Meet: Greg Katnik

Who I Am

I am a Mechanical Systems Engineer on the Space Shuttle Program. I have been employed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for almost 14 years.

What I Do

My job actually has three parts:

• Mechanical Systems, where we as systems engineers bring the major elements of Solid Rocket Motor segments, an External Tank, and an Orbiter together to become a Space Shuttle. I also help write the procedures to do the operations, perform numerous inspections of all the flight hardware looking for anything damaged or out of configuration, fix problems, get the Shuttle ready for launch on the launch pad, and man consoles in the Launch Control Center.
  

  I am Team Leader for several major inspections which include looking at the Shuttle and Launch Pad prior to launch, checking the launch pad for damage immediately after launch, assessing the flight performance of the Solid Rocket Boosters after recovery at sea, and assessing external flight damage to the Orbiter on the runway after landing.

• Final Inspection Team: I am Team Leader for the last full and thorough inspection just before launch of the Space Shuttle after fueling is complete. This is considered to be the most hazardous inspection because the Shuttle is loaded with over 2 million pounds of solid rocket propellant, close to 500,000 gallons of cryogenic oxygen and hydrogen in the External Tank, and toxic hypergolic fuels inside the Orbiter. This inspection is similar to that done on a 747 airliner leaving the gate at an airport where the flight engineer walks around the entire aircraft looking for problems. In this case, however, the Shuttle is so complex, the inspection is performed by a team of seven engineers and takes close to two hours.
  

  During this inspection, the team looks for fuel leaks, broken or dislodged insulation (foam on the External Tank and the famous black tiles on the Orbiter), structural integrity, proper connection of the break-away swing arms, unusual vapors or ice buildup, and anything else that would prevent a safe launch.

• Film Analysis: I look at over 100 high speed films to verify everything about a Shuttle launch and landing worked correctly. If not, I must determine what happened and why so that changes can be made prior to the next launch. I have the capability to enhance the film if necessary. And in many cases, I serve as a professional industrial photographer in very hazardous operations where the regular photographers cannot be included.

My Career Journey

My career in the aerospace industry actually began in high school. I was selected to participate in a community outreach program. Since this community was in St. Louis, I had the opportunity to spend time at the McDonnell Douglas aircraft plant. I was able to see engineers and pilots doing their jobs. I also saw everything needed to design, build, and test fly a brand new aircraft. I found being around all this very exciting and knew I wanted my future job to be involved with aircraft or spacecraft.

I attended the University of Missouri at Rolla and got a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering, which gave me training in both aircraft and spacecraft design. During this time, I also became a CO-OP student with McDonnell Douglas (again, in St. Louis). I actually alternated semesters studying at school and working at McDonnell Douglas. Although this resulted in getting my degree five years later (instead of the normal four years), the extra time was worth it. Not only did I get a salary to pay my way through college, but much more important was the valuable experience and training I received in the areas I was assigned: engineering, psychology, wind tunnels, missile design, flight simulation, and flight testing of high performance F-18 Hornets.

Although I enjoyed my time at McDonnell Douglas, I decided to join Martin Marietta in Denver, Colorado, (May 1981) so that I could work on Space Shuttle components. I specialized in structures and stress analysis. I had been there two years when I learned NASA had a job opening. I applied for and was selected in May 1983 to join the NASA Space Shuttle team at the Kennedy Space Center.

Influences

My parents were the strongest influence on my future career (though they did not know it at the time). They would sit me in front of the television to watch rocket launches as far back as the Gemini program. That is when my fascination with the space program began. Throughout school, my teachers and advisors quickly learned of my deep interest in science and technology. They made sure I was able to take as many classes as I could handle in these areas. They even encouraged me to go out into the community and meet engineers. All of this allowed me to be very sure of my career choice as early as junior year in high school.

Likes About Career

I like my job because it is so unique. I may not be able to fly a Space Shuttle, but I am part of the small group that actually assembles and launches a Shuttle. How many groups in the whole world can do that? But on a higher level, I am excited to work on a national asset worth billions of dollars, to help our country have the best space program in the world, and to make things happen in space exploration that improve our technology and standard of living.

Learn More From My Chats

• January 28, 1998
• September 4, 1997