STEM teacher expands knowledge over summer to help students
Instead of taking his summer break, Folsom Middle School STEM teacher Dale Waldo earned an internship at Aerojet Rocketdyne. Waldo said he wanted to use the learning opportunity to help his students by developing a lesson plan for Project Lead the Way, a hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math curriculum.
Folsom Middle teacher Dale Waldo:
How did this opportunity present itself to you?
At our internship meeting at the Building Industry Foundation, I told them that I would like something in flight and space since that is part of what I teach, and the foundation was able to connect me with Aerojet Rocketdyne.
Why did you choose to pursue an internship with Aerojet Rocketdyne?
It is an outstanding opportunity to work with engineers who are working on the Orion Deep Space Project that will eventually get us to Mars. All of the people at Aerojet Rocketdyne are top-notch, first-class people that have been a pleasure to work with.
What is the most surprising and/or interesting thing you have learned at Aerojet Rocketdyne?
How will you incorporate what you have learned with your teaching at Folsom Middle School?
My students will have the chance to design solid rocket fuel containment vessels (tanks) exhaust nozzles to create thrust in Autodesk Inventor, convert the designs to file that can then be transferred to a 3D printer to create the physical object used in the projects. They will make their own solid rocket fuel, load the fuel and “plunge cast” the fuel to make more air space for a hotter burn for maximum thrust. We will also insulate the booster core and nozzles with cork, silicone and tin foil for heat protection.
What about STEM made you interested in this field of study?
Growing up, what was your dream job?
Aerojet Rocketdyne Chief Engineer, Orion Jettison Motor, David Daniewicz
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Leading a team and providing guidance. But the best part is overseeing a project from start to finish and seeing it in flight after working on something for years.
Describe the current project you are working on.
Orion Spacecraft is a launch abort system. It’s the escape for the crew. In the event of an emergency it pulls the capsule off the rocket. It could save lives.
From start to finish, what is the time frame of the Orion project?
There are a lot of starts and stops. It started in 2006 and cancelled in 2009. (President) Obama resurrected it. It has been under two different contracts, currently under NASA contract which requires patience, but I am thankful it is still going. This is a long-time project which spans administrations.
Any advice for students who are interested in pursuing this field as a career?
For Project Lead the Way students in middle school, I would share about the opportunity to work in the space industry - and right here at Aerojet Rocketdyne, down the street from them. There are lots of opportunities here, and we need those kids down the road.
When did you become interested in your field of work?
When I was 5 or 6 and watching the Apollo mission. I heard these crackling noises when Apollo was taking off, and I was interested in what was making that noise and wanted to find out.