Hilda Patricia Palencia
Engineering/Leadership/Innovation

Electrostatic Discharge Program Manager        

2014-2015

NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

 

• Ensured the center's Electrostatic Discharge, ESD, standards and procedures are met and are within defined limits. 

• Taught the center’s ESD class to NASA Ames personnel on ESD theory, requirements, control methods and equipment, practices, and issue certifications. NASA JPL Certified Instructor.

• Assessed and certified more than 50 ESD workstations throughout NASA Ames used for sensitive electrical devices and operations to support flight space projects. Evaluated and tested stations and equipment, maintained work instructions, technical procedures, and related documentation.

• Created and implemented procedures and check lists to test wrist strap monitors to help reduce 100% monitor calibration costs, 18% of total certification costs, and improve process time by 84%.

• Attended ESD Association all NASA centers monthly meetings.

 

LADEE Project – System Safety and Mission Assurance, 2009-2014

NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

 

• Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environmental Explorer, a multi-million Moon mission, successfully launched 9/2013. Supported a variety of safety, mission, and quality assurance operations for the spacecraft propulsion structures associated with fabrication, integration, delivery, inspection, and qualification of material testing such as static, load, and acoustic tests.

• Reviewed and approved electrical design drawings, test procedures, hazard reports, End Item Data Packages, for structures, propulsion, and electrical systems, among others. Performed Bent Pin Analysis, provided results, and wrote a final document to assist the team in evaluating potential system hazards and failures.

• Worked with other hardware engineers, scientists, managers, and technicians to perform design, evaluate, and define standard operation procedures and requirements. Directed Material Review Board meetings..

• Provided technical support for the qualification of electrical, mechanical, structures, and propulsion systems and their integration to spacecraft. Evaluated to approve non-conformance, anomaly, and hazard reports.

• Provided technical recommendation to project Chief Safety Officers and director to complete 100% mission critical assignments.

 

 

SPHERES Project, System Safety and Quality Assurance,

2011-2015

NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

 

• Qualified the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites battery packs production, successfully launched in 2013 and 2014 and operating by astronauts at the International Space Station, ISS.

• Mainly involved during the procedure development, fabrication, testing, inspection, qualification, material control, and delivery of 130 battery packs. Evaluated to approve nonconformance, anomaly, and hazard reports. Certified Smartphone Series, a payload attached to SPHERES, launched in 2011 and 2014.

 

Space Bio-sciences Payloads Flight Systems Implementation, Quality Assurance           2010-201

NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

• Provided technical support and quality assurance. Verified and inspected integration and test processes for space flight payloads such as Plant Signaling, TROPI2, and immune system studies. Mainly involved during new electrical component design and installations, functional and thermal testing, assembly, final product verification, non-conformances review and approval.

 

Boeing Flight Test Electrical Systems Engineer – Seattle, WA         2007-2009

• Developed electrical manufacturing plans and installation for flight-test equipment. Ensured Bill of Materials, work instructions, and drawings are compliant to engineering requirements.

• Supported and coordinated release and rework for wiring bundles planning for onsite and outside technician.

• Attended daily meetings with national and international suppliers, electrical design engineers, and manufacturers for the execution of project goals. Assisted in the developments of installation processes employing 787 business tools such ENOVIA, CATIA, etc.

 

Florida International University, VLSI Design Research Assistant - Miami, FL                                                                       2005-2007

• Researched, designed, and simulated various digital devices to integrate circuits into FPGAs utilizing Mentor Graphics tools and others using hardware description language such VHDL and Verilog for VLSI, Very Large Scale Integration Laboratory. Contributed in the installation of new lab software. Authored and presented technical papers at Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers National conference.