Chat with Alda Simpson 1/21/97

Hi. This is Alda Simpson from the Goddard Space Flight Center. It's sunny
and cold here near the nation's capital. I've been with NASA for 23 years
and worked for the Department of Defense for 4 years before that . I have
a batchlor of science degree in engineering. I would really like to
encourage young women in their interests. Engineering has been very
rewarding and I love my job.

How far are you from the capital?

We're about 10 miles from the Capital.

Hello! I'm on from NH! I am a teacher of the fifth grade. I am hoping to
use this forum to encourage my girls who are on the verge of excelling in
math and science to go for it!
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This is an exciting time for Goddard because we are getting ready to
reorganize the way the Center operates in order to be more efficient in
the future.

What does the reorganizing mean?

Reorganizing changes how the people of different skills and backgrounds
are grouped together to work. When we reorganize hopefully the new
groupings will help us do our job even better.
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Do you test all space hardware or are there some certain spacecraft you
are working on now?

Right now we are workin on the second Hubble Space Telescope Refurbishing
Mission , a satellite that will study the rainforests called TRMM and
several small explorers. We test all the hardware that Goddard makes and
some for other NASA centers, other government agencies, universities, and
even some for industry, Jennifer.

Do you also test for other contries as well. How do you know for example
that the Russian space crafts are as safe as ours or go through the same
testing?

Right now we don't test directly for other countries but do indirectly
when we are doing a joint project with a foreign country.

Have you worked on any of the research/projects that NASA was doing to
test things/equiptment for Mars?

We did the acceleration testing on the Mars Pathfinder structure.
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How come your parents refused to pay for your tuition. Was that because
they didn't want you to study enginieering?

My older brother went to college for a few years and dropped out to marry.
I guess they thought that if a boy dropped out a daughter would too. They
are very proud of my achievements now.
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Do you know of other engineering universities that do a coop program like
Drexel. Do you think this is better than other ways of studying?

There are many other universities which have a coop program. Univ of
Maryland and Georgia Tech off the top of my head. I think it is by far the
best way to go in getting an education regardless of you field.
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What types of things helped you when you were at the Naval engineering
center and going through the shock of being with all men?

I think that a lot of the men were very sympathetic. They took time to
make me feel comfortable. I'm still in contact with some of them.

It sounds like your experience with the navy was pretty good. Do you think
that was just rare or how come we hear all those stories about how hard it
is now? Are things different now?

I don't know how it is at Navy today. When i was there I was in an all
civilian unit who were fairly young and liberal minded. The contacts i had
with military personnel were good - there were so few women then I think I
scared them.
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We are in high school and studying careers right now. What do you do now
to keep up with all the changes in technology - do you have to take
classes or can you learn on the job?

I do a lot of learning on the job but also attend a lot of professional
conferences where I can meet with people doing similar work and exchange
ideas. Most of the calssroom work I take now is on how to be a better
manager.

So, is it more important in your job now to know how to manage the people
and not the engineering part of it?

The people part of it is probably the most important part right now but as
a technical expert I'm still called in to do reviews of others work and to
help if there is a problem.

We are in junior high school. We are wondering what type of things you
liked to do when you were younger? What did you read? Did you watch TV?

When i was in school I loved to read (still do ).. I particularly liked
science fiction. I think science fiction played a big part in my getting
interested in the space program.

We are wondering what gave you so much confidence when you were younger?
We are in 6th grade in California.

i'm not sure what gave me the confidence when I was younger. I didn't
think of myself as a confident person then. I guess I was lucky enough not
to tthink of what I was doing as unusual. 
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Did you have any problems in your first college class since you were the
only woman? Did you find that experience to help you latter on in life?

What did your teachers think of you wanting to go into space or
engineering? Did they encourage you?

In my first classes I would always have a teacher approach me on the first
day and kindly whisper to me that he thought I was in the wrong room but I
felt they were all fair. I had a lot of trouble with physics at first and
I think it taught me both perserverance and was a little humbling because
a got straight A's in high school.

My teachers never really took the astronaut ambition all that seriously.
It was very heartbreaking to give it up. I'd still go today if I could but
it's very rewarding to help other missions get up there.
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Do you Travel a lot with your job? If so, do you enjoy doing this? 

I do a bit of traveling - some to teach and attend conferences and some to
review process or problems out in industry.
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Are most of the people who work in engineering with you males or female
and how old are they?

Right now about 15 % of the people in our division are female. I've been
the associate division chief fro about 5 years. My boss had just announced
his retirement so in two weeks I'll be the acting division chief. I'm
right in the middle age wisenow about half younger and older. 
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What is acting division chief? We hear that term alot?

To be acting means I have the job in his absense. I already act if he's on
leave - now it will be till after the reorganization before they fill the
job permanently.
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Was it hard for you at first working at a mostly male job? 

It was hard to be in an all male environment at first, particularly
because I went to an all female high school. I really welcomed the
addition of woman to the workplace because sometimes you really need
another woman to talk to.
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Who took care of your children when you were working and they were young?
Did you every consider quitting to raise your children? What do you think
about women working and raising children?

When my children were first born I worked only two days a week and a
neghbor watched them. When Diana was 2 they both went to Goddard's on site
day care center and then I went back to full time work. I think every
woman has to decide for herself whether she can work and have children. I
feel good about my decision. My girls are great! My husband an d I altered
our hours though so they spent very little
time alone when they started school and of course at the daycare center
they camree to work with us and we could have lunch with them.

I think NASA must have a very good day care center. We heard a lot about
other women who take thier kids there too.

Our day care center is really excellent. We're lucky. The center allowed
it to be set up with a parent board of directors and that helps a lot.

I'm married , for 20 years now. We have two daughters, Jeanine,17 and
Diana 15. Diana wants to be an engineer and yes I think she has been
influenced by me and by movies like Apollo13 she's crazy about Gene Krantz
and wants to be a mission controller.

Do you think your daughter Diana became interested in engineering because
of your influnce, or has she always been interested in math and science?
Do you think she will ever work for NASA?

Does your daughter get to meet any astronauts because of you?

Diana has gotten to meet a few astronauts. Last summer she did volunteer
work at Goddard and worked with the crew for the next Space Telescope
refurbishment mission.

Have you meet many astronauts since you've been working for NASA? Have you
ever worked on any of the spaceships that have been to space?

I've been fortune enough to meet quite a few astronauts and they have all
been great. I have personally worked on over 20 spacecraft that have been
launched several of which are still up there.
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When do you think you will retire? Could you work for another company if
you wanted to?

I could retire in 9 years if I decide to. I don't think I'd work for
another company although I could. I'd like to teach after I retire.
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