Engineer Technical Support

504-***-**** Home, 504-***-**** Cell E-Mail: ****.*******@*****.***

SUMMARY

Accomplished Engineering professional with in-depth technical and leadership experience in Aerospace

Manufacturing Industry focused on production of Space Shuttle External Fuel Tank. Have extensive

experience in new product design and modification of existing design of propulsion hardware. Expert on

CADDS systems such as CATIA, Pro/E, and CV (Computervision) creating 3D solid models, drawings,

as well as layouts of very complex assemblies for tolerance, motion, and angulation/deflection studies.

Focused team player who is able to resolve complex issues by providing technical support to

Manufacturing and Production Departments in their efforts to perform specialized and out of sequence

tasks which are necessary to repair or remove and replace (R&R) non-conforming hardware. Maintained

and updated each and every detail, assembly, and installation drawing of propulsion components and

hardware.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, New Orleans, Louisiana 1981-2012. Lockheed Martin’s

division in New Orleans manufactured the Space Shuttle External Fuel Tank (ET). The ET serves as a

fuel tank and the structural backbone of NASA’s Space Shuttle Orbiter and Solid Rocket Boosters.

Staff Engineer, Design, 2003-2012. Following the Space Shuttle Columbia’s tragic accident, NASA

identified six locations on the ET with issues of falling debris and mandated that issues related to falling

debris must be resolved before the shuttle was allowed to return to flight (RTF). I provided technical

assistance and support to several teams working to meet the RTF milestones and objectives.

• Propulsion Lead Designer on RTF team assigned with the critical task of eliminating the ice from

the bellows of liquid oxygen feed line and the inter-tank area.

Designed and developed a Mini Heater which was attached to the tip of the feed line

bellows. After performing rigorous testing, the heater was successfully implemented on

all 23ET Shuttle missions since Return to Flight.

Designed tube(s) for hot gaseous nitrogen flow from the ET/Ground interface to the

crotch of the inter-tank wall and the hydrogen tank dome to eliminate the ice.

• Propulsion Lead Designer on RTF team tasked with eliminating all level II waivers where the

factor of safety was less than 2.

The original ground umbilical carrier plate (GUCP) support leg was made of 8 separate

pieces welded together. Successfully designed the new GUCP Leg, machining it from a

single piece of material resulting in increasing the factor of safety from 2 to 4.

The original Brace which was another part of the GUCP assembly was made of 5

separate pieces welded together. Designed the new Brace, which was machined from a

single piece of material resulting in increasing the factor of safety from 2 to 4.

• Using CAD 3D modeling, created several layouts of very complex assemblies and installations to

support the Manufacturing and Production Departments in their efforts to perform specialized

and out of sequence tasks. During the RTF period all prior built ET’s were to be retro-fitted with

the new design thus necessitating the need of several remove and replace (R&R) activities.

• Coordinated and provided technical support to the launch site at the Kennedy Space Center

(KSC), devised and implement the GUCP installation and inspection procedures to eliminate the

gaseous hydrogen leakage.

• Coordinated and provided technical support to the seal vendor helped them improved seal

inspection process which resulted in fewer rejections by the Quality.

Senior/Staff Engineer, Design, 1986-1995, 1998-2002.

• In the role of Group Lead Engineer supervised 4-5 engineers involved in the development and

maintenance of propulsion hardware, ensuring staff efficiency and productivity in meeting the

project scheduled release dates while ensuring that all Government & NASA specifications,

requirements, and other applicable standards were followed.

• Re-designed a hydrogen vent quick disconnect (QD) for the ground and ET interface. The old

QD consisted of 4 separate castings assembled together while the new QD was made from a

single casting. This change saved the processing and refurbishment time by 75%.

• Researched and coordinated technical support for change reviews, quick looks, studies, man hour

estimates, statement of work for change summaries, Product Definition Packages (PDP) creation

and scheduling.

• Maintained and updated the development and design of layouts and modification of several

existing designs to satisfy customer and production changing requirements.

Designs included: LO2 Feed Lines, Helium Inject Check Valve, Gaseous Oxygen &

Gaseous Hydrogen Diffusers, Seals, GUCA/ETCA (Ground/ET Umbilical Quick

Disconnects), and all Pneumatic Tubing inside the inter-tank and cable trays.

• Coordinated and provided technical support to vendors and launch site (KSC), approved supplier

drawings and documentation related to implementation of designs to assure integrity of hardware

form, fit, and function.

• Created technically sound conceptual and preliminary layouts of propulsion in-house designed

components and mechanisms, frequently in support of proposals for new business.

• Established/ created test requirements and test-related drawings.

Senior Engineer, Design, 1996-1997 X-33 Project:

Worked with System Design Integration Team, making sure that the parts designed/built at Michoud,

New Orleans, had common interface point and had no interference or mismatch with parts

designed/built at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, Palmdale, California. Discovered potential

interference/mismatch between the nose landing gear fittings, inter-tank strut fittings, and ballast fittings

with their counterparts. Led the effort to correct all interference/mismatch issues.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering

Chicago Technical College, Chicago, Illinois

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