SpaceTEC®

Member Institutions

Allan Hancock College(California)

Antelope Valley College(California)

BrevardCommunity College

(Florida)

CalhounCommunity College

(Alabama)

Community Collegeof the Air Force

(Alabama)

Doña AnaCommunity College

(New Mexico)

Edmonds Community College(Washington)

Embry RiddleAeronautical University

(Florida)

North Central State College(Ohio)

Tarrant County CollegeDistrict(Texas)

Thomas NelsonCommunity College

(Virginia)

Visit the SpaceTEC®

website at:http://www.spacetec.org/

FALL 2008

Over 80 technicians, engineers, andscientists participated in the first FloridaAerospace Microgravity Training Pro-gram developed by SpaceTEC througha grant from the Brevard WorkforceDevelopment Board. These individualsrepresented technicians, engineers andscientists from Boeing, Computer Sci-ences Raytheon, Harris, Lockheed Mar-tin, NASA, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne,SAIC, Bionetics, United Launch Alliance,United Paradyne, United Space Alliance,and Wyle Labs.

The participants were instructed onthe activities to be performed during themissions. The first activity was an action-reaction activity that involved interactingwith a small foam capsule during the firstfew parabolas. The next was a fluidsactivity that included a “density bottle”filled with oil and water to show howmicrogravity affects fluid mixing. Thecapstone activity included the use ofspace station medical kits provided byWyle Labs. The participants wererequired to apply a bandage during theparabolas.

The missions were a success, and15 of the participants were trained as“Workforce Coaches” to support futureprograms. The following represent whata few of the participants and theiremployers had to say about their expe-rience.

- “This program showed me that eventhough something can be taught andyou believe you understand it, youreally don’t have a grasp on micro-gravity until it’s been experienced.”

- “Training was a big morale boost forthose who took the 0-G training.None of us will ever fly in space sothis is the closest any of us will everget. All should get the chance prior toShuttle program end!!!!”

- “Learning about microgravity in theclassroom and then having theopportunity to practically apply thatknowledge has changed the way Ithink about astronauts living andworking in space. It definitely openedmy eyes to a whole new set of prob-lems that need to be considered forlong term space travel!”

SpaceTEC® Conducts First Aerospace WorkforceMicrogravity Training Program

2

A suborbital “Super Loki” rocket was launched bySpace Florida with support from the Air Force 45thSpace Wing, University of Central Florida andSpaceTEC, marking the resumption of Super Lokilaunches from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport.

Space Florida has a large inventory of Super Lokirockets and hopes to use them to support a robusteducational university payload launch program.SpaceTEC is responsible for maintaining LaunchComplex 47 for these types of launches and plans toincorporate these activities into Brevard CommunityCollege and other educational partner’s aerospaceprograms.

SpaceTEC® Supports Super Loki Launch from CCAFS

SpaceTEC® Comes to the Northwest

In partnership with SpaceTEC, Edmonds Commu-nity College ushered in a new era in aerospace history:SpaceTEC® Aerospace Technician Certificationbecame a reality for eight individuals.

David Fricton, SpaceTEC certification coordinator,conducted certification exams at the Materials ScienceDepartment in Monroe Hall at Edmonds CommunityCollege. Dave certified: Gary Coykendall, JasonSawatzki, Earl Brown, Christopher Meade, David Wood,Harry Frick, David Dobrich and Joseph Meek asSpaceTEC Certified Aerospace Technicians.

Edmonds Community College (EdCC) MaterialsScience department, under the direction of Mel Cos-sette, has been instrumental in bringing SpaceTEC cer-tification to Washington and the surrounding areas.With the large aerospace industry in the Northwest, theSpaceTEC Certification is a positive indicator of theskills, abilities and knowledge possessed by the Wash-ington State workforce which can be an asset to man-ufacturing industries.

EdCC, a SpaceTEC partner, has also recognizedthe SpaceTEC certification through its Prior LearningAssessment program. To individuals who successfullycomplete the SpaceTEC certification, Edmonds willaward up to 24 credits towards an Associate of AppliedScience-Transfer Degree (AAS-T) in Aerospace Man-ufacturing, or up to 12 credits towards an AAS-T inMaterials Science Technology.

Discussions are currently underway with local offi-cials of the International Association of Machinists (IAMDistrict Lodge 751) to provide this certification oppor-tunity to their members.

On a national level, Edmonds has taken the lead inthe development of a specialty concentration certifi-cation focused on composites, which is currently inthe early stages of validation. Mel Cossette and GaryCoykendall (Edmonds) in collaboration with Pat Taylor(Thomas Nelson Community College) and MaggieDrake (Antelope Valley College) are developing thespecialty certification which will be modeled after theAerospace Core Technical Certification.

David Fricton presents SpaceTEC CertifiedAerospace Technician Certificates. (Top Row) DavidFricton, Gary Coykendall, Jason Sawatzki, EarlBrown, Christopher Meade, (Bottom Row) DavidWood, Harry Frick, David Dobrich. (Missing JosephMeek)

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Allan HancockStudent Turns

Passing Interest intoCareer Choice

Intrigued by a news release hefound on the Allan Hancock Col-lege (AHC) website, Saji Mathewenrolled in the Summer 2008Mechatronics Institute, an educa-tional outreach activity supported inpart by NSF SpaceTEC. Havingworked for various airlines for manyyears, Mathew felt that it was timefor a career change.

“This is something new,” Math-ew said while at the Institute. “Idon’t have any background in this,but so far, it is working for me.”Mathew currently is enrolled as afull-time student at AHC, pursuingan associate of science degree inmechatronics. Two SpaceTECnational technical core courses,Space 104, Quality ManagementControl and Safety (3 units) andSpace 128, Materials and Process-es (3 units), are embedded withinthe mechatronics certificate anddegree program.

SpaceTEC® Certified Aerospace Techniciansapproaching 300

SpaceTEC is pleased to announce it is nearing the milestone of 300SpaceTEC Certified Aerospace Technicians, nationwide. Currently,SpaceTEC has certified 288 technicians. Over the past several months,SpaceTEC has also added seven new companies to the list of thoseemploying certified aerospace technicians.

In addition to the 288 certified technicians, SpaceTEC has also reg-istered and provided Readiness Course packets to an additional 200 indi-viduals. These individuals will complete their testing process before theyear’s end.

New Program Gives Students First Lookat Building Robots

Through the support of SpaceTEC, over 40 College Nowstudents at North Central State College (NCSC) will for thefirst time learn to build robots and learn about airfoils andaerospace technology in their studies at NCSC. All of thecoursework will be for college credit, and specific materialsscience coursework will be delivered through a “Differenti-ated Classroom” with the use of an avatar.

Saji Mathew

Calhoun Community College,along with six industry partners andsupport from SpaceTEC Head-quarters, hosted the first North Ala-bama Regional AerospaceTechnician Appreciation Night onAugust 19, 2008. It was particu-larly appropriate that the venue forthe event was the U. S. Space andRocket Center’s Davidson Centerfor Space Exploration under one ofthe remaining Saturn V launch vehi-cles designed to transport men tothe moon during the Apollo Pro-gram in the 1960s.

The evening’s events highlight-ed the special historical signifi-cance of the facility and the equallyimportant impact of aerospacetechnicians’ contributions to ournation’s space program. Close to400 technicians and their guests,from ATK, Boeing, ERC, InfoPro,Qualis and ULA attended. Includ-ed in the 400 technicians andguests were 56 Core Certified Aero-space Technicians in the north Ala-bama area as well as severalCalhoun Aerospace Technologyprogram students.

Jim Swindell welcomed andthanked the technicians for theincredible work they do by saying,“Your job will be even more impor-tant as our country makes plans toreturn to the Moon and on to Marsand beyond. At Calhoun Commu-nity College, we are on the forefrontof providing an academic andhands-on educational experience,including options in cooperativeeducation, industry training andcertification of aerospace techni-cians.”

Dr. Al Koller, Jr., former NASAengineer, program manager, andretired SpaceTEC executive direc-tor, also addressed the technicians.“You made history tonight as a pio-neer in the program to certify aero-space technicians, and yourrecognition opens a new chapterfor all those who do the day-to-daytechnical work that is so vital to ournation’s continued success inspace. Without you and dedicatedtechnicians like you with the requi-site skills and competencies tocarry our space programs forward,we would be unable to maintain

leadership in critical technical areasfor our country’s ground-breakingspace programs. Because of youwe continue to reach for thestars, keeping our promise to learnmore about space and fulfilling ourdestiny to explore the Universe.”

Jim Halsell, former astronautand ATK vice president of SpaceExplorations Systems, joined ATKLaunch Systems following a 26 yearcareer in the U.S. Air Force. Whilein the Air Force, Jim was an F-4 pilotand a Space Shuttle astronautwhere he flew five Shuttle missions– three as a mission commander,logging over 1,500 hours in space.Jim now leads the ATK team inHuntsville in support of the MarshallCenter’s development of the Ares Iand Ares V launch vehicles and toldthe group, “You can have the bestengineers in the world, but theirwork will be worthless if you don’talso have experienced and knowl-edgeable aerospace techniciansto turn the engineering drawingsinto actual hardware that can per-form as designed.”

Stephen A. Cook, managerAres Projects, NASA MarshallSpace Flight Center, is responsiblefor overall project managementdirection of NASA’s Ares I crew

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First North Alabama RegionalAerospace Technician Appreciation Night Held

Davidson Center for Space Exploration – U.S. Space and Rocket Center

Dr. Al Koller

continued

5

launch vehicle and NASA’s futureAres V cargo launch vehicle andEarth Departure Stage. Steve heldthe audience’s attention with a 15minute visual of the Ares programalong with remarks about the futurein space.

The event also included awardsto technicians. Each sponsoringSpaceTEC industry partner wasgiven the opportunity to select acompany Aerospace Technician ofthe Year. This activity recognizedlocal technicians who have per-formed above and beyond theusual requirements of depth andbreadth of expertise, quality ofwork, demonstrated safety adher-ence and continuous professionalimprovement.

From this group, the 2008Regional Technician of the Year waschosen. This award will be givenannually to one individual chosenfrom the select group of local com-pany technicians, nominated by

participating employers as beingamong the “Best of the Best” inAerospace Manufacturing withinthe Tennessee Valley region. ATKLaunch has donated a $500 cashaward for five years.

A panel of representatives fromsponsoring industries selected TroyDaugette as Regional AerospaceTechnician of the Year for 2008. Hewas also recognized for this awardat the Huntsville Association ofTechnical Societies (HATS) Profes-sional of the Year Award (POY) onSept 9, 2008, where HATS memberorganizations publicly recognizeone of their own for exceptional pro-fessionalism.

Jim Halsell

Steve Cook

Boeing’s Technician Barry Wilson ERC’s Technician Ralph Keller

InfoPro’s Technician Steve “Bo” Jones

Qualis’ Technician Scott Hamm

ULA’s Technician Regina Corcoran

Troy Daugette receiving the NorthAlabama Regional AerospaceTechnician of the Year Award

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After a seven-year stint with the Army — includinga one-year tour in Iraq — Leonar Colindres was readyto spend more time with his wife and children. He wasfaced with the issue of how his skills as an infantry staffsergeant would help him get a civilian job. And, likethousands of soldiers before him, he turned to collegeto acquire job skills.

“I really didn’t know what to do. My counselors said‘Why don’t you try electronics?’” Colindres said. Withthat, he enrolled in electronics technology courses atAntelope Valley College (AVC) in spring 2006. Today,thanks to a cooperative program between the collegeand the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Colindresjust started a full-time job with the FAA in Palmdale.

Four other AVC electronics students have beenoffered internships that could eventually lead to full-time job offers from the FAA. “I think over the last 10years we’ve actually hired 18 students from (AVC’s)program,” said Elmore Wigfall, FAA technical opera-tions manager for the Los Angeles District. “Some of thebest techs over here came from the program.”

The venture is the Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI),a nationwide program between select colleges andthe FAA that enables electronics students to get intern-ships and, potentially, full-time jobs with the agency.“Since the FAA systems are actively involved in air traf-fic control operations, the reliability of those systems iscritical,” said Maggie Drake, AVC dean of technicaleducation. Drake has first hand experience workingas a technician with the FAA during the early part ofher career.

“They have very high standards for the techniciansthat they hire. It is a credit to the quality of our pro-gram that we have so many former students suc-ceeding with this agency,” Drake said. Interns gainexposure to the multi-faceted electronics needs of theFAA, including communications, surveillance, and nav-igational aid for aircraft, engineering support andautomation systems. “After that one-year of internship,they’re eligible for direct hire right into the FAA,” saidWigfall.

For anyone familiar with the involved process ofacquiring civil service jobs, the CTI approach providesan attractive option. “They’re easy to hire and they’regood techs as well. (AVC) seems to get a mature groupof people who are really looking for jobs,” Wigfall said.

Wigfall noted the additional benefit to both the FAAand prospective employee is getting to see if the internsare a good match for the agency and vice versa. “I

think the program as an outreach between the FAAand the community is an excellent one,” said Wigfall. “Itgives us the opportunity to go and recruit to bring ingood people who will stay in the area.”

For interns, it’s the potential to get a job that has aminimum starting pay (which includes locality pay) of$41,461 a year. Experienced technicians with severalyears experience at FAA can move up the merit paysystem ladder to earn in excess of $100,000 annually.

But the money is a secondary consideration to Col-indres. “My whole goal in life is not to make money,it’s to be happy. They’ve got a whole bunch of thingsyou can move around into,” Colindres said.

Among the four students invited to take part in theinternship program is Nathan Bode, who is spendinghis summer alternating between taking an electronicscourse at the college and working as an intern at theFAA in Palmdale. Bode’s been interested in electron-ics since he was a child. “My grandfather was an elec-tronics technician and an electrical engineer. My dadwas an electronics radio communication technician inthe Navy,” Bode said.

And, when Wigfall and his FAA associates cameto AVC to discuss the internship program, Bode jumpedat the chance. “It’s a great opportunity and anyonewho has the opportunity … should take it,” Bode said.

Wigfall said there are no guarantees of a job forBode or the other three interns. Yet he is quick to addthat he’s “been successful about 98 percent of thetime” in hiring interns for full-time jobs.

The FAA manager went on to explain that Palm-dale is a challenging location to recruit employees.People outside of the area are not interested in movinghere, he said. Thus the internships take on even greater

FAA Extends Welcome Mat to AVC Electronics Students

continued

Pictured left to right: Rick Motawakel, electronics instructorat AVC, and students Leonar Colindres, Nathan Bode,Francisco Ortega, and Omar Labra.

7

significance for staffing in the district Wigfall oversees,which includes facilities at Boron and Dagget. “Whatwe try to do is get people interested in electronics andwe place them in our disciplines as needed,” Wigfallsaid.

Rick Motawakel, AVC’s full-time electronics tech-nology instructor, said the success of students in theFAA program and elsewhere is helping revive aninstructional program that lacked significant enroll-ment. Motawakel said about a third of his studentsare women. The profession offers a clean environmentand is considered more of a “white collar” job, accord-ing to Motawakel.

“Right now there’s a lot of need for electronic tech-nicians out there,” Motawakel said. He explained part ofthat demand is created by retirements. Furthermore,Motawakel said an engineering major graduating froma university would be hard-pressed to find an entry-level position that pays as much as some of the elec-tronic technicians can earn with just a two-year degree.

That reality isn’t lost on Bode in his internship. “I’mfive classes away from getting an A.S. (Associate inScience degree),” which will put him in line for possi-bly getting a job with the FAA.

SpaceTEC® Talk is published by theOffice of Public Relations of

Calhoun Community College to support SpaceTEC®.

To submit information for this publication, or to be placed onthe mailing list, please write to the Office of Public Relations,

Calhoun Community College,P.O. Box 2216, Decatur, AL 35609-2216,

or call 256/306-2561.

www.spacetec.orgADA/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/ EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

WE R IT

For the thirdyear North Cen-tral State Col-lege (NCSC) willhost the annualWomen in ITevent at theNCSC- KehoeCenter in Shelby, on Friday, November 14, 2008.

Women in IT was the brainchild of the CISCO com-pany, the world’s leading supplier of networking equip-ment and network management for the Internet.CISCO is working with the National Center for Womenin Technology to provide “students, parents and edu-cators with a variety of tips for encouraging youngwomen to excel in math, computing and technology,along with sample lesson plans for teaching comput-ing to females.”

This year over 25 two-year and four-year collegeswill host Ohio‘s Women in IT event, a day-long seminarwith hands-on activities designed to introduce youngladies to a variety of areas in science and technologyfields. North Central State College – Kehoe Center willintroduce the students to a variety of technologies inAerospace, and 3-D Drafting, how learning can bedone on-line, and other areas. As a follow-up, theTechnology and Workforce Development Division willhave an Open House on March 1, 2009.

New at NCSC –The Mechatronics ClubNorth Central State College Technology Chair RandyStorms gives credit to Engineering Design studentChristie Rawls, who has been instrumental in the devel-opment of a new club at NCSC—the MechatronicsClub. The mission statement of the club states, “Withchanging technology there has to be a club to sup-port the interests of students and enthusiasts in engi-neering. The Mechatronics Club is for students inaerospace, electrical, mechanical, or any other disci-pline who are interested in robotics or mechatronics.The club will participate in the National Robotics Chal-lenge, possible field trips to various industrial sites andby holding our own competitions.”

2007 We R IT

Maze robot designed by anEngineering student.

“Sumobot” for the NationalRobotics Challenge (2008)

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