Ryan East...
University: University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Junior
Hometown: Greenwood, Arkansas
About Me
First of all, I can't believe I finally have a co-op bio! I remember reading through each & every bio, wishing that was me on the page. When I was ten years old, my dad took the family to see Apollo 13 (at my begging), and I was instantly hooked! After seeing the leadership, teamwork, and excitement within Mission Control, I knew that was what I wanted to do in life. I began reading anything I could get my hands on concerning manned spaceflight. I also began frequently writing to NASA HQ & JSC, asking them for photos, posters, information, etc. I even asked where I should attend college, to which I received a standard, "NASA does not recommend specific institutions." Funny.now that I look back at that.
How it all started...
Well, choosing to major in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Oklahoma was the best decision I could have made. My freshman year, I became active in OU's AIAA, where I met Jessica Culler, OU's veteran JSC Co-op, and now a very good friend of mine. During every event or meeting, I would question her to death about JSC's Co-op Program. In the spring of 2004, the AIAA took a trip to JSC during spring break, and after the Education Office presentation, I jumped at the chance to submit my resume to Shelia Collins. A week later, she emailed me to set up a phone interview with then-director Bob Musgrove. Needless to say, I was very nervous; I had never before done a phone interview. Bob said, "So, you're a freshman... getting quite an early start, aren't we?" (Of course, Bob! I had waited a long time for that interview, and I wanted to be a Co-op.) He informed me that freshman usually weren't hired, but I certainly was excited to get that interview!
Though I did not receive a co-op at that time, I remained persistent & optimistic. That summer, the Oklahoma NASA Space Grant Consortium announced an internship opportunity at JSC for the next spring. Wow, great timing, huh? I applied, received another phone interview with the Education Office, and was awarded the internship! My childhood dream was finally coming true!
What I do at NASA
1st Tour - Spring 2005
During my internship I was placed in the Cargo Integration & Operations Branch (DO5), within Mission Operations. This group mans the Cargo Integration Officer console in the International Space Station Flight Control Room and is responsible for keeping inventory of equipment aboard and getting supplies to the ISS. During Shuttle missions they man the Payloads console, taking responsibility for the experiments and payloads within the crew compartment and cargo bay.
Well, what you don't see on NASA TV is that for every person on console in Mission Control, there are a few other people in a support "backroom" that assist the controller in the front room; for this group it is the Inventory and Stowage Officer and the Plug-In Plan Logistics & Utilization Officer. For the ISO team, I created a document outlining the many stowage safety constraints aboard the ISS, complete with graphics and location maps. I also created a webpage, containing over 200 photos of a Crew Equipment Integration Test performed in ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle. Then, I researched a communication system that will guide JAXA's H-II Transfer Vehicle to deliver supplies to the ISS.
Lastly, I was able to do something I had waited for all my life - to be a part of Mission Control! I was an "OJT" at the ISO & PLUTO consoles in the MCC. It was so exciting to wear the headset & get the opportunity to assist those on console. I was even able to sit in the front room with the CIO and observed his interactions with the rest of the flight control team and the Flight Director. Overall, I truly enjoyed my tour here; the people were so friendly and eager to help me with my projects and anything else.
Also during this tour, I interviewed with Anne for the Co-op Program & was accepted a week later! So, yeah, my path to NASA was unique, but I finally made it! =)
2nd Tour - Summer 2006
For my second tour, I decided to get some experience outside of Mission Operations. I am currently in the Flight Mechanics & Trajectory Design Branch within the Aeroscience & Flight Mechanics Division. Basically, they do exactly what the title says. These individuals have worked on such projects as the X-38 and performed debris analysis after the Columbia incident. They're also hard at work to fulfill the Vision for Space Exploration. It seems I will be working towards creating a database of lunar descent trajectories by running a simulation program called SORT, so that we may choose the most optimal trajectory for a specific mission to the moon.
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With another Sooner, Astronaut Shannon Lucid |
Lectures & Tours
One of the neat things about being a Co-op is that we get to tour lots of neat places around JSC. This includes the Hypervelocity Impact Testing Facility (where they use a big cannon to shoot metal in order to better understand orbital debris), the Neutral Buoyancy Lab (of course), and we get to climb around in the Shuttle & ISS mockups in B9. We also get to meet & hear great lectures from NASA veterans like Chris Kraft and Gene Kranz as well as from astronauts, like Karen Nyberg and Shannon Lucid. We also get together some night after work & watch Apollo 13 in the Apollo Flight Control Room - right were all the action took place! How cool is that?!
If you're interested in becoming a Co-op, my best advice is to be persistent and optimistic. Doors of opportunity will open for you if people can see you're sincere & motivated. I have a few more tours ahead of me before finally graduating in May 2008 (Yep, a year later than planned.which drives my advisor at OU crazy, but it's worth it!). Feel free to email me (ryanaeast@ou.edu) about JSC, NASA, OU, etc. If you're a fellow Sooner interested in spaceflight, definitely email me; we OU Co-ops are growing in number which is very exciting!
Thanks so much for reading my bio; good luck with anything you desire to do!
~ Ryan
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