• Lockheed abandoned airliner business
• McDonnell Douglas weakened to point that could only produce variations
of DC-9 and DC-10
– Rising costs of fighters and bombers limited ability of DOD to spread
small orders across multiple manufacturers
• Surviving companies: Boeing, Lockheed
Martin, Northrop Grumman
Survival in NASA Human
Spaceflight
• Cancelled NASA Human Spaceflight Projects and Programs
since 1972
1. Apollo / Saturn V
2. Skylab
3. Shuttle C
4. Space Shuttle
5. Advanced Solid Rocket Motor
6. National Launch System
7. Space Station Freedom
8. DC-X
9. L-301/X-24C
10. X-30
11. X-33
12. X-34
13. X-38
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
Orbital Space Plane
Space Launch Initiative
First Lunar Outpost
LUNOX
Early Lunar Access
LANTR (LOX-Augmented Nuclear
Thermal Rocket)
Human Lunar Return
Ares I (Constellation)
Ares V (Constellation)
Altair (Constellation)
Lunar Surface Systems (Constellation)
TransHab
• Survivors as of 2011: International Space
Station, Commercial Crew & Cargo, Orion
MPCV, MMSEV, Deep Space Habitat, Space
Launch System, SEP, CPS
Voted Off the Island
Real NASA Examples
• Space Shuttle program terminated to free up funding
for Constellation program - over 10,000 contractors
laid off
• Constellation program cancelled in favor of
commercial spaceflight – more layoffs
• NASA AES projects structured to replace contractor
labor with civil servants
– Civil servants ill equipped to perform work
– Contractors challenged to find funding to remain
employed
MANPRINT: Survivability
• DOD Definition (USAF):
– The consideration of the characteristics of a system (e.g. life support,
body armor, helmets, plating, egress/ejection equipment, air bags,
seat belts, electronic shielding, etc.) that reduce susceptibility of the
total system to mission degradation or termination. The goal is to
reduce detectability of the warfighter, prevent attack if detected,
prevent damage if attacked, minimize medical injury if wounded or
otherwise injured, and reduce physical and mental fatigue. These
issues must be considered in the context of the full spectrum of
anticipated operations and operational environments and for all
personnel who will interact with the system (e.g. users/customers,
operators, maintainers, or other support personnel). Adequate
protection and escape systems must provide for personnel and total
system survivability when they are threatened with harm.
MANPRINT: Survivability
• Application to your career
– The consideration of the characteristics of a person (e.g. technical
skills, professional reputation, publications and patents, networking
connections, achievements and recognitions, influence, leadership
and management ability, etc.) that reduce susceptibility of the
aerospace professional to career degradation or termination. The goal
is to reduce vulnerability of the aerospace professional, prevent layoffs
in economic downturns, prevent personal career damage if laid off,
maximize career alternatives if unemployed, and reduce physical,
mental, and emotional fatigue. These issues must be considered in
the context of the full spectrum of anticipated corporate
environments and for all projects and programs for whom you work.
Adequate protection and escape systems must provide for career
survivability when your industry is threatened with harm.
Who Survives the Layoffs?
• No matter what state the economy is in, every
aerospace company must spend money to produce
products
• Two forms of survival, both are good
– Evade layoff and thrive in company
– Transition from employee to entrepreneur
– Can also buy time with funded graduate school
opportunities
• What Can You Do With Your Hands?
– Are you a cog or a prime mover in your organization?
Let NSBE Train You
It is possible to survive
• When your program is cut to next to nothing, a
helpful skill is the ability to make something out of
nothing
– Real example: Boeing CEV proposal vs. Boeing CST-100
You can survive, too…NSBE can help
• NSBE cannot promise career invulnerability but the
NSBE Space SIG can add or reinforce skills that
increase your survivability
http://www.nsbe-space.org
Learn By Doing
• Actively participate in NSBE engineering activities
– Move beyond the education and outreach paradigm
– Focus of a true technical society is advancement of technology
• Must be a self-starter, ability to work independently
– Geographically distributed projects; both team and individual
– Limited existing support infrastructure
• NSBE offers many ways for you to learn or demonstrate
technical talents – pick your poison
• Added bonus: demonstration of technical talents within NSBE
community
– We know your skills, not just your face
– Collaboration opportunities and teaming for entrepreneurial ventures
http://www.nsbe-space.org
Pick Your Poison: CAD
• Project Arusha
– Conceptual design project focused on large lunar rover
– Conceptual design established for crew cabin
– Technical papers available from 2006 ASCE Earth & Space, 2007 IEEE
ICSSE, 2010 ASC, STS-2011, 2012 ASC (coming)
– CAD work needed to complete volumetric sizing and kick off other
subsystems
• Cubesat Inflatable Telescope
– Inflatable barrel Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope designed for use in a
cubesat
– Innovative inflation mechanism with possible patent opportunity
– CAD work needed to refine design of deployment mechanisms
http://www.nsbe-space.org
Pick Your Poison: Hardware
Fabrication and Testing
• Cubesat Inflatable Telescope (pending resources)
– Design has progressed to point where some fabrication possible
– Requires new funding to procure hardware and fabrication facility(ies)
• Project Arusha (pending resources)
– Temporary mockup constructed in 2009 for walk-through analysis
– Second mockup would be useful to validate design changes introduced at STS2011
– Requires completion of CAD, funding, and facility
• Power Beaming Demonstration Unit
– Unit constructed in 2010, located in Houston, TX
– Portable for test opportunities at ASC 2012, National Convention, STS-2013
• Increase efficiency
• Test alternate components
– Proposal/fundraising options for construction of additional, higher power
units
http://www.nsbe-space.org
Pick Your Poison: Engineering
Analysis
• Lunar Solar Power
– Feasibility study of 1+ GW power transmission from Moon
to Earth
– High level or “in the weeds” analysis opportunities
– Over 20 independent research topic areas
• Business case, Space transportation, Surface deployment,
Robotics, Artificial intelligence / autonomy, Materials science, RF
transmission
• Project Arusha
– Rover subsystem sizing: ECLS, Thermal, Power, Mobility,
EVA, Communication, Avionics, GNC, etc.
http://www.nsbe-space.org
Pick Your Poison: Field Testing
• Mars Desert Research Station
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–
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All-NSBE expedition to Mars analogue facility
Six crew members for 14-day mission
Open call for experiments and crew members
Any NSBE member eligible
Must propose experiments to conduct during mission
• Opportunity to collect additional data if current work duties include field
testing
• Opportunity to pursue engineering or science test activities outside of
current expertise
– Expedition will be scheduled once accrue six crew plus sufficient
experiments and associated funding
– Multiple expeditions possible with additional crew and/or
experiments
http://www.nsbe-space.org
Pick Your Poison: Sign Up NOW
Project
Contact
Email Address
Project Arusha
Mars Desert Research Station
Dr. Robert Howard
director@nsbe-space.org
Cubesat Inflatable Telescope
Michael McCullar
michael.mccullar1@nasa.gov
Power Beaming Demo Unit
Lunar Solar Power
George Earle
george.earle@righthemisp
here.com
• Note: Limited NSBE National TORCH Program funding is
available for SIG projects conducted with NSBE chapters
– Special emphasis on projects engaging community, collegiate, and
Alumni chapters
http://www.nsbe-space.org
Build Your Credentials
2012 NSBE ASC
February 1-4, 2012, Los Angeles
• Tech Papers
– How many publications do you have within the past year?
Total?
– Engineering publications extremely important to health of
industry
– Also important to build personal technical reputation;
helps lead toward promotions
– Many African American aerospace professionals have no
or few publications
– ASC geared towards supporting first time authors
– Still possible to prepare paper
http://www.nsbe-asc2012.org
Build Your Credentials
2012 NSBE ASC
February 1-4, 2012, Los Angeles
• Training
– Currently seeking input for technical courses of
value to aerospace industry professionals
• NOT offering project management type courses offered
at PDC and National Convention
• Seeking courses that significantly enhance your work
performance but (preferably) are not readily available
(or limited enrollment) at your corporate facility
– Affordability in the Aerospace and Defense Sector
being taught by Raytheon (Sat, Feb 3)
http://www.nsbe-asc2012.org
Build Your Credentials
2012 NSBE ASC
February 1-4, 2012, Los Angeles
• Aerospace Technical Tours
– Why do you go on a tour?
•
•
•
•
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See cool things? NO!
Focus on both the site AND other persons on tour
Scout technologies and trends
Scout collaborative ventures
Scout networking relationships
http://www.nsbe-asc2012.org
Build Your Credentials
2012 NSBE ASC
February 1-4, 2012, Los Angeles
• Awards
– 60+ opportunities for recognition
– Technical Paper Awards
– 21st Century Trailblazers in Aerospace
– Celestial Torch Awards
http://www.nsbe-asc2012.org
Build Your Credentials
2012 NSBE ASC
February 1-4, 2012, Los Angeles
• Business Development
– Two business development goals for ASC:
• Facilitate industry professionals to form collaborative team to pursue
a funded research or development opportunity
• Facilitate formation of an entrepreneurial team to launch a new
aerospace business
– ACTION: Identify an activity within your professional duties
that would benefit from collaboration either within or
beyond your company (funded or non-funded collaboration)
• Prepare sufficient material to explain your activity
• Bring to NSBE-ASC and seek out potential collaborators
http://www.nsbe-asc2012.org
Build Your Credentials
2012 NSBE ASC
February 1-4, 2012, Los Angeles
• Space Policy Advocacy
– United States democracy involves more public participation than is
often practiced
• Few exercise the basic right to formulate an opinion and express it to
federal leadership
• Yet, the actions of government directly impact career survivability
– Future of Human Spaceflight forum at ASC intended to help formulate
a Space SIG position
– Leadup to Congressional visit, usually in late February, in partnership
with National Space Society
• ASC enables NSBE Space to come with an agenda versus simply adopting
the platform of other space nonprofits
– Lessons learned can be applied to future advocacy in aviation or other
disciplines
http://www.nsbe-asc2012.org
Build Your Credentials
2012 NSBE ASC
February 1-4, 2012, Los Angeles
• Mentorship
– Focused gathering of senior Black aerospace
executives
• 2010 conference examples:
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Astronaut Bob Curbeam
Aerospace Corporation President Dr. Wanda Austin
Futron CEO Joe Fuller
Apollo Laser Scientist Hal Walker
– Leverage opportunity to make long term contacts
and create mentoring relationships
http://www.nsbe-asc2012.org
Build Your Credentials
2012 NSBE ASC
February 1-4, 2012, Los Angeles
• Leadership Development
– Conference Execution
• Planning a complex activity like the conference involves
similar skills to managing complex engineering projects
– Conference-based Collaboration
• Unlimited opportunities to take self-initiative to create
technical projects (NSBE or work related) with inherent
leadership opportunity
– Leverage visibility opportunities of project
http://www.nsbe-asc2012.org
Questions?