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Here's the caulking gun, we added it to the back, and then we have these two views...
for the camera... (fade). Monika Okon: My most recent project was this summer, and it was called
the Miniature Flexible Membrane Commode.
Because NASA is changing over to a different model for the shuttle, NASA's
pretty much rethinking all of the things that go into the crew exploration vehicle,
and one of those things is the toilet. Nancy Hall: One of the neat things about NASA is
we have to look at all aspects of interaction of the astronauts
up in space. For example, how do you handle an astronaut going into the bathroom
in a reduced gravity environment. If you think of everything floating, you cannot just
go in a traditional toilet, so this flexible membrane commode Monica was working on
was testing one of these systems to validate some of modeling we have done.
I gave her the lead role, because she had some background.
So it was kind of like she was the project manager on this experiment, and she
was leading a team and assigning work and making sure it got done.
Here at NASA Glenn we have two different drop towers. So those are our main
two facilities where we do a lot of testing on experiments' components
before we take them up to the shuttle or a space station. Okon: There's a capsule
that'll go on top of this. Hall: So Monica's experiment was inside this container,
so when it fell it experienced free fall. We've dropped
cameras, computers, any little subsystem--if we're going to have something that
has a moving part, we want to test and make sure it'll still move and that it doesn't
rely on the force of gravity to make it work. (Computerized voice.)
Okon: Just to see, like, an idea
that I have in mind, that you put on paper and actually from design
to creation--just that entire process, I
it amazes me. It definitely taught me
the realities of the work world. It's my responsibility to make sure
that the stuff is done, because if it doesn't get done, then I delay the project--
and teamwork, I definitely understand that with NASA, working with
NASA employees, as well as understanding how your classroom
education applies to real life. I really cherish
my relationship with Nancy. I think of her as a true role model. She is a great mentor.
She's taught me so much, how to carry yourself in the workplace.
Hall: When I was growing up,
I had a wonderful sixth grade teacher who made learning fun
and it was at that point I decided, I wanted to be a scientist. And I've taken
that attitude with me as I've grown up and I've said, you know, I also want to make a
difference, because that teacher really made a difference in my life. I enjoy seeing,
watching a student doing a job, giving
them some work to do, you know, some meaningful work and letting them realize that
you know, what they're doing here is for real. Okon: NASA's been great. I have seen so much.
I've done so much, it's really helped reaffirm my
sense of why I wanted to remain an engineer, why I wanted to
contribute something to a greater good.
It also has taught me the importance of
science to the community. So I definitely have loved my time with
here at NASA, and I hope it continues.