JPL, space, and Aerospace Engineering RE: [geeks] Re: rescue Digest, Vol 3, Issue 7 (shutttle)

[Chris Byrne]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: geeks-bounces at sunhelp.org 
> [mailto:geeks-bounces at sunhelp.org] On Behalf Of Ido Dubrawsky
> 
> > > OK, so now I've got to answere.  A little on my 
> background first:  I 
> > > have
> > > both a bachelors and a masters in Aerospace Engineering 
> (in particular,
> > > in orbital mechanics and spaceflight).  I used to work 
> for NASA JPL 
> > > doing
> > > trajectory and maneuver calculations for the Galileo project in 
> > > another life.

Ido, first of all I know and appreciate your security work. I'm in the
field myself. I didn't know you were an AE (so am I, ERAU '96) or that
you had worked in JPL. 

Do you remember a guy named Clark Briggs? He was one of the team leaders
for the project that developed solid state accelerometers, and a bunch
of other things of course but that was his last major success before he
left.

He left for pretty much the same reasons you did, went to teach college
in Idaho. After two years of them asking him back he decided that no
matter what the difficulties were he had to go back to JPL because to
his mind they were the tehcnological equivalent of Lincolns "last best
hope"

>From the time I was five I wanted to do two things. Be an Air Force
officer, and be an Aerospace engineer. Both of these things happened,
but by the time I got out of college Bill Clinton was so successful at
dismantling the Air Force and the aerospace industry, that there was
nowhere left to go. People with  multiple doctorates couldn't find work
never mind a brand new undergrad, and the Air Force was losing 30% of it
personnel between involuntary seperation and retirement. So I went into
the inactive reserves, and information security because I thought it was
both the most interesting field I could actually get work in, and the
area where I could do the most good. 

Anyway do you believe there is anyplace left where those of us who truly
believe that space is humanities future are listened to? Any place where
we can contribute? Any place where we can earn a decent living even?

Chris Byrne