MLP - 21 February 2011

Today is my youngest ex-utero child's second birthday! Woo-hoo! She decided to start the day with a nice round of screaming. Once we made it to day care, she decided to continue the theme and scream until I was all the way out of earshot. Hopefully, she'll be better after her nap.

I'm going to do some mindless link propagation today, primarily because I'm swamped with schoolwork. Here goes.

The Wall Street Journal is running a story about how NASA's funding is in limbo. Apparently, NASA's buget is a partisan fight. The White House is trying to scale back the amount of funding the agency would receive for support of private rockets. This means that commercial space taxi services might be making shots on their own dime. Congress was understandably skittish last year about outsourcing core NASA functions to private firms.

I'm torn about this. On one hand, I think that NASA and science in general ought to have a nearly blank check to do whatever they need or want. It is a fact that a dollar invested into science and technology research and development returns much more than a dollar once the tech hits the private sector. On the other hand, NASA does need to be frugal (just like the rest of us) and not waste money on things that detract from its core purpose. What do you guys think the right answer is?

Florida Today is running an internal NASA assessment about how they (the agency) mis-calculated the risk of the shuttle flights. They were apparently off by an order of magnitude (1 in 10 instead of 1 in 100). The fact that we only lost two orbiters and their crews speaks large volumes about the skill and dedication of the people associated with the program. It also shows how lucky NASA was. "We were lucky" notes the report. Lucky indeed. How do we go forward and make the next project better and safer?

United Space Alliance is trying desperately to stay in business. They are seeking funding to proceed with a second-phase study on the potential of flying another twelve to fourteen shuttle missions. The United Space Alliance is a joint Boeing/Lockheed-Martin venture; they handle the production of the eternal tank and do other assorted work for the Shuttle Program.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has predicted that China will take a long time to begin to match the United States in terms of low-observable air superiority aircraft. Gates' comments are in response to industry buzz about the unveiling of the first Chinese stealth aircraft, the J-20. Timed to coincide with the Defense Secretary's visit to China last month, the test flights of the J-20 proceeded smoothly. Many pundits feel that this was nothing more than hollow saber-rattling, noting that China has a much more effective arsenal of surface-to-ship ballistic missiles for projecting power in the Pacific.

Time will tell if this is where WWIII would start...

One of my professors is giving a talk on Friday about the Mars Phoenix Lander mission. Dr. John Hoffman will be speaking on behalf of the Texas Astronomical Society Friday, February 25, from 19:00 to 22:00 in one of the lecture halls in the Science and Learning Center.

That's all for today, folks. Happy Monday!

Cheers,

-- Zach

Rocketry in Junior High

If we're going to make more rocket scientists, it stands to reason that we need more kids playing with rockets. That's the thinking behind the model rocketry elective program at Millville junior high school in Redding, California. One of the school's teachers, William Hutt, suggested teaching the class this year. Open to seventh and eighth graders, the class is a challenging mix of conceptual physics and aerodynamics. Once past the first twelve weeks, students get to build relatively simple Estes model rockets. These models are then flown in a launch event that draws the whole school outside.

Launch procedures are borrowed from the army and from NASA. Students man science, meteorological, engineering, communications, and security stations, and all have to give a "go/no go" to the range master for a launch. The professionalism inherent in the breakdown of tasks is impressive, especially when you consider that the range is staffed by 12- and 13-year-olds. Also impressive is the amount of theory and training that goes int the launches. The curriculum is modeled after a graduate program, and the students have to digest it before getting to shoot their rockets.

Something that I found awfully impressive from the article was the fact that the first student interview in the story comes from a girl. As a father of three girls, I sincerely hope that math, science, and engineering will be of interest to them. I realize that it may not be their cup of tea, but I do not want negative pressure from their peers to sour their view of the sciences.

Our family is coming soon to a decision point. I will probably go to grad school somewhere other than Texas. This means that we'll have to send the Pikl and SWWNO to different schools. I'd love to start a rocketry club for my kids at their current school, but would it be worth the effort to get it going just to leave? I'll have to ponder that.

In the meantime, know that I love my new laptop and that I'm getting back on track with the blogging next week.

Cheers,

-- Zach

Dude! You're getting a Dell!

I'm sorry for the lack of updates the last few days. My hand me down laptop is dying, and trying to get any work done in safe mode is rather irritating. So, since I've wanted a new laptop for over a year now, I finally broke down last night and got one. This one - it's an Inspiron 15R with the i3 and the 500GB hard drive. I get a pretty good student discount, so it's (almost) affordable. Hopefully this rig will make it through grad school.

Dell say that it will be here on or before Friday the 11th. Expect regular updates to resume then.

Cheers,

-- Zach

Selecting an Internship

Wherein our intrepid scholar will plan out the next three years of his life.

Nowadays, employers expect that you will have participated in two to three internships over the course of your college career. This is in addition to having performed research pertinent to your field, received good grades, and done some extracurricular (perhaps volunteer) work. What this means for me is that I'm already behind the curve. I've done the CAS, but that's it.

Now, however, the resume and cover letter assignment for my technical writing class has given me both the opportunity and the impetus to fix that. I'll write a resume and cover letter for a program that begins this summer, but I won't be able to participate because of the arrival of baby h. I also have o keep in mind that I really want to take the next physics class in my sequence from UTD, and I need to take it in the fall of 2011. Given my off-kilter class history (beginning in the spring, three developmental classes, opting to take the time to get an associated degree), I fully expect to not be through with my BS program until the end of fall 2012.

This has a few advantages. I can do two summer internships and one full spring internship between now and grad school. This allows me the ability to make the necessary contacts for employment out of school, and it will help me to both choose and get accepted to a graduate program.

Spring 2011 - finish this semester, get the two roadblocks that I have out of the way (Calc II and Mechanics)

Summer 2011 - Enjoy a new baby :-)

Fall 2011 - Load up. Two math and two physics, at least. Maybe a winter class as well.

Spring 2012 - Keep a heavy load. Plan an exit trajectory toward grad school.

Summer 2012 - Summer internship with NASA.

Fall 2012 - Complete BS and matriculate :-)

Spring 2013 - Spring Co-Op with NASA.

Summer 2013 - Summer internship with NASA.

Fall 2013 - Begin grad school!

With this plan in mind, I've chosen three programs to apply tofor the NASA programs listed above.

First is the Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars program (LARSS). This program has spring, summer, and fall sessions. I'd choose the spring session, to be completed during the spring of 2013. This is a research-intensive internship and should help me finalize the research I want to do pre-grad school.

Second is the NASA Academy. This is actually the first program I'd do in summer of 2012. It is an intensive summer research and leadership program, perfect for the roles that I continue to find myself in. There's a large carrot at the end of the stick - induction into the NASA Academy Alumni Association (NAAA). This would really help my networking base and is therefore a very high priority.

Finally, the NASA Aeronautics Scholarship program serves two purposes. The first is to get scholarship money into the hands of aeronautics students. The second is to provide summer internship opportunities for those students. This is my aim for the 2012-2013 year, with the summer internship occurring just before the start of grad school.

I think that I'll do the assignment for the LARSS program. It seems to be the most business-centric of the three programs, and the feedback I receive from the professor will help me zero in on what I need to better win this internship.

In the meantime, I think I'll reconnect with my CAS contact and see if she can help me put this plan into motion. Now, I'm off to start this assignment. My wife and I will be out of town for the weekend (anniversary trip!), but she requested that I bring the laptop. Maybe I'll get some more schoolwork done.

I doubt it ;-)

Cheers,

-- Zach

Sometimes, life hands you lemons.

Sometimes, life just hands you lemon aid.

One of the assignments that we have in my technical writing class is to prepare a resume and a cover letter for application to a fictional internship position. The professor provided two postings, one for an electrical engineering position and the other for a software engineering position. He also gave us a third option - find an internship position on our own and tailor our resume and cover letter for that. I would guess that a solid third of the class will choose this option.

Longtime readers know that I am very interested in both NASA and aeronautics. I participated in the College Aerospace Scholars (CAS) program this past May, and I attempted to secure a place for my team with the Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program (RGSFOP). My main focus with respect to research is fluid dynamics, specifically the dynamics of trans sonic flow as it relates to propellers. One of the things I've been telling myself to do is to get off my duff and plan out an internship path to help me secure a reasonable grad school.

See how the two coincide? Neat, huh?

So I've narrowed the field down to six possible programs. I'll detail them briefly in a minute, but first I want to point out that I will not be applying for anything this summer. The newest addition to our family is due at the end of June. A summer internship or Co-Op program would heavily interfere with that, and I don't think SWMBO would appreciate me being a thousand miles away for the delivery. Neither would I, come to think of it. That means that I'll go ahead and make a resume and cover letter for the internship but not actually apply.

There is a possibility that a Co-Op could happen during the school year. This might be feasible, especially if it's in conjunction with a school program that I'm interested in. The potential also exists that I could take two or three of the kids with me for that semester, leaving Mom with baby h. Time will tell.

So, in no particular order, here are the programs that I'm interested in.

The Lewis Education and Research Collaborative Internship Project (LERCIP), at NASA Glenn. This is a ten week internship program where participants work with NASA researchers to gain real-wold experience is research and problem solving. There are three sessions and the last one begins as baby h is due to arrive. There is a stipend paid biweekly for lodging and expenses.

The Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars (LARSS) program at NASA Langley. Fall, spring, and summer internships are available for this research internship. Like the LERCIP, the LARSS program is research-focused. This program might actually be a good fit, since there is some flexibility to the dates.

The Summer Aerospace Workforce Development Research Internship Program (SAWDRIP), at NASA Glenn. This program is a collaboration between NASA and industry leaders. Participants are put to work solving real-world problems with real life companies utilizing assistance from NASA. This does not appear to be a paid internship. Summer dates are not given. I'd love to do this in the summer of 2012.

The NASA Aeronautics Scholarship Program. This is a scholarship program combined with a standard NASA summer internship, along with a $10,000 stipend for expenses. This is a research-based program. I really want this.

The NASA Academy. This is a leadership program, where participants learn leadership and team-building skills while performing research at a NASA center. It's a ten week summer program as well. My cursory look doesn't reveal any kind of stipend. I would enjoy this, mainly because it would be a bright feather in my cap. The majority of the projects that I've participated in tent to require me to display effective leadership skills.

The Undergraduate Student Research Project (USRP). This is the "standard" internship program for NASA. Participants stay at one of the ten NASA centers and perform research in their fields of interest. Internships occur fall, spring, and summer. I'll probably apply to this as a fallback position.

I have to get to class now. I'll work on he resume and cover letter over the weekend. More on this topic perhaps tomorrow.

By the way, the roast last night was fantastic. I have no idea what I'm going to cook tonight, but I'll have to cook because SWMBO is feeling under the weather.

Happy Thursday!

Cheers,

-- Zach

Team UTD Next Steps

Moving forward is not always an easy task. There's the ever constant effort to try to "build up steam", as it were, so that any progress can be built on prior gains. It becomes especially difficult to gain momentum when one hits a setback. It takes discipline and courage to get back on the horse. One must realize that a stumbling block is a signpost on the road to success.

I've not always been the best at displaying tenacity in the face of adversity. I'll readily admit that it's super easy to throw in the towel and call it a day. On the face of it, my lack of success in getting our team a spot for the 2011 RGSFOP looks like a pretty big hiccup on the road to academic success. However, I realize that this is just the sort of jumping off point that I need in order to get where I want to go.

First thing's first: our proposal wasn't bad. The concept wad solid. What we lacked was the fleshing out of the project. Figures, sensors, a better plan, more cohesive writing. These are the major takeaways that I gleaned from our feedback. The primary plan, then, is to tighten up our RGSFOP proposal and resubmit it this fall. One of the team members has offered to fly a reduced-size project on a Cessna in order to establish a baseline for the big test. This will serve as the primary focus for Team UTD this year.

There are other projects out there, too.

Some of the things that Team UTD is looking into, both as a full-sized group and as smaller "tiger team" units, include the following:

- Rocketry. There's the ever-popular Team America Rocket Challenge. High-powered rocketry can be an avenue of research in it's own right. I've wondered at non-traditional methods for rocket stabilization, and model rockets would allow us to do the research for a fraction of the cost of a full-sized model. Other programs include CanSat and NanoSat, whose goals revolve around payload. There are now programs coming online that would provide an orbital insertion vehicle for a student payload. We could fling a little satellite into orbit! Finally, a large percentage of the research NASA does in the upper atmosphere and at lower G involves the use of sounding rockets.

- Atmospheric transit problems. Both re-entry into Earth's atmosphere and entry into an alien atmosphere present significant design and engineering challenges. I think that Team UTD could provide industry with a cost-effective or novel method for atmospheric insertion. We could piggy-back the testing for this on the high-power rocketry component.

- Scientific balloons. The mishap in Australia notwithstanding, high-altitude balloons are a very viable and current method to solve the problems related to high-altitude science. The simplicity of such a setup is astonishing. One father-son team used their iPhone and a big toy balloon, and recorded data at altitudes in excess of 26 miles. I think they spent about three-hundred dollars on the balloon.

- Current NASA challenges. NASA always has something cooking. Team UTD will apply for everything that is reasonable, splitting into smaller teams as needed in order to meet project requirements.

- Attitude control. Team UTD has access to the tools needed for extensive research in this area. I personally don't know enough about it to talk about it, so I'll wait until I've had a chance to dig into this area before I discuss pros and cons.

- In-flight control surface configuration modification. If you've ever watched Robotech, you know what this is. UT Dallas is at the forefront in the materials research needed to produce the kind of meta-morphing craft needed to go from a runway to orbit and back again. The possibilities are incredible, and the research is scant. I admit to not knowing as much about this as I should.

There are other avenues that we can pursue, both individually and as a team. I'll delve into them as they become more relevant. For now, this is essentially our working list. If anyone has a pet project they want researched, let me know and I'll see if it fits into our long-term goals. If so, you might help us do science!

Cheers,

-- Zach

Spring Class Breakdown

(Sorry for the missed post yesterday. I either got sidetracked when trying to post, or somehow thought that I had already posted.)

I figured I'd give a quick rundown of my classes this semester. My schedure is relatively sane, though I expect that not to last.

First up is MATH 2419, Calculus II. Held MWF in the Founders Building. I recognize many of the same faces from last semester. It's nice, because I don't feel quite so lonely in this one :-) There's a problem session that's two hours long, just like last time. It's also Wednesday afternoon, just like last semester. Let's hope that it is a more effective use of my time, unlike last semester.

New for this year is the test section. It's on Fridays, it only happens three times over the course of the semester, but it's a required time block, meaning that I couldn't schedule anything else at that time. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I like not taking extra class time to take an exam, but having a two hour block prevent me from taking anything else at that time (even a fifteen minute overlap - or a zero-minute overlap) is a bit constricting.

My Physics class is like that too, sort of. PHYS 2421, Honors Mechanics, is TTh, with a three hour lab on Wednesday and this strange extra lab/problem session on Friday. The professor is trying to move the Friday component, which concerns me - because the rest of my schedule is so tight. There are I think three people from my other two physics classes last semester. The whole class is perhaps fifteen people. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. Lots of work, too, but I expected that.

My last class is ECS 3390, Technical and Professional Writing, Tuesday and Thursday right before physics. It's grant, proposal, report, and manual writing for scientists and engineers. I have the sneaking suspicion that I know the professor from somewhere. I can't put my finger in it... This is a relatively small class as well. The book list is refreshingly light (and inexpensive), and the workload seems to be very reasonable. I hope it isn't too cream puff-y.

That's it. Light load this semester, and I need it. After these two core classes, I'll be able to take everything else concurrently. It's about time! I can't wait to get out of undergrad-land and into serious research-ville. Wish me luck!

Cheers,

-- Zach

Baby It's Cold Outside...

So I've been wanting to work on some projects separate from the standard undergraduate school projects. Not that there's anything wrong with a standard-type project, mind. I just never do what it is that I'm supposed to do.

Those of you who were following my other blog (But Will It Fly) know that my team was not selected for the NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program. Now I know why - the reviewer comments are in. Once I have a minute to collect my thoughts, I'll post something on that blog and probably cross post to here.

There are two projects that I'm looking at right now, in addition to a second attempt at the RGSFOP. The first is, as I've mentioned before, what to do about the massive amount of wake turbulence thrown off by massive jetliners like the new Boeing 747-800 and the Airbus A-380. My question is whether or not all of the energy in the air, combined with whatever water vapor may be available, could be made to essentially form water. In other words, could the turbulence be forced to turn into rain.

Imagine the times that you see a speedboat in the water, or an aircraft carrier or something. Now, imagine the wake of these vessels, instead of stretching out for miles behind them, were to turn into ice cubes (or something else equally improbable). This would leave the surface of the water very smooth. That's the gist of what I want to do.

The second project will form the basis of my graduate research (I hope). There have been attempts to shape, move, distort, fold, mutilate, and spindle shockwaves that are generated when aircraft travel faster than the speed of sound. These attempts have born fruit, notably with the NASA Quiet Spike F-15. It is my intent to apply this research to high speed propellers. I want to figure out how to allow a prop to spin at a rotational speed faster than sound without making everyone within a ten mile radius nauseous. I also want to see if a propeller driven aircraft can go faster than sound without coming apart, by way of moving or hiding the shockwaves that would come off the propeller.

That's it (isn't that enough?). I'll be posting updates on these three items throughout the year. I have no idea if I can even get the materiel that I need to do the research. That's half the fun though, trying to do the impossible/very difficult/incredibly obscure.

Никогда не сдавайся.



Cheers,

-- Zach

I really need a room...

with nothing in it except for a wall to wall bed. Then, we could get rid of all the other beds in the house, since they aren't ever used anyway. We'll call it the "Bedroom".

Our children co-sleep. Well, except for the ten year old (thankfully). This means that at some point over the course of the evening, the little people will leave whatever beds they happen to be in and migrate, asleep, like some zombie wildebeest, into our bed. I'm sure you can imagine how inconvenient this is.

We stayed the night at my parents house this past Saturday. My grandparents and aunt & uncle drove in too. This meant that we finally had the chance to complete Christmas, over a fortnight later that we had planned. Since my whole family was sick with SARS or Ebola or something, we figured it best to stay away from my grandparents. I'm glad we did, because they looked fabulous.

Yes, before you ask, the little children ended up in bed with us at my folks house too. In a double bed. An antique, incredibly noisy, double bed.

Digression: as I type this, it snows here in big D. I think I just heard someone go by in a dog sled. True story.

My Spring semester at the wonderful UTD begins today. Just Calculus II on Mondays. I figure that this will be my study heavy day. Today's tasks include making it to campus without the train going off the track and finding where all my classes will be. Tomorrow I have my technical writing c;ass and Physics II. I'm really looking forward to it.

That's about it. I'm a bit short on time, so I'll wrap it up here. Tomorrow, I think I'll have something on the projects that I'm working on or wish to do. Until then, enjoy the snow.

Cheers,

-- Zach

Science and Technology Schooling

Education is a topic that is close to my heart. My wife and I have three kids already, and the fourth is due in June. Our oldest is in public school. We feel that it's sufficient for now, but she'll probably end up going to a magnet or private school sometime in the future. The (currently) middle child is already beginning to display a knack for language and logic. If we had the money to put her in a Montessori, we would. The (current) baby is the quiet reserved one, best known for taking her time in figuring things out. School is going to need to move at her pace, I'm afraid.

When I was in school, I remember how often the games we played were math or science inspired. Whether tasked with counting and manipulating, or given a question and asked to observe to find an answer, science and math was woven into everything we did. Yearly science fairs accelerated the gifted and were a source of wonder and awe for the younger kids.

Then, we moved to south Dallas.

I remember wondering why it was that some of the sixth grade kids could drive their own cars to school. The concept of being held back was utterly foreign to me. I didn't realize that other kids might not want to succeed, and this new understanding troubled me deeply. Why weren't the teachers interested in the kids, and why did the kids seem to hate the teachers? The whole scene made no sense to me.

Over time, I began to understand the dynamics of poor neighborhoods, why kids with so much potential acted so fatalistic toward their education and their lives. Not everyone was the stereotypical ghetto kid, of course. My first-ever crush went to Space Camp and dreamed of being an astronaut. On the whole, however, education was far less of a focus than was survival. Math, science, humanities, art, all cast by the wayside on the journey to big chains and bigger rims.

My schools were typical of those found all over the country. The decline in test scores from US kids is a direct result of something or other. There are too many problems with the schools to point a finger at any one thing (save perhaps parent involvement - the one key indicator to a child's success in school). The decline of the American student is not going unnoticed or unchallenged. A middle school in Minneapolis is offering a complete curricula in STEM learning.

The Richard Allen Math & Science Academy (RAMSA) has only been open for a  year and a half, but it's already showing dramatic results. The curriculum includes math and science foci, as you might expect. Students go on field trips twice a month to reinforce their learning. Daily engineering classes help answer the age-old question, "When will I ever use this in the real world?" And finally. they've built a trebuchet. Who could ask for anything more?

I'm not sure what kind of schools my children will attend. I hope that they are as cool as RAMSA.

Cheers,

-- Zach

Friday!

It's Friday night, and none of my children want to sleep. Sometimes I wish they came with off switches.

School updates. Calculus test this morning. I either got an A or I got an F. Someday I'll feel comfortable with the material. Physics has been going very well of late. My first test was an F, my second an A. With a little luck, I'll do well in this class. I need to have a good first Physics class. Momentum and all that. History is pretty easy, and it's quite enjoyable. I've a paper due Tuesday, but it should be fairly easy to complete. It's simply a book report on our massive textbook. My oceans class is too easy to be a three thousand level course.
 
On to science type things. NASA will try to launch Discovery December 3rd. The GUCP issue has been resolved and the external tank repair is on track. This will be the first time the tank has been repaired on the pad. Ironic that it happened for the last launch of Discovery.

The troubled life of the F-35 has encountered a new, even more troubling problem. It seems that the rear bulkheads are cracking after 1500 simulated hours instead of the 8000 hours they're designed to last. This issue only affects the B model, because it (the Marine Corps jet) uses a lighter materiel for the part. The best case scenario is that a faulty test regime is to blame for the problem. The worst case scenario is that the problem is a design flaw. That might actually kill the program.

I'd love to have Mike Suffredini's problem: "How are we going to utilize this wonderful vehicle that we've assembled in space?"

In other news, Saturn radiates heat unevenly over its surface. Nobody knows why.

The next space race has begun, but it's about economics, not pride. I think that this has the potential to be the right way forward. Unfortunately, it's going to be difficult without at least some government regulation. Too often the race to be first to market claims safety as its first victim. I'd hate to see good people die because someone was in a hurry to make his money back on a billion dollar investment.

Starting next week, I'd like to add a segment about whatever secondary projects I'm working on. You all know about my involvement with the RGSFOP, and that progress will be recorded there. For my next trick, I'd like to at least research precipitating the energy out of wake turbulence.

Have a great weekend. I and my stomach ache are off to the teevee for a while.

Cheers,

-- Zach