Meet: Glenn Perez

Lead Robotics and Avionics Engineer
NASA/Kennedy Space Center

 

Who I am and What I do
Hi, my name is Glenn Perez and I work for NASA as a Lead Robotics and Avionics Engineer. My office is located in the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) here at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I am currently working on the Canadian-built Mobile Servicing System (MSS). The MSS consist of three major parts: a main arm, a small dexterous arm, and a base system that transports the two arms along the International Space Station truss structure. The robotic arm will be able to reach most parts of the station, and help the astronauts with many tasks.

I have always wanted to work for Kennedy Space Center. When I was 12, a friend of my parents got our family a pass to see the Apollo 16 launch. What an impressive site to see! After the launch, I became very interested in the space center and becoming an engineer for NASA.

Education and Career Journey
I was born and raised in the North Miami, Florida area. I attended Miami-Dade Community College, then transferred to LeTourneau University in Texas, where I received my degree in electrical engineering in 1984. Before joining the NASA team, I worked in the private sector for three years designing test equipment for military and commercial aircraft. In 1987, I accepted a contractor engineering position working on the space shuttle at Kennedy Space Center. I was hired by NASA a year later. After a few years working in Space Shuttle Instrumentation Engineering, I accepted a one year NASA assignment at Marshall Space Flight Center designing satellite systems. When I returned to KSC, I worked briefly in Shuttle Logistics before transferring to International Space Station Engineering.

Personal Information
My wife Karen and I, and our two children Keith (age 11) and Megan (age 8), live in Titusville, Florida. My family and I love living on the Space Coast. Watching shuttle launches and visiting the area theme parks are two things we like to do. We also love snow skiing and travel to a good ski location each year in the early spring. My family and I really enjoy it, but after a week or so it feels good to be back to the warm and sunny climate of the Space Coast.

Personal Goals
My long-term goal is to be a NASA engineering manager for the Kennedy Space Center.

Advice
My advice to students that are interested in space technology is you should concentrate on your math and science skills. Get involved in an activity that challenges participants to think creatively and solve problems, such as Odyssey of the Mind or the FIRST Robotics Competition.