Real Engineering 101

My Background
Career
– Electrical Engineer
– 20 years at Boeing Satellite Design Center in
El Segundo
• Family
– Married to a Math Teacher
– 2 Sons – Ages 13 and 11
 Education
• College Education
– Bachelor’s of Art Degree in Asian Studies from Occidental
College
– Master’s of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from
California State University, Los Angeles
• Follow your passion!
– From pre-med to electrical engineering
• Don’t be afraid to explore your interests
What exactly does an Engineer do?
 I’m a Electrical Engineering
Designer!
• Generate Schematics
– Drawing of parts that make up
circuits
• Analyze Circuits
– I use math here!
• Build and Test the Design
– Using a team of assemblers
and test technicians
• Deliver Design to the
Customer
 Who are my customers?
• NASA
– International Space Station
– Planet Exploration Spacecraft
• Commercial Satellites
– DirecTV
– AsiaSat/MexSat
• Military
– Ground-based Midcourse
Defense system
– Random Secret Stuff
 What am I designing?
• Spacecraft Computer
– The “Brains” of the Satellite
• Spacecraft Control
– Sun Sensors, Star Trackers
• Handles commands from the
ground
• Provides telemetry to the
ground
• $1.5 Million Shoe Box
– Over 25 engineers for 2 years
to design
• >$60 million invested in 5X
research and development
 Why So Expensive?
• Designed for Space
– Radiation Environment
• high-energy galactic cosmic
rays
• Solar events
• Radiation belts Your everyday computer won’t
survive this
– Parts used are
“radiation-hardened”
• Extensive Testing
• Designed to last for 15
years without maintenance
– Analyzed for lifetime wear
– High reliability parts
 Why Math is Important!
• If analyzed incorrectly, the mission could fail
prematurely
• Space Debris after
just a couple of
years!
• Miscalculating
Power
– Ohm’s Law => Voltage(V) = Current (I) x
Resistance (R)
• Power = IV or I^2R
• Thermal analysis will use power to determine how hot
a circuit can get
 When Math Goes Wrong
• Circuits have maximum
operating conditions specified
– Maximum Voltage
• Parts can literally catch on fire
when max ratings are exceeded!
– Maximum junction temperatures
• For space grade parts, typically
rated to ~125 °C
• Units matter!
– Test at 68 °C which is equivalent
to 154 °F
• Imagine testing at 154 °C
accidentally
 Frequently Asked Questions
• Do you get discounts on Boeing Airplanes or
Satellites?
• Is your husband also an engineer?
• Where can I get more coffee?
• Did you go to school with Obama at Occidental
College?
• What are your work perks?
• So, are you like a rocket scientist or
something?