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<\/a><\/figure>Growing up on the central California coast, watching rocket launches with his father was part of Eric Fernandez\u2019s childhood routine. Fernandez had posters of rockets on the wall, but despite being fascinated by them, he never imagined one day this would be his career. Because both of his grandparents had served at Vandenberg Air Force Base (later renamed to Vandenberg Space Force Base), he assumed that the launches from there were for the military. NASA didn\u2019t cross his mind. The space agency seemed very far away from a place like Orcutt, California, a small town situated among rolling hills covered with farms and vineyards.<\/p>\n
Fernandez had been part of a painting crew for several years after high school. While it paid the rent, it wasn\u2019t what he wanted to do with his life. However, he found something he enjoyed. He had started at his future father-in-law\u2019s appliance store, working as a technician, repairing and installing appliances. He excelled at the work and planned to stay there with the goal to eventually run the small business.<\/p>\n
Then he got a call.<\/p>\n
It was from a friend about an opening for something called telemetry. Fernandez wasn\u2019t sure what that meant. He was happy with his current career path. He nearly declined the offer, but after some persuading, he decided to go for the interview at a NASA building on the military base.<\/p>\n
\u201cI walked in the telemetry lab, and I see oscilloscopes, screens with squiggly lines, lots of blinking lights, and things I didn\u2019t know about at the time,\u201d Fernandez recounted. \u201cI was very curious about it, so I was asking a million questions as we toured the lab, and they were asking about me. They really liked my background, especially my electronics experience, my troubleshooting skills, and my ability to solder.\u201d<\/p>\n
He received an offer for a technician position from a company that provided support to NASA under the Expendable Launch Vehicle Integrated Support, or ELVIS, contract. Fernandez had to make an important decision about his future.<\/p>\n
\u201cI prayed about it and met with my father-in-law,\u201d said Fernandez. \u201cI decided to change career paths and start a new career as a contractor working with NASA, supporting its Launch Services Program.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was 17 years ago, and he has been working there ever since, advancing to telemetry engineer in 2019. He has contributed to 27 launches for NASA, supporting scientific and robotic exploration missions. He\u2019s also supported hundreds of launches for the U.S. military and commercial sector, as part of the agency\u2019s efforts to work with its partners to understand the capabilities of the commercial rocket fleet.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/figure>While Fernandez wasn\u2019t planning on making additional changes, a new opportunity presented itself earlier this year. The agency decided to strengthen its core capabilities by bringing mission-critical positions into the civil service.<\/p>\n
When he had the opportunity to join the civil service at NASA, Fernandez applied. On June 15, he swore in at Vandenberg bringing his knowledge and experience to the agency, ready to become an official part of a group he already considered family.<\/p>\n
\u201cTelemetry is the collection of remote measurements that let us know the rocket is healthy when it\u2019s fueling on the pad, when it\u2019s in flight, and when it\u2019s placing a spacecraft into the proper orbit,\u201d said Fernandez. \u201cIt\u2019s our job to make sure decision makers have all the right data to make the right calls in real time. We can\u2019t afford to give them bad data.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fernandez\u2019s team has multiple ways of getting the data when a rocket is on the launch pad, including ground data streams and radio frequencies link. Each data path is carefully tested beforehand using tools like bit-error-rate tests, called BERTs, that send pseudo-random patterns to help determine the health of the networks. Once the data is received, the team verifies it using frame sync patterns and word counters, sequenced data embedded in the stream. During ascent, they rely on ground tracking stations and dedicated satellites to relay data. All of it is recorded for posterity and post-flight review. The entire process requires extensive planning, coordination, and constant learning as the industry continues to innovate.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to be humbled because the technology is always moving forward, and a new challenge is going to arise,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cBut there\u2019s nothing we haven\u2019t conquered, and there\u2019s not a problem we haven\u2019t figured out yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
He credits his teammates. He described his team as \u201ciron sharpening iron.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, Fernandez still lives in Orcutt, seven houses down from where he grew up. His children go to the same schools and play in the same parks he did. He still watches rocket launches, but now he does it with his children when he\u2019s not supporting a launch for the agency.<\/p>\n
While he spends his days at work looking ahead to the future, as part of a team that explores the Moon, Mars, and beyond, he hasn\u2019t forgotten where he came from.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just wish I could go back and tell little boy Eric, you\u2019re going to love every aspect of working here,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re never going to be bored, because you\u2019ll always be learning new processes and technologies to deliver all these important missions to space.\u201d<\/p>\n
Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a> Growing up on the central California coast, watching rocket launches with his father was part of Eric Fernandez\u2019s childhood routine. Fernandez had posters of rockets on the wall, but despite being fascinated by them, he never imagined one day this would be his career. Because both of his grandparents had served at Vandenberg Air Force [\u2026] Continue reading
\nLeejay Lockhart <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"