eugene@ames-lm.UUCP (Eugene Miya) (05/22/84)
(Somewhat long)
Topics: Private space vectures
Societies on Space
Applying to NASA
1)
NASA is not exactly set up to assist private space ventures. NASA is supposed
to help spread information, but this runs a foul in several ways. NASA does
work in the public domain, and many companies don't want to distribute their
information for a competitive edge. This is a problem obviously for those
companies. Information is there, you just have to sift for it.
Also, NASA is not very good at PR. It suffers many of the same problems as
other US Govt. agencies like HUD and the old HEW. I am aware of firms
doing private space in Texas and locally in the Bay Area. In general:
firms in areas with lots of money to begin with, an extension of model
rocketry in some ways. The problem here is one of physics and mechanics:
it is difficult and complex to actually get a satellite off the ground
(maybe more difficult in some ways than assembling nuclear devices).
I say this from working on SEASAT and VOYAGER. I am trying to release
work on a TM and work on a recuriting brochure. Can't imagine the
paperwork.
2)
Space societies: the official NASA position is one of "beign negligent"
(not my words). I am partial to the Planetary Society (Bruce Murray
and Carl Sagan) and the Viking Fund. I know those who started the World
Space Foundation. The problem is too little money being spread too thin
(another NASA problem). Most NASA higher ups tend to disregard this groups
because their "time is too precious." Yes, I guess I am a space nut
and want to see space as a means of "speaking for Earth." I think on the
whole these societies are something of a waste (don't mean to offend anybody).
It to bad, too. All that energy.
I like the idea of the Viking fund supporting existing data collection.
The WSF's ideas of actually sending a solar sail into space, are neat too!
Other societies spend too much for things too far into the future
[it is important to have an imagination (something some NASA bureaucrats
lack, to the surprise of some) this is the role of dreams such as those
of Robert Goddard, but I really want to put something out there now!].
The militarization of space is something that worries me (and others).
I only hope we are not too late. NASA is a civilian Agency, but I
have met more and more former military types the farther I wander from
the Center I started at. Not to fear, entirely.
3)
Applying to NASA (Again).
NASA desparately needs computer scientists and EEs. They are many obvious
factors for this. Most critically, they need an infusion of new blood,
people familiar with UNIX/C, distributed networks, interactive single user
workstations and AI (many other things like VLSI, CAD, too).
Our tendency is for advanced degrees.
The best things to do: If you are in HS or undergrad. Learn as much as
possible (and more). Finish your education and stay on top of what's
happening in space. Write a resume (hardcopy as well as electronic).
You need to go to an office of the US government and get a form 171.
This is the standard form for US government jobs.
Send this form and resume to a NASA Center which you are interested in.
(Snail mail) You should have some idea what you are interested in.
You need to be willing to relocate. This is a brief break down of where
to send your resume. (Alphabetically)
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 in Silicon Valley.
(also has the Dryden Flight Research Center)
We do aerodynamic research, flight simulation, wind tunnels,
we developed the infamous shuttle tiles (not the glue!),
the 35 degree swept wing characteristic of most modern jets
was developed here. The Rogallo hang glider was developed
by one of our people in his spare time. The shuttle
lands at our site of EAFB (Dryden). They just got a new
Elxsi 6400. We run numerous UNIX systems as well as a Cray-XMP
And we will be getting a Cray-2. There are tons of other work,
(such as manned vehicle system research), but I should be brief.
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD just outside
Washington DC. Oversees unmanned, near Earth missions such
as weather, Landsats, etc. Oversees means the day to day mission
operations, not what is done with the data. They have a Cyber 205
and a thing called the Massively Parallel Processor. (16,384 processors
for image processing (8 per chip). I have a contact if you are
willing to work on Amdahls and IBMs (A few VAXen runing VMS).
They are considering UTS at this time. Mail me if you want his
name and address.
NASA HQ, Washington DC. Located right across the street from the
Air and Space Museum. Coordinates more than researches. Not
much to see if you should visit. If you send a resume here,
what happens to it is up to question, but you can send a copy at
least.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.
Pasadena, CA 91106. JPL has resisted a name dedication and is
known by some as the Just Plain Laboratory.
They are in charge of the Deep Space Network and most deep space
missions: Voyager, Galileo, etc. They do some local earth stuff.
They have probably one of the best computer graphics and
image processing facilties in the world.
JPL is a contact lab to NASA from Caltech. This has advantages:
in CA, associated with one of the finest schools in the world
(Caltech) which can give advanced ideas. It has problems, too.
Smog, facilities problems. They recently came on the net.
To apply here, don't send a 171. Send resume to the employment
office or connections.
Johnson Manned Space Center, Houston TX
This the mission control for the Shuttle missions after liftoff.
There are simulators, lots of training facilities. They have
the Lunar Receiving Lab from the Apollo missions. They should
on the net shortly via HP9000s.
Kennedy Space Flight Center, FL
This is where the shuttle takes off and lands. A large physical
site, mostly for the preparation of launches, and very little to
do after they get up into space (like Goddard, JPL).
Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville AL.
This is where testing of materials, and systems for manned space
goes on. I have not visited, but you might note that many of these
NASA sites are located in the Deep South (cheap land and other
reasons).
Wallops Island, VA Another smaller launch site like Kennedy.
No center name. A facility in the area near Santa Barbara, CA
to be associated with Vandenberg AFB for polar launches. Not clear
if it will be an office, or what.
Manned space station. It is planned that a permanently manned
space station will be the next major NASA Center.
Each of these of fair too brief. I am willing to relay (for net inhabitants)
those resumes to the appropriate area of interest, or establish a
dialog, if interested. I did this once before, and I got three or four
responses from the entire net (including ARPA). [Is that a lot of
interest in space?]
Alternative: You can work for a NASA contractor. They are many:
Rockwell, McDon-Doug, even AT&T. Apply to them, ask around.
Technicolor Graphics (EROS data center), Informatics, Intermetrics, SDC,
lots of companies. Be careful! You might not be working with space.
The problem is you will not be able to work into policy making areas
easily. (Second man on the totem pole. Last hired, first laid-off).
There are also smaller specialized contractors such as our newly formed
Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS, ames-lm!riacs!rac
<Roberta A. Cummings>) or ICASE. You should have an advanced degree.
Director is Peter Denning. ICASE's path is uvacs!icase!%s.
There are other things like the Goddard Space Institute.
Special regard for summer hires: it too late for this year! I will post
something on the net in Nov/Dec time frame. You should apply around Jan1/15
Anybody who's been to a University knows that anything can be done with
a signatures, so, if you are still looking Something might still be
possible.
--eugene miya (Better than working on bombs)
NASA Ames Reseach Center
{hplabs,hao,research,dual}!ames-lm!statvax!eugene (UUCP)
emiya@ames-vmsb (ARPA)
Smail: MS 233-14
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA 94035
Phone: (hard to reach me) (415)-965-6453
(Messages) (415)-965-5197
If you are getting a CS/EE PhD, stop by!
I will give you a personal tour of the facility.
We frequently post our computer science seminar to the local
Bay Area net. Watch for us.