Space Team Online QuestChat

Date: April 3, 1998

Featuring: Luis Rodriguez
Senior Safety Engineer
NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 7 - 10:30:21 ]
Bienvenidos and welcome to today's Space Team Online bilingual chat with Luis Rodriguez from NASA Johnson Space Center!! Luis's primary responsibility as a senior safety engineer is to make sure that design engineers and scientists use NASA-approved materials, chemicals, and electrical components when designing their experiments. This includes ensuring that any air force or Department of Defense (DoD) experiment approved for space flight can be safely operated by astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space shuttle, the Space Station Mir, and very soon, the International Space Station.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 8 - 10:30:39 ]
And now, here is Luis Rodriguez to answer your questions.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 10 - 10:35:11 ]
RE: [JULIE-Julie/SofTestDesigns] How long have you been a safety engineer?
Hi Julie Welcome to the CHAT. I've been a safety engineer about 15 years. I have worked at NASA and with the Air Force

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 13 - 10:38:48 ]
RE: [JULIE-Julie/SofTestDesigns] Do you ever have to help the astronauts train for safety?
Yes. At times we have to train the astronauts on how to use the experiments that will fly in the Shuttle or the Space Station. NASA will train the astronauts for safety we just make sure the equipment they use is safe

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 14 - 10:41:13 ]
RE: [JULIE-Julie/SofTestDesigns] Are there fire extinguishers on the space shuttle?
Julie, I'm pretty sure there are fire extinguishing system onboard. I don't happen to work in that area. We are starting to work on this subject for the Space Station, We have to design systems to control fires in the equipment.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 17 - 10:45:16 ]
RE: [JULIE-Julie/SofTestDesigns]
What is the hardest part of your job?
I have to say that the worst part is maintaining current with all safety standards in order to prevent any potential safety mishaps. But of course, there are more good than bad things to my job. I enjoy it a lot!!!

[LuisRodriguez/JSC - 19 - 11:04:09 ]
RE: [Rachael-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] Lakeside Intermediate 4th grade. With your background, why did you choose NASA over other job possibilities?
This answer for Rachael: I was working in the medical field but one day I decided to build an experiment to fly in the Shuttle. This led me to work at JSC. Once here, I fell in love with the space program. And here we are...

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 20 - 10:47:10 ]
RE: [John-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] From Lakeside Intermediate 4th grade. What is the safest, fastest speed for the Space Shuttle?
Hi John I don't have an answer for that. Remember that the orbiter goes to space at a speed determined prior to launch. Controller and flight designer make sure the speed is appropriate for a particular mission.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC 21 - 11:12:00 ]
RE: [JULIE-Julie/SofTestDesigns] Do you work with any Russian engineers when you are planning for a mission involving the Mir?
We are not working another Russian mission at this time. However we keep working together on other technical fields.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 23 - 10:49:43 ]
RE: [JULIE-Julie/SofTestDesigns] Can you give me some examples of experiments in space are you involved with?
Julie Yes, We are getting ready to fly a series of experiments on the December mission. We have one that studies the properties of material to be use in the future solar arrays. Another studies humans cells and the effects of microgravity on them.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 25 - 10:52:30 ]
RE: [Jason-FranklinWI] Senor Rodriguez, cuando yo era en escuela secundaria, estudie tres anos de espanol. Cuantos anos Ud. necesito a aprender ingles?
Jason Como estas? El aprendizaje de Ingles toma bastante tiempo. Si embargo a los dos o tres anos yo podia hablar un poco pero para poder trabajar en el campo tecnico y cientifico se necesitan varios anos. Aun estoy aprendiendo. Pero seria justo decir 5 o mas anos

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 26 - 10:54:07 ]
RE: [Cade-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] Lakeside Intermediate 4th grade. Did you ever want to be an astronaut?
Cade Yes, I always wanted to become an astronaut. I applied for mission specialist a few years ago, however I was not accepted because my vision is not up to standards.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 29 - 10:57:41 ]
RE: [Julie-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] If you could go back and be a Doctor instead of what you're doing now, would you?
Julie I can see that you read my bio. Yes, I'd like to go back and be a doctor, however now that I've been working at NASA, with space technology, I'll probably become a doctor and return to work at NASA.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 31 - 11:00:02 ]
RE: [JULIE-Julie/SofTestDesigns] What experiments for the astronauts do you consider to be the most dangerous?
Julie Experiments are not really dangerous. They are sophisticated and sometimes very difficult to work with. That is why we, Safety Engineers, have to make sure the experiments are not dangerous. We have to test, and test, and test them until they operate safely

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 32 - 11:00:25 ]
RE: [Josh-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] When is the next Shuttle mission?
Josh, the next shuttle mission is schedule to occur on April 16. The mission will last 17 days. It is called the Neurolab mission, and will focus on the brain. You can find out all about this mission on the Neurolab home page, at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 33 - 11:01:16 ]
RE: [Josh-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] When is the next Shuttle mission?
Josh, our next mission is STS_90 around April 16. We'll use the orbiter 'Columbia'.

[LuisRodriguez/JSC - 36 - 11:21:31]
RE: [Ryan-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate ] What is the most exciting project you have ever worked on at NASA?
RYAN, I have to say that the most exciting experiment was the one I built. Which is the one that open NASA door for me. I built a minicomputer to analyse astronauts reactions in space. I have also work with radiation experiments, photography, medical, communications, etc. ALL ARE EXCITING!!!!!

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 37 - 11:06:20 ]
RE: [JULIE-Julie/SofTestDesigns] Can you tell us anything about the projects you are working on now?
Julie Yes, I'm working the safety certification for an experiment that will measures cosmic radiation in space. We have a portion of the experiment in Mir, which will be returning in May 98 (STS-91).

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 40 - 11:08:39 ]
RE: [Nichole-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] How many Space Shuttles do you keep at NASA?
There are currently 4 space shuttles in NASA. Endeavour, Columbia, Atlantis, Discovery. Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed in January 1986.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 41 - 11:09:02 ]
RE: [Jason-FranklinWI] Sr. Rodriguez, desean a su hijos trabajar en el mismo carera de Ud?
Jason Si me gustaria. Mi hija esta estudiando veterinaria pero aun asi ella podria venir a trabajar aca. Mi hijo quiere trabajar aca y esta haciendo todo lo posible.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 42 - 11:10:16 ]
RE: [JULIE-Julie/SofTestDesigns] Do you work with any Russian engineers when you are planning for a mission involving the Mir?
Julie Yes we have work with Russian engineers. Of course I deal with Russian Safety Engineers. As matter of fact, I'm studying Russian here at NASA.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 46 - 11:16:59 ]
RE: [JULIE-Julie/SofTestDesigns] What does it take to be a safety engineer?
Julie Thank you for your interest in the Safety Engineering world. You need a technical orientation combined with a technical degree such as Electrical, mechanical, chemical, etc. And you have to like solving problems and solving non existing problems. With this I mean, at times we have to think about potential problems and find a solution before they become a problem.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 48 - 11:18:58 ]
RE: [Sara-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] When there is a problem in space with the Shuttle, do you ever talk to the astronauts to fix the problem?
Sara No, unfortunately I don't talk to them directly while they are in space. However we get to relay messages through the person in charge of communicating with them, This person is CAPCOM. We get to talk a lot with them here on the ground.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 53 - 11:26:19 ]
RE: [Bart-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] What kinds of metals are the safest on space shuttles?
Bart I don't have an answer for that. But I can tell you that we build most of our experiments with aluminum, stainless steel, and use lexan materials for protection of equipment displays

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 57 - 11:30:19 ]
RE: [Matt-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] Do the tools used to work on the Space Shuttle have to be made from special materials?
Hi Matt Some of the tools are made of special materials. mainly the ones used during EVAs,. Inside the orbiter we have some standard tools not requiring special materials

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 59 - 11:32:12 ]
RE: [Michelle-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] Do they have air bags on Space Shuttles?
Michelle, Hi No, I don't think we need air bags in the Shuttle. The astronauts have other means of protecting themselves. They uses special harnesses to keep them from drifting away when in space.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 60 - 11:34:37 ]
RE: [Julie-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] Where is the restroom in the Space Shuttle?
Julie The Space Shuttle has one bathroom, only. It can be used only in space. It has a special toilet where the astronaut has to be belted in to prevent him from floating away.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 67 - 11:42:52 ]
RE: [Richard-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] What is safest, a U.S. automobile or the Space Shuttle?
Richard I think the Shuttle is the safest because it has over 10000 technicians and engineers making sure is safe to fly. Of course cars are also safe.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 68 - 11:43:36 ]
For those of you who would like to learn more about the Space Team Online project, you can visit the home page at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space. (Uds. pueden aprender mas de Space Team Online si visitan http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space en el Internet.)

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 69 - 11:44:14 ]
RE: [MrAchor-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] Thank You Mr. Rodriguez for your great answers. We wish you the best for the future.
Mr Achor, Lakeside Intermediate It was a pleasure having the opportunity of chatting with your students. Good luck to all.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 70 - 11:46:32 ]
RE: [Jessica-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] How old were you when you started NASA?
Hi Jessica I was approximately 34 years old.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 72 - 11:47:55 ]
RE: [protobinar-protobinar] since you're responsible for the safety of the shuttle experiments and payloads, what's the most frighting thing you've found wrong with an experiment or payload?
Could you repeat your question, please?

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 73 - 11:50:02 ]
RE: [Sharnae-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] Why did you want to learn all those languages?
Hi Sharnae My native language is Spanish, but I always wanted to learn French and English and never had an opportunity to do it. Now that I worked at NASA and with the Space Station, I think I may need as many languages as possible.

[ protobinar-protobinar - 74 - 11:53:06 ]
what is the most frighting thing you've ever found wrong with an experiment or payload?

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 75 - 11:55:17 ]
RE: [protobinar-protobinar] I, have vision problems as well, what are the minimum vision requirements for being an astronaut?
protobinar-protobinar My problem is that I can not see good at a distance. I have to use glasses or contacts. I could not tell you what are the minimum standards. I have 20/50 and 20/100. By the way, we did and experiment in microgravity to find out how easy or difficult is to maintain and wear contacts in microgravity. It was very interesting. Your previous question [#74]. I haven't found problems with experiments we sent to space. we find the problems during testing and prior to fly. That is the moment to fix any problems.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 76 - 11:58:39 ]
RE: [Ryan-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] What do you eat in space
Hi Ryan During Apollo mission astronauts had dry and special types of food prepared for them. Today, we learned more about the body and food consumption in microgravity, therefore they( the astronauts) can eat almost anything while in space. No more dry packages of dehydrated food.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 78 - 12:02:14 ]
RE: [Courtney-Mr.Achor/LakesideIntermediate] Are the Space Shuttle tires made of the same kind of materials as other tires?
Hello Courtney I'm sorry but I don't have a good answer for your question. I 'm certain the tires are made using a special process and like all other tires used in airplanes they used special rubber compounds.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 79 - 12:05:07 ]
RE: [protobinar-protobinar] after you learn Japanese, what other languages would you like to learn?
Hi, protobinar-protobinar I'd like to learn Portuguese. Since I speak Spanish, I understand a little bit of Portuguese, but I'd like to really be fluent.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 81 - 12:08:40 ]
RE: [protobinar-protobinar] Considering the fact that your son is becoming an engineer, do you think the two of you would ever work on a NASA project together?
protobinar-protobinar I don't know if that will happen. He is trying to find a position within the space industry around Johnson Space Center in Houston. He has a couple of good offers but not working in the same area. He could be working a different area of Space Station while I work safety. That will be the closest.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 82 - 12:10:44 ]
RE: [protobinar-protobinar] Do you ever go back to Colombia to visit family or friends?
protobinar-protobinar Yes. I have been back three or four times to visit friends. Last time I went give a series of conferences related to space and technology. I talked to elementary, high school and college students. It was fun. Of course the conference was in Spanish.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 83 - 12:14:09 ]
RE: [protobinar-protobinar] How did the contact lens experiment work out? Are they safe to wear in space?
protobinar-protobinar Contact lens wear in microgravity is very different because , as you know things have a tendency to float in microgravity and your lenses may also float off from your hands while trying to put them on. So you have to practice, practice, and practice just to do that simple task. The experiment was successful. We learned a lot.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 88 - 12:19:33 ]
RE: [Dawn-Dawn/IgnacioHighSchool] Where did you go to college?
Hello Dawn I graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Attended Biomedical Engineering Graduate studies at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio Received my High School diploma in Bogota, Colombia.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 91 - 12:26:11 ]
RE: [protobinar-protobinar] ok, during the testing of experiments prior to flight what's the most challenging problem you have ever faced?
protobinar-protobinar The most difficult and challenging area is the Outgassing and Electromagnetic interference. We have to make sure the paylaods don't produce any gasses or chemical that will be harmful to astronauts. Also we have to prevent excessive radiation that may affect Shuttle equipment, controls or other experiments.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 95 - 12:29:34 ]
RE: [Dawn-Dawn/IgnacioHighSchool] Why is an OMS burn done at approximately T 39 minutes?
Dawn I don't have a good answer for you, but I'd like to refer you to a Journal by Tony Ceccacci (not sure about the last name spelling) that was published on January on Space Team Online.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 96 - 12:30:58 ]
RE: [Dawn-Dawn/IgnacioHighSchool] How long before it is to late for the shuttle to perform an RTLS abort?
Dawn For the first 4 minutes after takeoff you can RTLS.

[ LuisRodriguez/JSC - 98 - 12:35:05 ]
RE: [SebastinBrea/I.T.B.A] Hola Luis, siento que el desarrollo de los latinos en la industria espacial es muy limitado (es tan asi?). Me acabo de recibir de ingeniero industrial, cual seria el siguiente paso que tu me recomendarias que tomara, si me quisiera desenvolver en la industria espacial? Gracias por tu tiempo e inspiracion.
Hola Sebastian Felicitaciones en tu grado de Ingeniero Industrial. Creo que el proximo paso seria continuar una maestria en Ingenieria Espacial, o de Computadores, otra rama technica. Para llegar a la industria espacial no necesitas un titulo especifico. Pero continua adelante que el ser latino realmente no te impedira llegar a tu meta. Sigue adelante. Suerte.

[ Dawn/IgnacioHighSchool - 97 - 12:33:39 ]
Thank you very much for answering my questions!

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 99 - 12:43:04 ]
Thank you again to everyone for joining us for today's Space Team Online bilingual chat with Luis Rodriguez from NASA Johnson Space Center. We would especially like to thank Luis for joining us online, and for chatting an additional hour with us. An archive of today's chat will be online within a day or two, and can be found at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/events/webchats/experts.html. Be sure to check the Space Team Online chat schedule at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/events/interact.html to learn about upcoming chats with Space Team experts. We hope to hear from you at our next chat!