WEBVTT 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:10.000 My name is Sam Yunis. I am a vibrations analyst in KSC's Launch Service Program. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:18.000 Vibration analysis involves figuring out how much the launch vehicle will vibrate and how to design it to survive. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:24.000 I have to consider forces from the engines, from exhaust plume pressures that smack the vehicle at liftoff, from aerodynamic 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:29.000 pressures as the vehicle pushes through the atmosphere, and from explosive shock. 00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:37.000 By the way, did you know that most launch vehicles separate their stages with an explosive charge that rips the metal connections? 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:43.000 Let's step back for a moment and be honest. Engineering analysis is not the glamorous, Hollywood part of engineering. 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:53.000 It isn't hardware on the table with people shouting “failure is not an option.” Analysis is equations and theory and models and computers. 00:00:53.000 --> 00:01:00.000 But analysis is what you might call “behind-the-scenes” cool. As an analyst you will have to provide solutions to tough problems. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:08.000 Sometimes my day involves brainstorming with other engineers to uncover any solution or to discover the best solution. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:14.000 There is a lot of pride in solving these tough problems and your peers will recognize you for that. 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:23.000 OK, back to vibrations. As a vibrations analyst, each day I figure out how much a launch vehicle or a spacecraft is going to vibrate. 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:28.000 That is critical, because structural vibrations are the thing most likely to break the vehicle. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:34.000 Whether it is a metal fuel tank or a solder joint on a circuit board, vibrations are the villain. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:39.000 So, how do I do my analysis? Well, I might use a detailed computer model of the structure. 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:43.000 To this, I can apply forces and calculate the vibrations. 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:48.000 The hard part about this is knowing what forces to apply and when to apply them. 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:55.000 This requires wind-tunnel testing and statistical analysis. It involves shaking the structure in a test lab to really 00:01:55.000 --> 00:02:03.000 understand how it should be modeled. I might even have to shake the structure until it breaks, just to figure out how strong it is. 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:11.000 I describe my job with the Launch Services Program as very exciting. I need to know almost everything about every U.S. launch vehicle, 00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:15.000 including the Atlas, Delta, Taurus and Pegasus launch vehicles. 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:23.000 If you want to be a part of the national space exploration business, Launch Services Program analysis is a great place to be. 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:27.000 Let me conclude by saying that being an analyst isn't easy. 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:36.000 It requires that you become an engineer and pay close attention during math class. Put in the time and effort and the reward is worth it. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:42.000 I know that I love my job. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:47.000