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Demonstration
Rachel Wittrock of Oakland, team leader of Oregon State University’s Microgravity Flight Team, demonstrates how a ‘parachute man’ reacts in microgravity aboard a KC-135 aircraft, also known as the ‘Weightless Wonder.’ Wittrock is going to work for Boeing Co. and has dreams of becoming an astronaut.
OAKLAND -- Sometime in Rachel Wittrock's lifetime, she wants to take a trip -- not to another city, country or continent -- but right into outer space.
Wittrock, a 2000 Oakland High School graduate, has spent her college years at Oregon State University in Corvallis pursuing her goal to someday be an astronaut.
"I have just always loved stars and space," Wittrock said.
She has done two projects with NASA and had an internship at Boeing Co. in Washington state. Wittrock, 23, is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers. She has also maintained a 3.14 grade point average.
When Wittrock, whose parents are Ken and Rita Wittrock of Oakland, graduates this December with a degree in mechanical engineering, she will begin work full time at Boeing. She was offered the job after her internship, and she'll test different mechanical systems.
Her accomplishments don't surprise Oakland High School teacher Jeff Clark, her former history teacher. In high school, Wittrock worked hard and had an intellectual curiosity.
"She always had that drive to accomplish her goals no matter what," Clark said.
Wittrock hopes her job at Boeing eventually leads her to NASA -- and that career as an astronaut.
"The way I look at it, Boeing and NASA are related," she said, adding they rely on each other.
For the past two years, Wittrock has participated in NASA's Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program. NASA selects a group of undergraduate students each year based on their research proposals to test experiments in a weightless environment. Wittrock has done two experiments for NASA with the program.
"It's an awesome opportunity," Wittrock said. "I am glad NASA is able to offer this to undergraduates."
In Wittrock's latest experiment, she and a group of five other students wanted to help astronauts know what will occur when they mix different density fluids in outer space. With gravity, heavy fluids will mix, but what happens without gravity?
To find the answer, Wittrock's group flew in NASA's KC-135 aircraft, a gutted airplane that when flown in a certain way allows them to experience no gravity.
After nine days of training at Johnson Space Center in Houston in July, Wittrock and her group flew over the Gulf of Mexico in the KC-135 aircraft, also called Weightless Wonder.
The students experienced weightless periods lasting for 20 to 25 seconds and floated just as they would in outer space. At that time, they performed their experiment mixing water and glycerin. They videotaped it for later analysis.
"I got to experience something most people only dream about," Wittrock said.
Her group recently submitted the results of their experiment to NASA. Wittrock led the group throughout the project, said Jim Liburdy, OSU mechanical engineering professor who oversaw her team.
"She was very dedicated, very devoted to getting the project done and getting it done correctly," Liburdy said.
He said her hard work will pay off as she pursues her career goals.
"She'll do great," Liburdy said. "She'll really make an impact."
"Catching up" is an occasional feature of The News-Review that profiles people who have ties to Douglas County but no longer live here. If you know of someone whose life has taken an interesting turn, contact News-Review City Editor Vicki Menard, e-mail: vmenard@newsreview.info, or 957-4201.
Wittrock, a 2000 Oakland High School graduate, has spent her college years at Oregon State University in Corvallis pursuing her goal to someday be an astronaut.
"I have just always loved stars and space," Wittrock said.
She has done two projects with NASA and had an internship at Boeing Co. in Washington state. Wittrock, 23, is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers. She has also maintained a 3.14 grade point average.
When Wittrock, whose parents are Ken and Rita Wittrock of Oakland, graduates this December with a degree in mechanical engineering, she will begin work full time at Boeing. She was offered the job after her internship, and she'll test different mechanical systems.
Her accomplishments don't surprise Oakland High School teacher Jeff Clark, her former history teacher. In high school, Wittrock worked hard and had an intellectual curiosity.
"She always had that drive to accomplish her goals no matter what," Clark said.
Wittrock hopes her job at Boeing eventually leads her to NASA -- and that career as an astronaut.
"The way I look at it, Boeing and NASA are related," she said, adding they rely on each other.
For the past two years, Wittrock has participated in NASA's Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program. NASA selects a group of undergraduate students each year based on their research proposals to test experiments in a weightless environment. Wittrock has done two experiments for NASA with the program.
"It's an awesome opportunity," Wittrock said. "I am glad NASA is able to offer this to undergraduates."
In Wittrock's latest experiment, she and a group of five other students wanted to help astronauts know what will occur when they mix different density fluids in outer space. With gravity, heavy fluids will mix, but what happens without gravity?
To find the answer, Wittrock's group flew in NASA's KC-135 aircraft, a gutted airplane that when flown in a certain way allows them to experience no gravity.
After nine days of training at Johnson Space Center in Houston in July, Wittrock and her group flew over the Gulf of Mexico in the KC-135 aircraft, also called Weightless Wonder.
The students experienced weightless periods lasting for 20 to 25 seconds and floated just as they would in outer space. At that time, they performed their experiment mixing water and glycerin. They videotaped it for later analysis.
"I got to experience something most people only dream about," Wittrock said.
Her group recently submitted the results of their experiment to NASA. Wittrock led the group throughout the project, said Jim Liburdy, OSU mechanical engineering professor who oversaw her team.
"She was very dedicated, very devoted to getting the project done and getting it done correctly," Liburdy said.
He said her hard work will pay off as she pursues her career goals.
"She'll do great," Liburdy said. "She'll really make an impact."
"Catching up" is an occasional feature of The News-Review that profiles people who have ties to Douglas County but no longer live here. If you know of someone whose life has taken an interesting turn, contact News-Review City Editor Vicki Menard, e-mail: vmenard@newsreview.info, or 957-4201.
