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Designing for Space: Core77 visits NASA's Industrial Design Team, by Glen Jackson Taylor
I've visited the space control center, and it's unbeliveable, worth every single penny the visit.
When you visit the space center you feel that you are with the controlling guys over the space mission. It's a very emotional feeling. To be in a place where history happened. When you are in Houston, this is one destination that you must visit.
Some pics at: http://www.viaggee.com/html/city/cit_phogst.php?CitCode=2447070&StaCode=3971&CouCode=225.
Since the mid 60's, Auburn ID students & grads as well as alumni from other ID schools have worked on many NASA projects at Marshall Space Flight Center, MSFC, in Huntsville, AL. Ken Smith, an AU-INDD forerunner, was a NASA employee from the 60's at MSFC, Man Systems Division until he retired. He is now with Jacobs which has an ID/HF group at MSFC. They do good design work.
Boeing also has ID's in Huntsville supporting NASA.
Neither NASA, the DoD or the U.S. Office of Personnel Management has a "classification" for "industrial design", only grouping the profession in with other classes of "applied arts" rather than "applied humanities" or "applied sciences."
It seems obsurd that top corporations recognize ID as integral to global innovation of product design while NASA and DoD don't even recognize the profession. Blame IDSA, US-OPM and congress for failing to understand that ID is the most developed product integration design profession of all.
Astronauts and soldiers need the applied integration design discipline that engineers do not grasp.
See OPMs site:
http://search.opm.gov/search?sort=date%3AD%3AL%3Ad1&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=default_frontend&proxystylesheet=default_frontend&site=default_collection&q=%22industrial+design%22&Submit=Go
Despite their qualification to handle many NASA engineering and management positions, for the most part, IDs work for contractors and are classified as illustrators, research scientist or mechanical designers. They are paid less and treated as engineering technicians by engineering managers in government. It's the good-ole-boy ABET group that's in charge.
Just out of Auburn, I started at URS/Matrix Company in Huntsville, Alabama as a Research Scientist of Ergonomics Design doing research, design and development of hardware appropriate to astronaut and patient needs, human functional operation, 0G user interface, task analysis, for NASA, MSFC / JSFC and URS hospital master programs. NASA management liked my work as a team leader on a NASA/Auburn ID student project but could not hire me because of the classification issue. They hired me through the contractor, but politics cut NASA funding. I went to other ID work. Later other IDs built good reputations doing ID work at MSFC, just under another professional name.
I am developing background data to mount an effort to change this. I could use some background info from other IDs who have worked for NASA directly or as contractors.
eMail me links or notes, such as:
Walter Dorwin Teague, Jr. lead Teague into NASA work.
http://www.core77.com/reactor/08.06_teague.asp
Regards
Rahul Deshpande
NID007
India
As a friend of Evan's mother, I am thrilled beyond belief! :-))) Keep doing world-changing work, guys. Awesome job!!
For those looking to work at NASA, a University sponsored co-op is your best path through. Becoming an FTE (full time) is very very difficult due to NASA being under continuing resolution (no new $$). 2009 may be better, may be worse. Contracting is the norm.
Shalin, thanks for the good info.
I can see how ID might have limited scope on some space projects but I think Design thinking could be pretty influential and useful for these kinds of projects. Does anyone know if there is much of that in this sector?
I've been to usajobs.gov, and receive their e-mail notices. I concur on the hoop-jumping.
MS in '05? We must have crossed paths at one point. I began at SICSA in my fifth-year architecture in 2005. Unless you graduated that May.
For better or worse, to work for NASA you have to go through usajobs.gov and jump through a number of hoops. Be prepared to spend a good 30-60minutes filling out the online application.
However, they're may be similar positions with companies that work for NASA - that would probably be a much easier job finding/applying process.
Best,
Shalin
(also worked at NASA through United Space Alliance for a few years)
B.S. Aero/Astronautical Eng. '01
M.S. Space Architecture '05
Like Shalin, I came from Space Architecture at SICSA, earning my MS there. Best of luck to them and everyone else who tries to get humans into space.
But, seriously, where do I apply?
Man, they have the job all of us dreamed of when we were kids.
Also, check this Space Architecture program out (I'm a graduate from the program: http://www.sicsa.uh.edu/
Enjoy,
Shalin
I hope there is more to come!