I love watching the B-2 test stand, which was originally built to test Saturn rocket stages, being transformed for the Space Launch System (SLS). I oversee all the renovations being made to the test stand, where the SLS core stage will be installed with the four RS-25 rocket engines for tests to ensure they are ready for flight: propellant fill and drain testing and two hot fire tests. Vibrations from a single engine test shake your whole body, so to have four engines being fired at the same time – there will be nothing quite like it.
During the space shuttle days, I worked on and was a test conductor for the RS-25. Utilizing four upgraded engines on the SLS core stage will be one of the greatest integration efforts to begin a new chapter in America’s commitment to human spaceflight.
I’m from Slidell, Louisiana, and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I like to play tenor saxophone and listen to all types of music.
There is nothing like working for NASA. I feel great knowing that we are benefiting humankind through the design and implementation of integrated systems — ranging from the simplest of electronic devices to the monumental task of deep space travel.