Stacie Naumann '96 is working for Lockheed Martin out in California, and one of her current projects is the launching of a satellite. Here's what Stacie wrote about the project:My title for the launch is the Spacecraft Systems Engineer (SSE) -- my duties are to oversee all of the subsystem telemetry to ensure there are no problems during the countdown. When it's not launch time, I am an engineer for the Attitude Determination and Control Subsystem (ADACS), which keeps the satellite is in the correct orbit and makes sure the satellite is oriented correctly (with the instruments pointed at the earth).
Our satellite is called NOAA-N Prime, which is a polar orbiting weather satellite. Our payload contains several different instruments to measure things like weather, ozone depletion and also has a search and rescue instrument that helps rescue people lost at sea or while hiking.
For more information about the launch, please see http://goespoes.gsfc.nasa.gov/poes/index.html.
