Team - John Hawk

WHAT DO YOU DO AS AN SDO THERMAL ENGINEER?

I work together with a team of thermal engineers responsible for designing the thermal control systems that maintain the Spacecraft components within their temperature limits. It is my job to generate a mathematical and geometric thermal model of the SDO Spacecraft. I use the geometric model together with the orbital parameters to estimate the environmental heat load. The environmental heat load, internal power dissipations, radiative and conductive heat transfer, and thermal masses are included in the math model which is then solved for temperature predictions and heater power requirements.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?

The favorite part of my job is the analysis. I also enjoy seeing a thermal design mature from concept, through test verification and ultimately contributing to the mission success on orbit. What I don't like about it is all the long meetings.

WHEN DID YOU DECIDE YOU WANTED TO WORK FOR NASA?

I decided I wanted to work for NASA in college. When I was growing up I raced motorcycles. I was always interested in mechanical things. I like to understand how things work.

WHERE DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL AND WHAT DEGREES DID YOU GET?

I have my undergraduate and my Masters degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST JOB YOU EVER HAD?

My first job that I ever had was as a newspaper delivery boy when I was 14.

HOW DID YOU COME TO ACTUALLY WORK FOR NASA?

In grad school, I applied for the NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program and was accepted. After graduate school I went to work at Fort Meade for the government for a year and then transferred to NASA. Before I came to Goddard, I was in a motorcycle accident, which left me in a wheelchair. It doesn't matter at Goddard.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING FOR NASA?

I have been working here since 2000.

SDO Thermal Engineer

Undergrad: Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Masters: Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.