Joe Blondin currently is a System Engineer for the Hubble Space Telescope Reference Gyroscope Assembly Program. He has been involved in spacecraft attitude control systems and components for most of his thirty-five year career as an aerospace engineer. Most notable was his contribution to the Control Moment Gyroscope Assembly (depicted above) that is used to stabilize the International Space Station.

What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?

When I was 10 years old my brother had just graduated from the Coast Guard Academy and being influenced by this it was my dream to follow in his footsteps. But then came Sputnik and the challenge of space exploration. The exploits of the original astronauts and cosmonauts captured my interest and imagination and I dreamed of someday being a part of this exciting endeavor. I wasn't one of the best students in school and math was not one of my favorite subjects, but through hard work and the support of my family I was able to reach my goal. I also read many books and stories of great people like Thomas Edison and Werner Von Braun and I found even they had difficulties. Persistence, I found, was a necessary quality for success.

Who inspired you to pursue your current career?

Most of my inspiration and support came and continues to come from my family. But as you might expect many of my teachers were also instrumental in pointing me in the right direction. My math teacher in high school provided one key turning point in my life. Mr. Basil, a retired engineer, made me believe that I had the ability to solve those complicated problems and to use math as a tool and not to fear it.

What educational background do you have, and is it typical of your field?

I earned a bachelor degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University, but I quickly realized that a master's degree would help if I wanted to continue growing and learning. Continuing education opens new windows to your knowledge and keeps you up to date with new tools and techniques. I take advantage of any in-house training and probably have the equivalent of another 30 or 40 credits beyond my graduate degree. The majority of my graduate credits were devoted to automatic control systems, which proved very valuable to me as my career developed.

Most people I work with have at least a bachelor's degree, and the majority have attained a master's degree or significant graduate credits.

What kinds of things do you find most exciting about your work?

Without a doubt the most exciting part of my work is dealing with the end item and users, which in some cases are NASA engineers and even astronauts. As a system engineer, my responsibility is to prove our product meets the customer requirements. This can be very challenging but also rewarding when the customer accepts the design and compliance of the performance. Over the years I have been part of many NASA and national critical programs. There is a great sense of pride in this participation and when I visit a museum or exhibit that depicts these programs and the history they have helped to create it brings me back to the family and the support that made it all possible.

Related Links:

• NASA Human Spaceflight
• How Gyroscopes Work