As a test engineer, I’m accustomed to the unexpected. But nothing quite prepared me for the call I received on a Friday afternoon from a well-known player in the space community. They had a couple of critical issues with the onboard instrumentation of a rocket set to launch at the end of September. Without my help, the mission couldn’t be completed. They needed me on-site the next day.
Saturday morning, I flew out to their facility, determined to diagnose and resolve the issues as quickly as possible. The stakes were high; a delayed launch would not only cost the company millions but could also jeopardize the mission itself.
The first issue I tackled was with a displacement sensor. It was giving a reading of zero, which was incorrect. A quick visual inspection showed nothing obvious, so I unplugged the connector and reinserted it, ensuring it clicked into place securely. Problem solved. Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the most effective.
Next up was a thermocouple responsible for measuring the temperature on the outside surface of the payload fairing. After running a few continuity and resistance checks, I determined that the wiring leading to the sensor was intact. Unfortunately, the sensor itself was damaged and needed replacement. I advised the aerospace technicians on-site to replace the sensor, and once they did, the temperature readings were back to normal.
The final issue was the most complex: an accelerometer and charge amplifier were acting up, with multiple abrasions to the cable. This wasn’t just a quick fix. My initial recommendation was to replace the entire wire harness—a prudent choice given the damage. However, that wasn’t an option due to time constraints and material availability. My next suggestion was to replace the wiring for just this circuit, which I could have handled. But with materials on a six-month backorder, Plan C became necessary.
Plan C involved painstakingly cutting out each damaged portion of the wire and splicing it back together. It was an eight-hour marathon of splicing, checking for continuity, and testing resistance to ground. By the end of it, the repair was successful, and the instrumentation was back online.
By the time I left, I had saved the company not just time and money, but possibly the entire mission. It was a long weekend, but as a test engineer, this is what I do: step in at the eleventh hour, solve problems, and ensure success. The satisfaction of knowing I played a part in keeping the mission on track made it all worth it.