One step further for Humankind (and designers, of course)

When I was about to finish my college years, I didn´t really knew what career to study and it took me about a year to decide about Electromechanics Engineering. Now, I’m pretty sure I’ve ever knew. I have to mention that my first Top ONE toy I’ve ever had was a Space Lego kit, and that was 31 years ago, my parents bought it to me precisely during our vacations in Orlando; the year the firs Space Shuttle Mission was launched (1981). Among other toys that I had, I must say that both Lego’s and, sometime later, the Fischertechnik that my father got from God knows where, have decided my destination. My five years at the university were really tough and I really suffered with all that mathematics and many other abstract theories I was though.

Since my youth years, I’ve been fascinated about NASA’s Space Shuttle Missions. I was 11 years old when the Space Shuttle Challenger had the terrible accident and that shocked me a lot.

Tribute to Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia

I had the lucky to start my professional career working at an automotive part supplier for the big OEM’s in the Engineer Design Department. And so began all my love and passion for mechanical design and 3D modeling. As mentioned in my previous post, I started to use ProENGINEER CAD software to develop engine components and assemblies, and validate the manufacturability of those parts. After designing and developing many parts I became Project Leader and that was the time when all the revolution of PDM and PLM started to play a big role for many manufacturing companies. We dedicated almost two years to know, learn and benchmark the 10 big PLM suppliers at that time and well, the winner is not worth to mention (by me) but the experience of getting deep into this world full of terms, activities, workflows, etc., was pretty much exiting.

Then, suddenly another bad news. February 1st 2003 in the morning, The Space Shuttle Columbia was destroyed while re-entering the atmosphere after 16-day mission in space. I was then older and much more conscious about the accident but still in shock. I’ve been trying to follow up what NASA is been doing ever since, specially all Space Shuttle Missions with Atlantis, Discovery and Endeavour and of course the International Space Station (ISS). I do know how an airplane flies and still I can’t believe how a big metal can floats on air (especially when I’m in). Therefore, watching every time how a Spacecraft lifts off from ground is really unbelievable, or how they maneuver to dock with the ISS, do their work and come back to safe-land on earth is much more amazing.

When NASA Tehc Briefs named PTC’s CREO Parametric design software the “Product of the Month” and then “Product of the Year” in 2011, I really thought something special as two of my biggest passions could live together and depend one in each other. Last year on September 2011 I had the opportunity to visit Kennedy Space Center at Orlando, Fl. And despite there were not so much activity that day, I was thrilled when I saw the Assembly Vehicle Building and the Launch Pads. Not to mention the great exhibition halls and the Saturn V museum.

I’m pretty sure NASA’s design engineers works not only with CREO, but also with other CAD and analysis tools. But just trying to imagine how they put men on the moon before CAD tools first appear, wow!!! That I can’t believe. Now I’m a very big fan of NASA’s Mars Mission and Rovers exploration. I wish the best of landings to the Mars Space Lab named Curiosity in a few weeks from today. After a 9 months journey to its new home.

 

This post is dedicate to my wife and daughters who made this vacation trip possible. I Love you girls.