20 January 2011 - RGSFOP Analysis

The Team UTD submission for the 2011 Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunity Program (RGSFOP) was rejected. The reasons why are listed below. Along with each opportunity, I have included why the team is weak in this area and what I plan to do to fix the issue. Also included are my thoughts on how each opportunity can lead to a better experiment, a stronger team, and an enhanced undergraduate experience for each of Team UTD's members.

As a preface, I'd like to say that I am extremely proud of our team and what we managed to do with almost no resources. I realize that I am responsible for the content and layout of the proposal, but I would have it known that all members of the team contributed. Though I was proud of our submission, I was also highly unsatisfied. I knew that it was deficient in several areas. There was a dearth of calculations. The images were sub-par. The final proposal felt amateurish. I figured our chances were no better than even.

This, of course, does not make the feedback we received from NASA's reviewers sting any less.

We'll start with what needs to be fixed. Overall, there were four broad categories of opportunity: quantitative analysis, safety, expected outcomes, and community outreach. Each of these will be addressed, followed by possible solutions.

The primary complaint from every reviewer was the lack of qualitative analysis regarding the experiment. I included no formulas, did no real calculations, and did not identify which calculations could be used by the experiment in the future. This was primarily due to the fact that I have a very limited knowledge of fluid dynamics and the math involved. The references used included potentially all of the equations needed to adequately describe what was going on. Unfortunately, I don't understand them well enough to choose the correct ones for the task at hand. I in no way wanted the proposal to be disqualified on the basis of trying to deceive the reviewers (who know much more about this than I). I didn't know what to include, so rather than include everything and risk penalization, I included nothing (and risked penalization, but honestly).

Next time, we'll involve a member of the faculty early on in the process to help with the calculations. I didn't think to reach out to the professors until it was too late. Moving forward, Team UTD will partner with a faculty member who has experience in fluid dynamics. I think that one reviewer mentioned that we needed to have another reference book or two. Those will be included, along with more current research. The new proposal will include inline references to the research.

The next most common item to be called out in the reviewer's comments was the integrity of the seals. Almost everyone seemed to be concerned about how well the seals would hold up to the pressure of the experiment and what would happen if they were to fail. Along those lines, there were several requests for more extensive instrumentation, both for the purpose of better quantifying the results and to help ensure that the experiment remained within nominal parameters.

I'm not sure that I see a problem with the design of the sealing mechanism. It would seem to me that a better qualitative analysis of the experiment up front would allow us to spec a seal in a more confident manner. This would go a long way toward alleviating concerns about the experiment's structural integrity.

Moving forward, the team will be sure to perform more extensive qualitative analysis focused primarily on the seals in order to provide a safe and properly functional experiment. We shall also look into increased instrumentation. These instruments and sensors will allow for a greater understanding of what's happening in the flow tube as a function of time.

Something that was pointed out to me in the reviewer comments was a lack of purpose or an unclear hypothesis. What I believe the reviewers wanted to see was a purpose statement along the lines of "Based on the data, we feel the experiment will behave in such-and-such manner and return such-and-such data." Looking back now, I can see where I was unclear in the expression of what we thought would happen. Apparently pointing out that we don't know what will happen is insufficient.

I am not entirely sure how to take this, since several of those same reviewer comments mention that there is indeed no research in this particular application of fluid dynamics. However, we will make sure that there is a very clear hypothesis outlining what we think the results will be. We will also tie the hypothesis, purpose, and outreach sections together via a common theme. What this theme is remains unclear at this time.

Finally, the reviewers picked apart our outreach section. The biggest complaint was that there was a lack of a concrete lesson plan and that we had not already begun the outreach component via letters of intent with other schools. The reviewers wished to see concrete examples of what we were already doing, who we were doing it with, how we were approaching the problem of disengagement in schools, and what our results had been to that point. One reviewer requested quantitative data on school ranking versus outreach programs already in place. Another requested a concrete lesson plan for the science we proposed to do. Many reviewers complained about what they felt was a lack of vision for our plans. The list goes on.

I will admit that the outreach section was the weakest part of the proposal. I wrote it under tremendous pressure in a very short time without having clearly defined what we were trying to do. The goals of the program were unclear. I did not fully demonstrate that we were trying something different than the traditional lesson-centered program. We wanted to create a framework around the project that would allow educators to frame several lesson blocks around what the team was doing at the time. I also left out completely any metrics we had intended to use to keep track of our success in outreach.

Looking back, I realize that I really should have let our outreach member run with her ideas. We may have had a better shot at being selected then.

Reflecting on the majority of comments about this section, I have to wonder just how invested we are meant to be in partnering with schools and mobilizing significant resources for outreach efforts when there is no clear indicator that we will be allowed to proceed. In other words, why would we start working with the schools when we are not sure that we will be selected to participate in the program ourselves? Getting everyone moving in the same direction only to pull the proverbial rug out from under them would both be self defeating and would also preclude our team from working with these schools in the future.

Moving forward, I will make sure to marshal the resources needed for effective outreach long before the proposal is due. Additionally, we will make sure that a concrete plan is in place for all aspects of the outreach program. This will actively demonstrate how Team UTD will add value to the education of the students targeted for our program.

Now, our successes (and we had several).

Many reviewers felt that we had a good understanding of the problem at hand. Some commented that they were confident in our abilities to construct a functional experiment Others noted that the research is timely and vital. One reviewer said that our proposal was "really close to being a great proposal." A few people saw the clear need for microgravity, and some reviewers pointed out that the design was "well thought out" and "logical". Indeed.

These and other positive comments weren't enough to tip the balance of opinion in our favor. I firmly believe that we will be successful next time if we work to integrate the recommendations presented by the fine folks at NASA. In the meantime, I have a few ideas on how to proceed.

One of our number offered his services as a pilot to fly a small-scale version of the experiment. This would allow us to gather baseline data to compare to the full scale tests on NASA 932. Design issues could be identified and addressed. Systems could be tested under real world conditions. Most importantly, our design and fabrication processes could be refined, producing a stronger resulting experiment.

I wuold like to find a faculty member versed in fluid dynamics to use as a mentor for the team. This person could point us toward appropriate resources and serve as a sounding board for our ideas. Additionally, this person could check our math for accuracy.

Our outreach program should probably begin now. I'd like to connect with our education team member and discuss ways to implement the recommendations put out by the reviewers. If we can have a solid framework in place before we submit the proposal, I believe that the resistance expressed by the NASA people will disappear.

One last thing for our team to do is to take on projects of any size that fit in with what we're trying to do. We probably need a mission statement of some kind, and we should probably form a student organization. This will increase our talent pool and allow us to leverage any resources available from the school.

Though Team UTD was not selected for the 2011 RGSFOP, I am confident that we will be selected for the 2012 year. Along the way, I foresee our team accomplishing great things. Stay tuned for more developments, likely once a week.

Thanks for reading along. I know it was a bit wordy.

Cheers,

-- Zach

10 December - It Will Not Fly

At least, it will not today. We received notice in Wednesday that Team UTD was not selected to participate in this year's RGSFOP. I have requested the reviewer's comments in the interest of doing better next year.

In the meantime, Team UTD has chosen to remain together and move forward to pursue other projects with significant scientific potential. In fact, this post should contain some of the ideas that the team has for what to do next.

I am honored to be a part of such a fine group of students. That they wish to continue with the team speaks volumes about their commitment and dedication. I could ask nothing more of them.

Thanks for everyone's support up to this point. Watch this website, because some exciting things are coming down the pipe.

Cheers,

-- Zach

12 November - The little things

So, Team UTD has been waiting for word on our submission to the RGSFOP. I connected with our point of contact and asked if we could learn anything before the 8th of December. Se said that the competition is set up such that there's no way to know before hand. We wait some more.

The only thing to do in the meantime then is to do the little things that will help make this project a success when we are selected. Here's a small list of what can be done for little effort that will be vital later.

• Research funding opportunities
• Do the back of the envelope calculations that will give us the best possible starting point when we begin to build
• Look for times and places where the team can meet
• Do tentative planning for the trip to Houston - transportation, lodging, fun, etc
• Learn as much as possible about cavitation and fluid flow

We are scheduled to meet in a week. I think I'll prepare something to hand out to get the group's creative juices flowing.

Oh, yeah. Final team selections will be made then too. Don't tell anyone, but it looks like I'll take the whole lot.

Cheers,

-- Zach

It's Done!

The proposal is done. I submitted the electronic copy at 10:30pm and mailed the hardcopy at 11:30pm. Plenty of time to spare.

Of course, I realized as I was getting ready for class today that I had neglected to include the required letters of endorsement from the school. A quick trip to the post office before class fixed that.

Now all of the proposal hardcopy is winging it's way to Houston, safe in the loving arms of the US Postal Service. Hopefully, both parts will arrive today and be assembled by our JSC point of contact.

And now, we wait.

Have a meeting today with another potential team member, and a meeting tomorrow as well. Most of my fliers have been pulled down, so I'll post some more maybe tomorrow. There's still almost three weeks to go before I make my final decisions on personnel. Then I'm sure that there will be a lot of paperwork required by NASA to change the roster. That's okay, I guess. I LOVE paperwork!

Team UTD next steps include finalizing a roster, fleshing out the outreach portion, making an easy attempt at project goalsetting, and soft sourcing potential funding.

Until tomorrow...

-- Zach

26 October - Three hundred lives of men I have walked this Earth

and now I have no time.

Proposal's almost done. Have a good feeling. Will have more time to elaborate tomorrow.

Cheers,

-- Zach

25 October - What "Post" button?

Instead of posting last night's post, I simply saved it. Here it is for you now, no really :-)

Met with a potential fabrication person this afternoon. Lots of good tinker energy there.

Have maybe another meeting tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.

Met with Dr. Hoffman today to discuss the proposal. His feedback will drive my workflow tomorrow.

• The actual "here's what we're doing" part is a little weak yet. He gave me a direction to go with it that should make things better.
• He pointed out how vital drawings are. I wish I were better with Google sketch up, but I'm pretty fair freehand.
• I need to be sure to be consistent with the use of propeller vs. impeller. A propeller in an enclosed space is an impeller.
• Our budget is huge. We don't know how we'll pay for it. I'm afraid that the school can't help.

So that gives me two big and one little tasks for tomorrow: Clean up the proposal, draw the pretty pictures, maybe meet another prospect. I'd work on it more tonight, but I have a Girl Scout Junior who needs patches sewn on her vest.

Until tomorrow.

Cheers,

-- Zach

24 October - Week in review

So I achieved my mini goal Friday and sent the preliminary proposal off to our faculty advisor at 8:00 pm sharp. It's only about 75% complete. Looking back over the NASA specifications, I realized that I missed an entire section that is needed. The outreach plan is missing as well.

Met with a potential team member Friday. She would bring the outreach component to the team. The ideas she shared were super cool and may well prove to be the deciding factor. I'll get that part typed up on Monday.

What's missing from the rest of the proposal is a more difficult nut to crack, I'm afraid.NASA want a stress analysis of all of the experiment components. This is perfectly reasonable, as it helps the people in charge know if your stuff is going to break on pull out. I can figure out stress tolerances of various materials easily enough. My problem is trying to decide how much stress will be exerted on the pressure vessel by the five and a half gallons of water. I'm not even sure how fast the water will be moving.

One of my high school buddies works for Lockheed Martin in Houston doing some of the same stuff I want to grow up to do. I've asked him for help. We'll know if this project is even feasible in a day or so.

The pressure is on now. Proposal is due midnight on Wednesday. The paper copy has to be postmarked by then. I  foresee a trip to the main post office in my future.

Things left to do include:

• Draw out the experiment
• Get the outreach plan on paper
• Figure the stresses involved and make sure they're within allowable limits
• Proofread and make adjustments based on feedback
• Respond to and meet with several more potential candidates this week

Whew! I'm tired already...

Cheers,

-- Zach

21 October - Whoa-a, we're half way there...

I so just dated myself with that reference.

Received two more responses to the fliers. One looks quite promising, but a bird in the hand is two in the bush. I'll know for sure next month.

Tomorrow is a meeting with another potential candidate. I have a good feeling about this one. "I love it when a plan comes together." (If I'm going to date myself, I might as well go all the way...)

The proposal is over half done. I'll get it to 90% or so and pass it around for some feedback. Once the deadline is past, I'll post it to the blog.

To sleep now.

Cheers,

-- Zach

20 October - Never enough hours in the day

So, I met with the first batch of victims volunteers today, and I have to say that I'm really excited now. One candidate is very interested in both the writing aspect of the project and in the construction part. The other lit up like a Christmas tree at the prospect of getting to do some fun science.

I get the feeling that we'll take both of them. Won't be sure until November, though.

Tomorrow will be insanely busy. Need to connect with two other prospects. Also need to set up a meet with the high speed camera salesperson, price the fixtures, finish writing the proposal, and study for my calculus test. Faster and faster.

Cheers,

-- Zach

p.s. This was completely touch typed in the dark. Why, oh why didn't I learn to do this sooner?

19 October - Late Night

It's my bedtime, and I'm full of the sleepy. So briefly:

Fielded emails from new potential candidates. There are two strong ones already.

Fleshed out the proposal on the computer. This is a biggie, because it's a real proposal now. I want to get it done and to Dr. Hoffman by Friday. That's going to be tough.

Tomorrow's big to do is pricing all the little things the experiment needs. Now I'm off to bed before I make any more spelling mistakes.

Cheers,

-- Zach

18 October - Fresh Faces

So, I've just finished responding to the first batch of fresh faced applicants for Team UTD. This first batch looked pretty strong. We'll see if I can scare them away with tales of long hours and little deodorant :-) Hopefully, the fliers that I've posted all over the school will continue to attract attention.

My house full of sickies improves slowly. I've only managed to field the first batch of applications, post several fliers, and collect my thoughts for the proposal. I need to kick it in gear this week.

The todo for tomorrow is much the same as it was today. I'll post fliers where I can. I'd like to take an hour or so to go to our wonderful library and find the sources I need for the proposal. I'll also probably daydream a rough cost for this event.

Mental note. I need to get in touch with the high speed camera guy and get his proposal. That's going to be a significant fraction of the project cost.

Finally, if you've just received a response from me, welcome. :-)

Cheers,

 -- Zach

15 October - Sicky Icky

Both I and my family have been ill the last several days. Needless to say, this has slowed down the project considerably.

I finally finished the fliers yesterday. They look fully awesome. I'll get them put up over campus today, and hopefully get some good nibbles. This project is going to be a bit tough if I have to do everything myself :-)

A week and a half remain until the proposal deadline. My goal is to get it completed in five days and take seven days for review. The majority of the updates for the next two weeks will probably be proposal related.

It's a short update today because I'm touch typing this, and my hands are starting to cramp. Until tomorrow, then.

Cheers,

-- Zach

12 October - Mad Props

No update yesterday due to illness in the family. I'm going to have to spend most of today attending to same, so we'll see just how much I can get done.

Our faculty advisor was the subject of an article in the UT Dallas daily newsletter. Dr. Hoffman's mass spectrometer flew to Mars on the Phoenix mission. The science done by that tool has helped advance our understanding of the Martian atmosphere tremendously. Way to go Dr. Hoffman!

Read the story here.

The questions that I had for our JSC point of contact were answered yesterday. This allows me to move ahead with the proposal and the recruiting poster. I should complete the latter today and have it printed and ready to post by tomorrow. We need at least two more people, though three would be better.

Also, our planned experiment is not going to be classified as a reflight. This is really good for the proposal, because it means that there are two fewer sections that we have to complete.

Today's (tentative) todo:

• Complete the recruiting poster. If I can get copies printed, so much the better.
• Complete a proposal section.
• I'd like to source some research materials, but I don't have physical access to the library today. I'll see what I can find online.

That's all for now. Have a great week.!

Cheers,

-- Zach

9 October, Weekend Update

Without Dennis Miller.

No post yesterday due to schedules being too tight. By the time I had time to compose and post, it was too late.

Here's a rundown of Friday's activities:

• Emailed our point of contact at NASA to get clarification on a couple of issues. She's out of town until Monday, however, so no progress was made there.
• I filled out the proposal a bit more. Not much, but every little bit helps.
• Figured a way of trying to recruit. I guess we'll resort to fliers on the doors of the buildings.

For the week, then, we made some progress, but not enough. If Team UTD is going to make it to Houston next summer, we need to get our collective selves in gear.

• Complete the proposal.
• Print fliers and start recruiting. We need people from all over, for fund raising and community outreach and quality control and the like.
• Identify some primary sources for our research.

More on Monday, when we have some success to report.

Cheers,

-- Zach