S1E58 NASA, Systems Engineering, and Sending Robots to Space | David Oh

Being an Engineer · 23 Dec 2020 · 52m · Episode 58

What this episode covers

David Oh, former flight director for the Mars Curiosity rover and current systems engineering manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), discusses the complexities of deep space missions. He details the technical challenges of the Curiosity landing, including the autonomous Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) sequence and the 'sky crane' mechanism, as well as the unique physiological and logistical demands of living on 'Martian time.' Oh also outlines the rigorous proposal process for the Psyche mission to a metal asteroid and explains how systems engineering and risk management mitigate the high failure rates of interplanetary travel.

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