Team - Chris Johnson

What do you do as SDO Deployables Mechanical Engineer?

As the SDO Deployables Mechanical Engineer I work with 3 other people creating 3D software, generating drawings of different components, and running tests on everything.

What do you like most about your job?

I like having a mix of a lot of different jobs. I don't have to sit in front of a computer all day and I don't have to be on my feet the whole time either. I also enjoy doing hands on things... the techniccal stuff.

Where did you go to school and what degrees did you get?

I studied biology as a PreMed student for about three years. I finally decided that I liked doing mechanical stuff more and switched my major to Mechanical Engineering. I graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and I had an opportunity to get my masters in Thermal Engineering, but I decided not to.

What was the first job you ever had?

The first job that I ever had was my own lawn-mowing business but eventually I became a busboy.

How did you come to actually work for NASA?

I started working for NASA out of luck because I was working for a contractor.

How long have you been working for NASA?

I have been working for NASA for over 7 years. I started in 1999 working on the Hubble Space Telescope. After 3 years I switched to SDO.

SDO Deployables Mechanical Engineer

Undergrad: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Iowa