WEBVTT

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Hello, my name is Gina Giorgi-O'Shaughnessy and I work for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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I am a mechanical engineer with the Expendable Launch Services Program.

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In this program, we work with rockets that are called “expendables” because they are used once to deliver satellites and exploration vehicles to space.

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“My rocket” is the Delta II and I am responsible for its booster stage.

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The first stage performs the “most difficult” task during flight, which is to get out of the Earth's atmosphere.

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I am a propulsion engineer, also known as the “power doctor” because I diagnose problems with the “power-generating” hardware.

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I monitor the RS-27A rocket engine and its supporting systems from manufacturing, assembly through launch and flight.

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I perform “independent assessments” on all components to determine whether they are built within requirements or they have “problems.”

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The contractor and I work as a team to resolve “non-conformances.”

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For example, if I have a part that has a dimension that is out of tolerance, I engage other engineering disciplines at

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NASA like Strength and Dynamics to make a technical assessment on the trouble part. If the issue involves “critical flight hardware,”

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I prepare a presentation with the problem's origin, hardware details, the engineering inputs and NASA's engineering team evaluation to present

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to the NASA Engineering Review Board. If the board accepts the recommendation, my work is done for the particular problem.

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Otherwise, I will get action items and they will have to be completed before I go back for a reconvene with the board.

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The most exciting part of my job is launch, because no matter how many launches I have participated in, it always feels like the first one.

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During the countdown, I monitor tanking, pneumatic pressurization and hydraulic system data to verify that the first stage is ready for flight.

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Once the rocket leaves the pad and spends the first stage,

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I review flight data to determine the booster's performance and whether there were anomalies during the powered flight.

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Success in engineering, aside from technical knowledge, requires organization,

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good communication skills and a great attitude; so it is all up to you!

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