Meet: Perry Becker

Who I am
Hello! My name is Perry Becker. I am a Lead Systems Engineer at Kennedy Space Center. I am married to my High School sweetheart, Leslie. We were married in 1988 right after I graduated from the University of Louisville. We live in Merritt Island Florida with our dog - Mandy. I enjoy fishing, exercising at the gym, and following the NASCAR race circuit. I am also a trustee at our church, Christ Lutheran Church of Cape Canaveral.

What I do

I am responsible for the majority of all the transporters that we use to move shuttle flight hardware. This includes the huge crawlers that move the assembled Space Shuttle from the VAB to the launch pads, the solid rocket motor transporters that move the solid rocket motor segments from the (Rotation, Processing, and Surge Facility) RPSF to the VAB to be stacked, and the Orbiter transporter that carries flight-ready orbiters from the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to the VAB for vertical stacking. We also have responsibility for several of the major systems at the launch pads such as the Rotating Service Structure and its drive system, the Fixed Service Structure (FSS), the elevator systems and the weather protection system. We have had up to six engineers working in the group, but are currently down to two other engineers and myself.

My Career Journey
I graduated from Butler High School in Louisville, Kentucky in 1982. From there I went to the University of Louisville and graduated with a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering in 1986. While attending college, I began the CO-OP program at Kennedy Space Center in 1984. The University of Louisville has a mandatory CO-OP program, which is not the case with most schools. I spent 3 semesters at KSC as a co-op between 1984 and 1986 (If you ever get a chance to co-op while in college, do so!) I later got my Masters Degree from the University of Louisville in Mechanical Engineering in 1988. I bagan working permantly at Kennedy Space Center in 1988 and have been with the same Directorate since that time. I enrolled in Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) in the late 1980's and obtained an MBA in 1992.

What I Like Best About my Job
I like being close to the equipment I work with. I spend a lot of my time outside "hands-on" with this equipment and involved with shuttle processing. It is rewarding to see the differences we make and knowing that we make a significant contribution to the space program. Launch day is the culmination of our efforts!

Advice
In high school and college my instructors always advised me that having raw talent isn't sufficient - you have to have the dedication and perserverance to go along with it! This advice paid off for me while getting through engineering school (one of the biggest challenges of my life!) and hopefully it will help you attain your goals also.