Engineer Test
Resume:
ROBERT M. PEACH, JR., P.E.
Stevensville, Montana 59870
Career Summary
** ***** ** ************ ****** test and space launch operations, flight vehicle and facility design, test site activation/operation. Experience at White Sands Missile Range, NM, and Edwards AFB, CA on multiple flight test projects. This included work with Scaled Composites at Mojave, CA as Boeing flight test lead for X-37 air-vehicle drop test activities. Test activity has focused on remotely piloted or autonomously controlled experimental aircraft and aero-vehicles such as X-40A and X-48B. Remote site operations required developing and implementing innovative field design solutions for prototype aircraft in addition to leading flight test operations. Leadership duties required liaison with US government military (USAF, US Army) and civilian agencies (NASA, FAA), universities in the US and Europe as well as commercial companies to direct development, design and execution of flight test programs for prototype aircraft and aero-vehicles. Additional experience at other national space launch ranges including Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center and Vandenberg AFB, CA. Areas of technical expertise include air-breathing and rocket propulsion, airframe, aero-controls, fuels/propellants, and high pressure pneumatics. Private pilot with current IFR rating, FAA medical and 275 hours in the Cessna T210. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Blue Origin LLC
August 2007 to July 2015
Senior Test Operations Engineer, New Shepard Program
• Stationed at Kent, WA and Van Horn, TX
• Most recently:
o Completed design, fabrication and qualification testing of high pressure cryogenically cooled aluminum helium bottles for the next generation flight vehicle. This involved metal spin forming and electron-beam welding procedure development. This also included installation of the bottles into the first flight article. o Simultaneously developed, designed, fabricated and installed the cryogenic propellant loading/venting retracting umbilicals for the launch pad. All equipment functioned as designed for all ground testing and first flight in Mar 2015.
• For previous flight vehicle configurations:
o Designed, developed, and supervised construction of a pipeline system for 90% propellant grade hydrogen peroxide. o Designed and developed a rocket-grade kerosene propellant storage and transfer system.
• Additional details of work completed at the remote Texas test site: o Designed and fabricated system required to transfer 90% H2O2 > mile from a 30,000 gal. tank farm to launch stand. o Designed a fuel storage system for RP1 consisting of 10,000 gallon storage tanker and a custom 1500 gallon fueler cart for an aircraft-type pressure-fueling operation including the concrete containment pad for all equipment per EPA regs. o Creating all drawings necessary in AutoCAD using architectural and engineering layouts. o Responsible for procuring all parts, material and equipment. o Contracted for necessary fabrication and technical services using Primavera P6 to manage activities and resources. o Developed all launch vehicle propellant loading procedures. o Operated and maintained propellant loading systems in support of all launch operations activity. o Airspace coordinator responsible for pre-test planning with FAA and real-time airspace coordination on flight day. The Boeing Airplane Company
January 2006 to August 2007
Flight Test Director/Test Conductor/Senior Flight Test Engineer, X-48B Program Flight Operations
• Stationed at Huntington Beach and Edwards AFB, CA
• Assigned to X-48B (Blended Wing Body) program for flight testing at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center on the Edwards AFB, CA. First four (4) flights of the aircraft were completed during this time period. The aircraft completed 100 flights during the course of the program without incident. This aircraft was remotely piloted by aircrew co-located in control van with test team. Activities completed on this program were performed concurrently with remaining flight test duties on X-37.
• Duties involved:
o Preparing the #1 aircraft for flight test at Edwards AFB, CA. o Preparing the #2 aircraft airframe for test in the Langley Full-Scale Wind Tunnel at Langley AFB, VA. o Resident at aircraft design and fabrication contractor in Cranfield, England, APR 2006. ROBERT M. PEACH, JR., P.E.
2 of 4
The Boeing Airplane Company (cont.)
• Familiarization with aircraft, ground control station and pilot station operations.
• Coordinated with aircraft contractor to detail all flight operations requirements, develop flight test plan documentation and train on all sub-system operation including operation of flight simulator.
• Assisted with vehicle system integration in preparation for final acceptance of aircraft for shipment to US. o Wrote all flight test procedures including pre-flight, flight cards, post-flight and turn around activities. o Conducted all flight test operations including real-time communication with pilot (co-located in control center), air traffic control and launch/recovery ground crew for the inaugural test flight series of the aircraft. o Coordinated all test range services required including air traffic control and airspace usage. o Prepared all test reports to include evaluating analysis from all technical support and design personnel, assessing test objectives accomplished and planning next testing phase based on the results. The Boeing Airplane Company
July 2003 to July 2006
Flight Test Director/Test Conductor/Test Site Lead, X-37 Program Flight Operations
• Stationed at Mojave Airport, CA
• Developer/author of baseline flight test plan and schedule.
• Responsible for contacting Scaled Composites, soliciting their initial program support, developing the concept and convincing program to launch the X-37 ALTV off of the White Knight aircraft platform.
• Directed flight test execution activity for X-37 ALTV flight operations at the Mojave Airport and Edwards AFB, CA using the Scaled Composites White Knight as the launch aircraft.
• Duties also involved management of White Knight flight planning activities including procedure development, coordination of flight operations with the Scaled Composites aircrew, ATC coordination, and training. USAF Flight Test Center coordination in preparation for free-flight landing and Mojave-return air-ferry activities was also required.
• Three flights were successfully completed from APR-JUL 06. Testing was terminated after these flights in favor of beginning the next phase of the program with a new airframe. The X-37B has since performed several orbital flight tests as a result of this phase of the program.
• Directed the design, procurement, and installation of equipment necessary to support a 50 engineer test team at the remote site with a computer network, data storage, LAN/WAN connections and radio telemetry to communicate with the flight vehicle.
• Involved in initial X-37 orbital vehicle flight test planning prior to postponement of that phase of the project. The Aerospace Corporation
June 1994 to July 2003
Senior Project Engineer, Space Test & Experimentation Directorate
• Stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
• Acting X-37 Flight Test Director during development of flight test planning phase for the X-37 ALTV while assigned to a combined Boeing/USAF/NASA test team from July 2001 to July 2003.
• X-40A Space Maneuver Vehicle (SMV) prototype Flight test activity was completed during this assignment as well: o Location included activity at Boeing-Seal Beach, CA / Holloman AFB, NM / Edwards AFB, CA. o X-40A Phase 2 flight test activity required deployment to Edwards AFB, CA from Dec 99 to May 01. o X-40A Phase 1 flight test activity required deployment to Holloman AFB, NM from Oct 97 to August 98. o Provided operational and technical leadership to a combined USAF, US Army, Boeing, and NASA X-40A test team as the only USAF team member to work both Phase 1 and Phase 2 flight tests. o X-40A duties as lead flight test engineer (FTE) involved all aspects of test planning, procedure development, test execution, test direction, data evaluation and authoring the final test report. o Experience as an instrument-rated private pilot was a key asset in flight plan preparation, timeline development, coordination of ATC/airfield/chase aircraft test support, and crew training. Also allowed participation as an aircrew member of the US Army ATTC CH-47 carrier helicopter as the program FTE during Phase 2 flight testing.
• Other assignments as a launch operations engineer for the DoD Space Test Program, a tri-service organization responsible for launching all DoD experimental satellites, required participation in all spacecraft/launch vehicle integration and test activities from mission design through launch operations.
• Provided launch vehicle technical support for missions originating out of Vandenberg AFB, CA; Wallops Island, VA; White Sands, NM; and Cape Canaveral, FL missile ranges.
ROBERT M. PEACH, JR., P.E.
3 of 4
The Aerospace Corporation (cont.)
June 1988 to June 1994
Member of the Technical Staff, Launch Operations Directorate
• Stationed at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL assigned to Atlas 2 and Delta 2 programs
• Responsibilities included rocket engine propulsion and cryogenic/hypergolic propellants, hydraulic systems, high-pressure pneumatics, environmental control for airborne systems, and a variety of airframe structure types and materials.
• Duties required approval of operational procedures, resolution of problems during pre-launch processing and launch countdown, review and approval of engineering changes, flight data review and analysis, and associated facility design changes. May 1981 to June 1985
Member of the Technical Staff, Space Shuttle Directorate
• Stationed at Kennedy Space Center, Florida assigned to the USAF Test and Evaluation Command
• Lead Orbiter system evaluator for USAF Space Shuttle Program
• Lead Orbiter technical advisor to the Vandenberg AFB, CA Shuttle Site Activation Group Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc.
July 1985 to May 1988
Account Executive, Cocoa Beach, Florida
Rockwell International / Space Shuttle Launch Operations March 1980 to April 1981 and March 1978 to May 1979 Member of the Technical Staff II, OMS/RCS/Hydraulics Operations Group
• Stationed at Kennedy Space Center, Florida
• Lead OMS/RCS engineer responsible for assembly, test, and checkout of all hypergolic propellant systems for STS-1 Space Shuttle flight including both flight and ground systems. Fluid Scientific, Inc.
June 1979 to Feb 1980
Design/Test Engineer/Custom Fluid Power Systems, Orlando, Florida Union Carbide Corporation
May 1977 to Feb 1978
Design/Test Engineer II/Special Projects, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee Planning Research Corporation
Oct 1975 to April 1977
Design/Test Engineer/Shuttle Ground Systems, Kennedy Space Center, Florida Naval Ordnance Station
Feb 1975 to Sept 1975
Project Engineer/Air-Launched Missiles, Indian Head, Maryland Pratt & Whitney Aircraft
July 1974 to Jan 1975
Test Engineer/Gas Turbine Engines, West Palm Beach, Florida ROBERT M. PEACH, JR., P.E.
4 of 4
EDUCATION
• THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, Knoxville 1970-1974 o Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering with Honors 1974 AWARDS
• Outstanding Achievement Award, AIAA, Tennessee Student Chapter 1973-1974
• Pi Tau Sigma Mechanical Engineering Honor Society 1974
• Cited as a member of the USAF Global Positioning System Delta Launch Team presented the Robert J. Collier Trophy 1992
• Cited as a member of the USAF X-40A Flight Test Team presented the USAF Materiel Command Test & Evaluation Test Team of the Year Award 1999
• Cited as a member of the USAF X-40A Flight Test Team presented the Rotary National Award for Aerospace Achievement by the Johnson Space Center Rotary Club Int’l 1999
• Instructor for the Aerospace Vehicle Test Course at the Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, CA 2000, 2001, 2004
• Cited as a member of the USAF X-40A Phase 2 Flight Test Team presented the Special Achievement Award by the International Test & Evaluation Association 2001
• Cited as the USAF Materiel Command Contractor Tester of the Year 2002 CERTIFICATIONS
• Certified as Professional Engineer
o Florida, Cert. No. 29208-Active, Mechanical 1980 o New Mexico, Cert. No. 12832-Inactive, Mechanical & Civil 1995 o Certified as Engineer-In-Training, Tennessee 1974
• Instrument-rated private pilot
o Current 3rd Class FAA medical (Mar 2015)
o Current IFR & Biennial Flight Reviews (Aug 2014) o 750 hours Total, 325 hrs IFR, 375 hrs Complex aircraft o Current in Cessna T210 w/ 275 hrs in-type
o Aircraft flown:
ASK-21 Sailplane
Beech Debonair, QueenAir, D17
Bellanca Citabria, Decathalon
Cessna 150, 152 Aerobat, 172, 177, 177RG, 182, T210, 405, 406
Grumman Traveler, Cheetah, Tiger
Mooney Ranger, M20 Exec
Piper Arrow, Cherokee 235, Comanche, J-3 Cub, Super Cub, Twin Comanche
Shuttle Simulator, Johnson Space Center, Texas
F106 Simulator, Jacksonville ANG Station, FL
CH-47 Flight Test Engineer
X-48B Blended Wing Body Simulator, Dryden Flight Research Center REFERENCES (Will be furnished upon request)
Contact this candidate