Career

Jeffrey Spaulding

Shuttle Test Director (STD)

Hometown: Rockford, Illinois

Colleges/Degrees

Southern Illinois University, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Florida Institute of Technology, Master of Science in Space Systems
University of Central Florida, Master of Science in Engineering Management

Why did you decide to study math/science/engineering?

I always enjoyed figuring things out and appreciated the fact that you could explain almost anything with Math, Science, or Engineering.

What inspired you to work for NASA and how did you get hired?

I was always interested in space and space exploration. I had the opportunity to travel to Denver during spring break of my junior year in college and work with an engineer who designed the Manned Maneuvering Units (jetpacks for astronauts to move around freely in space). I was able to see a lot of space hardware during that trip which inspired me further to want to work in aerospace. NASA came to my school to do interviews and I immediately signed up to talk with them. I received a call back several weeks later and was ultimately hired.

Discuss previous positions held and how they led up to your current position.

I began as a NASA floor operations engineer meaning I was responsible for helping to plan and implement the work that was done on the Shuttles in the hangar and even at the launch pad. We had a team of operations engineers who would follow each Shuttle flow from the time it landed till the next time it launched. It was fun and exciting being so close to everything and getting to go inside the Shuttle on a daily basis. Later I moved to the firing rooms as a NASA Test Director and was responsible for management all of the work that was going on the Shuttle, External Tank, Solid Rocket Boosters, launch pads, etc but I was no longer so up close an personal with the hardware. Contractors now do most of that work but we still are engaged as a group to make sure they do it right.

What advice would you give students about how to prepare for a career with NASA?

Obviously, take as much math, science and engineering prep classes as possible. This will ultimately help throughout your college career. Read as much as you can about space and what is happening in all of the space programs – not just what NASA is doing. There are a number of places to easily find this information. One other thing, sometimes engineering students overlook the fact that they must learn how to communicate once they get out in the real world. It is very important to pay close attention to classes that emphasize speaking and written communication. One of the most important parts of people’s jobs is being able to communicate with others – unfortunately it is also one of the most difficult for many engineers. Embrace any opportunity to get in front of a group to share what you know about a particular topic. It will truly help you get ahead and is a must for people who will eventually get into management. Many people have great ideas but if you can’t adequately convey it to others, it may ultimately wither on the vine.