Women of NASA Web Chat

Date: October 21, 1997

Featuring: Alda Simpson Associate Division Chief for the Engineering Services Division
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Susan/NASA Moderator: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:04AM PDT (-0700 GMT)
Good Morning Alda!

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:05AM PDT (-0700 GMT).
Hello! I'm Alda Simpson, the acting chief of the Engineering Services Division at the Goddard Space Flight Center.

Wendy: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:06AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
HI Alda, Can you say some thing about what you're working on

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:08AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Hi Wendy. Goddard works on earth and space science satellites. Our division does the part manufacturing assembly and test of spacecraft or instruments. Currently we're getting ready for the next Space Telescope refurbishing Mission

Sarah: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:09AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Alda, do you mean the Hubble Space Telescope?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:11AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Yes Wendy the Hubble Space Telescope it's scheduled for routine maintenance and parts replacements about every three years.

Sarah: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:12AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
What repairs are you planning for the Hubble?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:14AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Hubble will be getting a fix to the thermal cooler on one of its instruments and some new thermal insulation. Also some new solar arrays

Sarah: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:15AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Do you plan the repairs

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:17AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Sarah we don't plan the repairs but build and test what other engineers and scientists here design.

Wendy: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:18AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Do you get to see the part of the telscope being built

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:20AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Marshall Space Center did the original Hubble build but we did test three of the instruments here at Goddard so I got to see them.. It's very thrilling to see and touch something you know will be in space.

Ellen: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:20AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Do you use outside manufacturers?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:22AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Yes, Ellen we use a lot of outside manufacturers - saving the particularly troublesome pieces for ourselves so that it keeps down expense and doesn't put a company at too much financial risk. Also we can have a lot going at once that way.

Susan/NASA Moderator: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:22AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Excuse me Kids but if you want to know more about the Hubble you can visit Live from the Hubble Space Telescope at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/hst/

Ellen/Greenmeadow: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:08AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Is NASA a good place for women to work?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:10AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Ellen, I have always found NASA to be good to their women . Besides have flexible work schedules. I'm proud to say that Goddard has had an on-site day care center for its employees for over 20 years.

Ellen: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:11AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Did you feel encouraged by your friends or did they think it was wierd that you wanted to be an engineer

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:13AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
I decided to be an engineer when I was 10 (in the early 60's) because I wanted to be an astronaut. People were so freaked at the thought of my being an astronaut no one really even mentioned being an engineer being unusual. John Kennedy was my inspiration.

Ellen/Greenmeadow: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:15AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Why did people freak about being an astronaut?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:16AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Back then the space program was so new it was thought of as even more risky than today. Launch vehicles were still blowing up on the launch pad with alarming frequency. The Soviet Union seemed way out in front of us at that time.

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:18AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
One of the nice things about the space program now versus the sixties is that now we have so much international cooperation versus rivalry.

Wendy: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:21AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Have you been to a launch?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:23AM PDT (-0700 GMT).
I have only been to one launch. It was a Delta rocket launched at night . It was one of the most beautiful impressive things I've ever seen and heard.

Wendy: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:24AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Why was it beautiful to hear?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:26AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
The sheer loudness and power of it will give you shivers. The other really neat thing was that it seemed sooo long between seeing the light s of the launch until you heard it. It's one thing to study about the differences in the speed of light and sound and another to experience it so spectacularly.

Wendy: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:28AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Was it during the day?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:29AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Wendy, it was a night time launch but I have heard from others that you still experience it somewhat during a day launch too.

Wendy: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:31AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
What was the rocket launched for?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:32AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
The launch I saw put up a science satellite called the International Sun and Earth Explorer. It was later used to look at some comets.

Sarah: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:26AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
I like doing stuff with my hands. But I get nervous doing math tests do you think I could be an engineer

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:28AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
I sure do Sarah. Once you work out the math concepts you can let the computers do the grunt work. You could also consider a career as a technician who do most of the real hands on work.

Sarah: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:37AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
What's the hardest part of your job?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:39AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
The hardest part of the job is continually trying to do more with less money. Congress has really slashed our budgets but we have pledged to try to be ever more inventive and try to keep things going at the same pace with less resources. The international agreements really help.

Wendy: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:40AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Do a lot of people work for you?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:41AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Right now I have about 120 civil servants and 200 contractors who work directly for me.

Wendy: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:43AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Wow! Is that hard?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:44AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
I really like working with the people. We have a great team who are very good at what they do and very dedicated.

Wendy: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:44AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Do you know their names?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:46AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
I know the name of every civil servant who works for me and most of the contractors.

Wendy: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:48AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Was it hard to get to having such a good job

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:50AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Wendy, getting to where I am now was part hard work and part luck. Sometimes being at the right place with the right skills just when they needed someone with those particular skills. Also it helps to be willing to take some risk and take on the really hard job others might be avoiding.

Ellen/Greenmeadow: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:52AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
When you say taking risks do you mean trying something you're not sure about?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:53AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Yes Ellen. It's not real comfortable but sometimes it's what it takes to get a job done.

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:54AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
I'd like to add I don't mean safety type risks but trying something you're not sure will work.

Sarah : . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:42AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Thanks Alda, I have to go now

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:42AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
It's been nice talking to you Sarah.

Ellen/Greenmeadow: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:43AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Do you use computers?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:45AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Computers are everywhere I wonder what we did without them. Virtually everyone - secretary to technician to scientist to engineer use them - even the spacecraft themselves.

Ellen/Greenmeadow: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:49AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Some kids at my school are learning C+ but they say its hard. What language should kids study?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:51AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
C++ is the language of choice but something called JAVA is growing in popularity. I'm not a programmer so I don't know a whole lot more than that.

Kurt Roberson College: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:55AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Hi this is kurt roberson located at Elizabeth City State University and can I respond to the C++ question

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:55AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Sure Kurt

Kurt Roberson College: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:56AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
What type of operating system are you using ex:PC or Unix

Susan/NASA Moderator: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:56AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Sure Kurt

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:56AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
We use PC's UNIX MAC's - you name it.

Kurt Roberson College: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:59AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
so you have a C++ complier running on you systems, I am interring the chat in the middle, but I saw a question concerning C++, If I can help ask me all the question and I will help you

BJ: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:57AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Good Afternoon, Barbara King, Eliz. City State Univ. Junior --major: Computer Science Does the division have any Co-op or summer interships available?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:58AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Our division currently has two co-ops and every summer we have about a dozen summer students.

BJ: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 10:07AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Thank you for the response. If possible could I receive here at the school information on the Co-Op/intership for our workshop for intership roundtable.

Susan/NASA Moderator: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:45AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Alda, You are a great role model

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:46AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Thanks Susan. I don't really feel special I feel lucky to have a job I love and great people all around me.

Ellen/Greenmeadow: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:47AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Do you think it was safe to use plutonium in that probe?

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:48AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
I think that they made it as safe as possible. It would be nice to develop other power sources so that even the smallest risk could be eliminated.

Susan/NASA Moderator: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:51AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Kids We have just a few minutes left. Thanks for the great questions!

Wendy: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:53AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Bye Alda, thaks for the chat!

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:54AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Bye Wendy thanks for your interest.

Ellen/Greenmeadow: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:54AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
I learned a lot thanks.

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:55AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Bye Ellen good luck.

Susan/NASA Moderator: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 9:55AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
THANKS so much Alda. This was a great chat.

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 10:00AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Well I'm off to our weekly division staff meeting. Thank you all for your interest and good luck in persueing your careers.

Susan/NASA Moderator: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 10:01AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
Thanks Again Alda!

Alda: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 10:01AM PDT (-0700 GMT). .
Bye!

BJ: . . . . Tue, Oct 21, 10:04AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . .
The school has an up coming event celebrating women in math, therefore is there some advise you can offer that will encourage students to enter the math or computer science field.