{"id":12236,"date":"2024-10-16T18:06:30","date_gmt":"2024-10-16T22:06:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/sacrifice-and-success-nasa-engineer-honors-family-roots\/"},"modified":"2024-10-16T18:06:30","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T22:06:30","slug":"sacrifice-and-success-nasa-engineer-honors-family-roots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/sacrifice-and-success-nasa-engineer-honors-family-roots\/","title":{"rendered":"Sacrifice and Success: NASA Engineer Honors Family Roots"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sacrifice and Success: NASA Engineer Honors Family Roots<\/h2>\n

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3 min read<\/p>\n

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"A<\/a><\/figure>
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NASA operations engineer Daniel Velasquez, left, is reviewing the Mobile Vertipad Sensor Package system as part of the Air Mobility Pathways test project at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Oct. 17, 2023.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Steve Freeman<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Lee esta historia en Espa\u00f1ol aqu\u00ed<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Born and raised in Peru, Daniel Velasquez moved to the United States when he was 10 years old. While that decision was a big transition for his family, it also created many opportunities for him. Now Velasquez is an operations engineer for NASA\u2019s Air Mobility Pathfinders project at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.<\/p>\n

Velasquez develops flight test plans for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, specifically testing how they perform during various phases of flight, such as taxi, takeoff, cruise, approach, and landing. He was drawn to NASA Armstrong because of the legacy in advancing flight research and the connection to the Space Shuttle program.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing part of a center with such a rich history in supporting space missions and cutting-edge aeronautics was a major motivation for me,\u201d Velasquez said. \u201cOne of the biggest highlights of my career has been the opportunity to meet (virtually) and collaborate with an astronaut on a possible future NASA project.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/a><\/figure>
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Daniel Velasquez stands next to the main entrance sign at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, in 2022.<\/div>\n
Daniel Velasquez<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Velasquez is incredibly proud of his Latino background because of its rich culture, strong sense of community and connection to his parents. \u201cMy parents are my biggest inspiration. They sacrificed so much to ensure my siblings and I could succeed, leaving behind the comfort of their home and family in Peru to give us better opportunities,\u201d Velasquez said. \u201cTheir hard work and dedication motivate me every day. Everything I do is to honor their sacrifices and show them that their efforts weren\u2019t wasted. I owe all my success to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Velasquez began his career at NASA in 2021 as an intern through the Pathways Internship Program<\/a> while he was studying aerospace engineering at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Through that program, he learned about eVTOL modeling software called NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft to create a help guide for other NASA engineers to reference when they worked with the software.<\/p>\n

At the same time, he is also a staff sergeant in the U.S Army Reserves and responsible for overseeing the training and development of junior soldiers during monthly assemblies. He plans, creates, and presents classes for soldiers to stay up-to-date and refine their skills while supervising practical exercises, after action reviews, and gathering lessons learned during trainings.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/a><\/figure>
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Daniel Velasquez graduated in 2023 from Rutgers University in New Jersey while he was an intern at NASA. Behind him is the New York City skyline.<\/div>\n
Daniel Velasquez<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThis job is different than what I do day-to-day at NASA, but it has helped me become a more outspoken individual,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing able to converse with a variety of people and be able to do it well is a skill that I acquired and refined while serving my country.\u201d <\/p>\n

Velasquez said he never imagined working for NASA as it was something he had only seen in movies and on television, but he is so proud to be working for the agency after all the hard work and sacrifices he made that lead him to this point. \u201cI am incredibly proud to work every day with some of the most motivated and dedicated individuals in the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

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