Cramming NASA Tech into a Soccer Ball: How to Smash the Viper Mission
A New Cold War: Who can kick the ball the furthest?
Today feels strange. I’m spending 30 minutes each on seven parts of a plan for submitting a concept paper to a $20,000 NASA prize on Freelancer. This helps me avoid getting stuck on one area. I’m in grad school for Aerospace Engineering, but after a decade in the workforce, I don’t want to do an internship. I design interfaces, so I’m aiming for a project that pays 75% for that work and 25% for engineering.
One task is redesigning MIT’s Space Systems Engineering Open Courseware. There’s no time to go one module at a time, so I’ll use their site for the NASA competition.
Also, I recently completed a UI design course from a top institution to ensure I don’t skip steps as I transition to Aeronautics and Astronautics. It gave me the confidence to stand my ground when project managers question my abilities because I know I’m following the best process. Junior staff often surpass managers by mastering both their craft and communication.
If your company doesn’t welcome that kind of feedback, it may be time to move on. And bouncing between jobs? I respect it — it shows shrewdness. Lifers who critique that mindset often mistake time for authority.
