Meet the Expert: Vera Demchenko, Systems Verification & Test Engineer with Lockheed Martin’s Orion Program.
Vera Demchenko is a Systems Test and Verification Engineer on Lockheed Martin’s Orion Program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and beyond. In this role, Vera ensures that the Orion spacecraft is properly tested and verified for system integrity before it is deemed safe for flight. Before working on the human spaceflight program, Vera studied astrophysics and planetary science at CU Boulder, where she also developed a love for hiking, public speaking, and philosophy. She used to work at the Fiske Planetarium which enabled her to engage in astronomy outreach and present her own lectures to a wide range of audience. Vera is a proud cat mom and a space Lego set collector.
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Challenge: Design your own spacecraft that is safe… then test it out!
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Highlighted Book for this episode!
Space Care: A Kid’s Guide to Surviving Space by Jennifer Swanson (Mayo Clinic Kids Press)
Book List to Learn More:
Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact by Jennifer Swanson
Space Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity by Bruce Betts Ph.D.
Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet by Buzz Aldrin (Author), Marianne Dyson (Author)
You Are the First Kid on Mars by Patrick O’Brien