BARBARA ROMIG

Where do you live? League City, TX

Where did you go to school? B.S., Texas A&M University (Whoop!), 2002

What did you study? Mechanical Engineering

What courses prepared you for your job? Statics, Dynamics, Fluids, and Manufacturing

What do you do for work? I work in the Spacesuit Systems Branch of the Crew and Thermal Systems Division at NASA Johnson Space Center. I am the Test Coordinator for Desert RATS, which means that I coordinate almost all of the aspects of our test activities, including planning the test objectives, managing the budget and schedule, and coordinating the logistics for the remote field test.

What do you do for fun? I like to run (I have run the Houston and Disney World Marathons, and am currently training for the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.), work on my house, and play with my two Labrador retriever puppies.

Why do you work at NASA? I have always been interested in the space program, and I am excited to contribute to future missions to the Moon and Mars. I also get to do a lot of unique things, such as SCUBA dive in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL), fly on the C-9 (a.k.a. Vomit Comit), and participate as a suited test subject for various evaluations.

How did you get your job here? While at Texas A&M University, I participated in the Cooperative (or co-op) Education program. This program allows students to alternate semesters of work and school, so they are able to apply what they learned in school to a job, gain valuable work experience, and lay a foundation for obtaining a permanent position after graduating. I co-oped for one semester for United Space Alliance, a contractor company, in Shuttle Robotics Training. Then I co-oped for three semesters for NASA and worked with biomedical hardware, the X-38, and spacesuits. When I graduated, I transitioned from co-op to full-time status working with spacesuits.

What is your role in Desert RATS? I am the overall Test Coordinator, but I can also serve as a Suit Engineer for our advanced technology spacesuits if needed.

Why is your job important? I keep the team communicating and make sure everyone is doing everything they need to have a successful field test at the end of the year.

What do you like about your job? I like working with all of the wonderful people that are part of the Desert RATS family. We are a technically sound, robust team that works cohesively together in a productive and cooperative environment. I also really like the high level of responsibility that is given to me in my role as Test Coordinator.

Why do you think Desert RATS is important? Desert RATS provides engineers and scientists with hands-on training that will help them develop operational concepts and advanced technologies for future planetary surface exploration. It helps us to drive out requirements and validate ops concepts before we get too far along in the development phase. It has also kept the momentum going for the past 10 years for future Lunar missions.

Any advice for the students? Aim high and believe in yourself! You are going to be the ones that send humans to Mars or that goto Mars yourself!