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Tourer
Posts: 400
| I'm a Quality Engineer with a background in metal machining, paint and plastic injection molding, and special alloy manufacturing |
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Cruiser
Posts: 235
Evergreen, CO | sandman -
Right here is the "rocket scientist" that you asked about.........
After spending 4 years in the Air Force after high school, I landed a job at a place called Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex for NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), about 40 miles outside of Barstow, CA. I tracked interplanetary spacecraft for those first few years, helped launch (and save) one of the Voyager spacecraft, which is now at the fringes of our solar system. I've seen near real time close up pictures of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn Uranus, and Venus, resulting from information returned from those spacecraft that I helped receive and forward to the scientists. I became a crew chief at Goldstone at the tender young age of 23, then moved on to teach all the newly hired operators how to run all the computers and antennas there. Life at Goldstone was a blast!
I was selected as the chief operations representative to a major ground systems design upgrade for the 3 Deep Space Complexes (Goldstone, Madrid Spain, and Canberra Australia), and had reps from each of those complexes working with me to make the operations side more streamlined. This took me to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA often, and after 3 years of coaxing, they convinced me to move to La-La Land.
Thought I would only last a couple of years in the big city, but ended up there for 11 years. During that time I was the Deep Space Network (DSN) ops rep for numerous missions, and moved on to the spacecraft side for the Magellan mission to Venus in 1988. Worked on that from early concept and design, helped launch it, fly it to Venus, was there for the entire prime science mission. I even was involved in troubleshooting a Magellan hardware problem down to the specific capacitor from a distance of ~75 million miles away - Earth to Venus distance at that time.
After Magellan, I planned DSN antenna usage for the next 10 years, identifying where antenna schedules were so full that it would impact spacecraft launches or primary science missions. That resulted in several new antennas being built at the 3 DSN complexes.
In 1995, I had enough of the big city, and moved to Evergreen, CO. Had hoped to be done with the space biz, but bills, food, family took priority. Now I work in the Earth-orbiting satellite realm, for a mission called EMOS, that has 3 satellites studying the land, sea, and atmosphere. I'm a systems engineer for the ground data processing facility, located in Greenbelt, MD at Goddard Space Flight Center. I'm still in CO though, working with a group of software, hardware, network, and test engineers to continuously improve the systems used at Goddard to communicate with the 3 satellites. I travel frequently between Denver and Baltimore.
When I'm in CO, I live out of the Denver area, west of town, up in the wooded foothills around 7900' elevation. I love the peace and quiet, and it puts me closer to some of the greatest motorcycle riding roads in the whole country!
My Vision now has over 12K miles on it (since late March 08), and am looking forward to next summer already, to re-experience some of my favorite Colorado roads I've ridden in the past 13 years here, and to explore for new gems. Hope some of you can make it to the Colorado Rockies in the coming years. I'd love to share some of my favorite roads with other Vision Riders!! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 53
Island Lake, Alberta, Canada | O/O Web Mobile Mechanic, based out of Island Lake, Alberta. Been pulling wrenchs since before puberty, ticketed as Automotive, HD, Milwright & Back yard welder, all welding repairs come with 50/50 warranty, if you break it, both peices are yours. Specilaty: mobile air conditioning & heavy equipment repairs, covering Northern Alberta. With the AC, get to see alot of country but from a service truck, as summer is heads down & a$$ up. Leave home at 6:00AM, drive 3 -8 hours working 4 - 6 hrs, (if I)get home, then decide I need therepy, or am rained out, jump on bike & ride some. Time decides which bike, as closest gas staion is 1/2 hour away, if not to late & closed. Thats why the Vision gets more miles on it, bigger fuel tank, I can make it to Edmonton in 2 hours & a 24 hour gas station The rest of the time 2 stupid to say no, so I usually get some interesting projects to work on.
Picked up VIN 6066, June 11/08, just used for parts pickup or any other thing I don't need truck & tools for, oh well, all by the hour. Including short trip in the middle of Sept. to the Black Hills, ND, pulling a 54" wide Leisure Lite tent trailer, 6,000 KM. Year end - Vision 14,000 KM, '03 Voyager 4,000 KM, '82 KZ 1300 5,500 KM, sled 2,000 KM, broke leg at work in Feb. & motor ready to go back in frame ( 10' long & 18" seat ) on a '78 KZ 1 Liter, punched out, found turbo kit, est 200 hp, need more - add gas. Truck 95,000 KM. & still 2 1/2 months to go yet, then get to start clocks all over again. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 231
Hampton Va | looks like we made it to the largest ...longest thread now!!!!!! |
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Visionary
Posts: 2027
Brighton, TN | Congratulations racershawn, it is now your duty to pick up the round of Dr. Peppers for all those who have responded. I'm thirsty.; |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 16
Rockaway, NJ | Hey Guys... I work Full Time as a Nuclear Medicine Field Engineer. Yes that is correct, I touch radioactive materials from time to time. It keeps me on my toes. I also work in the Financial Services industry helping people get OUT of debt and make extra money. I do not think I can help anyone in the nuclear field but the Financial Service department is always open to help people. I just retired from working Full Time as a Paramedic in the field for 20+ years.
2009 Victory Vision #78 Anniversary - No added options yet since I got a few as a standard. Pipes will be one of my first items. 
Edited by ejwunder 2008-10-22 5:55 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 266
Hartland, , WI | Risk Management Consultant...wear your helmet...sorry, it's genetic. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1158
Richmond, Virginia | I came off a 18 year profession as a behavioral therapist. After 5 days a week of strangers crying in your office, I needed some fun.
Now i am one of the East Coasts leading porch and patio designers. Im the buyer for The Ultimate Backyard, in Richmond, Virginia.
Anything you need to enhance your outdoor life, we got it, sell it, install it, or can get it. A lot less crying from customers now....
2007 Kingpin Tour Black with Tribal paint and Limited Production Ness designs
2008 Vision Street Premium black chromed to the max
2004 Honda Valkyre Rune Limited Production dark cherry red.
Edited by VaParadox 2008-10-22 10:29 PM
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Tourer
Posts: 523
seattle, wa | Truck driver. Been doing it for about 14 years. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 117
South of Houston Tx | I spent 20 years as a GM technician, after that 3 running my own shop then 3 doing warranty claims but recently with the general economic conditions and the impact of Ike on the Gulf Coast economy, I rode my vision up to Oklahoma and hired on as a diesel mechanic in the oil field. I'm back to getting grease under my nails, just working on a little bit bigger stuff. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 15
Albertville Mn | I am a certified crane operator and spent most of the prime Minnesota riding season working on the 35W bridge that fell down. I still managed to put on 2800 miles while working on it seven days a week/ twelve hours a day (who needs sleep). After I was done on the bridge I took some time off and went to Sturgis and the American Victory rally and power tour!!!! |
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Tourer
Posts: 412
Fargo, ND | Thanks for fixing the bridge Pete. PS I see you live in Albertville. That's my Wife's favorite place to shop in the whole universe! |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 15
Albertville Mn | Hey John Let your wife know that she should shop wise when she comes here !! If I can figure out how to downsize my pictures I will put a couple on here of Myself on the crane on the bridge !!
Edited by PolarisPete 2008-10-26 10:30 PM
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Tourer
Posts: 412
Fargo, ND | Go ahead and eamil me one if you would like and I will post it for you... jandlrasmussen at yahoo dot com |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | I work 50-60 hours a week driving a delivery truck, and pay taxes so that Barack Hussein Obama's supporters won't have to.
Ronnie |
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Cruiser
Posts: 171
San Antonio, Texas | rdbudd - 2008-10-27 12:07 PM
I work 50-60 hours a week driving a delivery truck, and pay taxes so that Barack Hussein Obama's supporters won't have to.
Ronnie
Bwahahaha!! |
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Visionary
Posts: 2027
Brighton, TN | racershawn you better nix this or it will get closed. Politics on this long thread. OH NO! |
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Visionary
Posts: 2118
Pitt Meadows, BC Canada | I spend all my time reading po's postings...... |
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Visionary
Posts: 2027
Brighton, TN | Proud of ya donetracey!@ |
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Cruiser
Posts: 294
rhode island | I stand corrected space cwboy
your credentials are sure stellar, Now as for the astronuts or submarine capt's? 
Edited by sandman 2008-10-27 6:33 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 228
| Industrial Electrician since 1983......drove an 18 wheeler OTR for 7 yrs before that. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 102
Madison, AL | Hmmm, what do I do for a living? As little as possible while managing to still get paid and not fired. As a Kid did odd jobs to get money for my bike or car, or whatever. Then I was in the U.S. Army for 21 years and started out as a Nuclear Weapons Specialist then moved to Aviation Operations. Retired in 2005 and have been working in Aerospace since. Currently work with the U.S. Army improving their Aviation maintenance and logistic systems. I hope to transfer to Unmanned Aerial Systems Later next year. BS in Technology Management, MBA, and currently working on a PhD, and I still can't write worth a flip. Oh well, looks like it is time to take a quick ride. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 102
Northeast Pennsylvania | Retired Navy, Boilermaker, Mechanical Superintendant Nuclear Generation... workin for the weekend! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 74
Puyallup, Washington | Wow!! I've been away from the Forum for awhile. A lot has happened. Anyway, I joined the U.S. Army in the 70's as an Airborne Infantryman(Paratrooper). It took three and a half years for me to figure out I would rather stay in the aircraft so I went to flight school. I am now a retired Army Aviator flying helicopters commercially in the Gulf of Mexico. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 15
Nebraska | Retired (23yrs) AF Cop and when I'm not riding I'm a Facility Security Officer for a major Defense Contractor sounds fancy but... I just keep the contractors working by keeping they're security clearances and access going. So unless you need a clearance I'm not much help. Also a spend a lot of off time as a Mason/Shriner. |
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What do Ya'll Vision Riders Do for a living???
