#61 – Irene Chan: Planning NASA Space Flights
- Irene is a flight planning engineer at a NASA supplier who drinks stout.
- Teachers encouraged her to try a career in math.
- Fear of gangs in East LA was real.
- Spent a lot of time at libraries as a child
- Both Irene and Bert read the encyclopedia for fun.
- “Stand and Deliver” great movie and true story
- Initially she struggled with calculus and physics in college.
- Partially due to involvement in student engineering organizations, which she recommends.
- Her stubbornness let her persevere.
- She struggled in basic classes but excelled in high level ones.
- Flight planning priorities are the humans, the vehicle, and then the mission.
- Weather is main reason for scrubbing a flight.
- The issue is less the flight but in the event a rescue is needed.
- Is an ion engine an ion motor?
- Sometimes the acronym comes first and then the acronym.
- She wants NASA to resume support of STEM programs.
- Do astronauts train on how to go to the bathroom in space? Probably.
- A brief visit from Irene’s daughter, who likes magna-tiles and marble run.
Bert’s Company – www.dexterityeng.com
Merchandise - www.beerswithengineers.shop
French onion soup recipe - French onion soup.pdf
Hat tip to Joseph McDade for free use of his music "Mirrors".
