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A Sense of
Discovery: Nicholee Nietch fulfills dream working on Mars Orbiter
Nicholee Nietch’s 20-year-old dream is taking a ride to Mars.
Nietch, a 2001 mechanical engineering graduate,
works as a systems engineer on the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for
Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colo. The orbiter launched
August, and many of its operations are triggered by programs Nietch
developed.
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| Nietch stands in front of the Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter. |
“I’m in the operations development group and I’m
responsible for the implementation of activities onboard the
spacecraft,” explained Nietch whose last name was Page when she was a
student at Rose-Hulman.
Computer programs she has written execute various
commands when needed. For example, when the orbiter requires
trajectory correction, a program written by Nietch begins the correction
maneuver. Another example is when it comes time to insert the
spacecraft in orbit around Mars. Her program is responsible for
starting the insertion maneuver, which if done incorrectly could send
the orbiter off mission into deep space.
“It’s scary and exciting, but fortunately there are
many eyes looking over my work,” Nietch commented. “Teamwork is the
heart of my position. As a systems engineer, I oversee propulsion,
communications and data, instruments, and guidance and navigation
teams. I coordinate with each of these subsystems to ensure my programs
perform properly.”
Much of Nietch’s day is spent going from office to
office, and she has to work through about 100 e-mails daily.
Involvement with the project will not end when the
orbiter is launched. Nietch is responsible for uploading of programs
during the actual flight. When the orbiter is launched, she will be on
a console at a mission operation center that mimics the one at the
Johnson Space Center in Houston. She will be one of the announcers on
the event console.
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| Nietch on the job at her computer
console. |
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will carry six
science instruments to examine the planet. The science package includes
a high-resolution camera, an imaging spectrometer, a climate sounder, a
color imager and shallow radar. Each of these instruments will be used
to extend the search for water-related minerals on the planet and to
assess climate and weather changes.
While her specialty involves writing programs for
the spacecraft, Nietch can also speak with authority when discussing the
science of the planet. And it’s good that she can because her programs
also trigger the instruments into action when they are surveying the
“Red Planet.”
When the high resolution imaging experiment begins,
her program will power on the device, direct the focus of the camera and
deconfigure the instrument back to low power mode when the work is
completed.
Nietch’s work with the orbiter fulfills a dream
that took root when she was a second grader at Eastview Elementary
School in Canton, Ill. Astronaut Steven R. Nagel, an alumnus of
Eastview, returned to his alma mater to speak to a school assembly.
“When he was speaking, I remember thinking I HAVE to work in the
field of space exploration. It must be fascinating and rewarding. I
was inspired knowing someone from the small town of Canton, Ill., could
go on to do such great things.
“I nurtured my interest in space during middle
school by going to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, and that’s when I
made up my mind I was going to be part of the space program.”
She attended Rose-Hulman and graduated in 2001 with
a mechanical engineering degree carrying a concentration in aerospace
engineering. She obtained a master’s in aerospace engineering at the
University of Colorado.
“There was a time I wanted to be an astronaut, but
now I’m more interested in unmanned missions because they can explore
places manned missions cannot,” she said.
“This is cutting-edge technology and we’re
gathering scientific data that will benefit not only this generation,
but future generations as well.” said Nietch. “There are so many things
we take for granted today because of space research: global positioning
systems, weather forecasting, satellite TV and several high-tech
materials.
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| Nietch in front of a Mars display at
Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colo. |
“Besides the excitement of learning about new
places, there also is that drive humans have to explore. I believe we
all harbor a sense of discovery. Working on a spacecraft that will be
orbiting another planet and retrieving scientific information we’ve
never had before is the biggest reward of my career.”
Nietch’s zeal for discovery and engineering is
matched by her enthusiasm for Rose-Hulman. She sings Rose-Hulman’s
praises for teaching her problem-solving techniques because “I face new
problems every day.” She also spoke highly of the group projects she
worked on at Rose-Hulman because she works in a group mode daily.
“I’d like to mention how special the people at
Rose-Hulman are,” she said. “That’s what I’m going to remember…how kind
and special and unique they are.”
What’s next for Nietch? “Once we are in the
Primary Science Phase and daily operations become routine, I hope to try
a new role on a different spacecraft at Lockheed Martin,” she said.
She’s not sure what that job would be, but she has an interest in
navigation, attitude control, and testing operations for future Mars
projects, which include a lander mission and another orbiter.
The dream continues and the sense of discovery has
reached a new level in the life of Nicholee Nietch. |
