Benet Alumnus Talks Rockets

From Benet Academy

Benet Academy alumnus Mark Kirasich ('78) shared his experience as a real rocket scientist on NASA's Orion crew exploration vehicle, intended as the nation's next generation of spacecraft, with Benet Academy science students.

NASA Orion deputy project manager Mark Kirasich grew up in Chicago. He earned his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and a master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Since coming to NASA's Johnson Space Center-Houston in 1983 he has worked as a Space Shuttle Payload Officer, a flight director for the International Space Station and myriad other projects including earth imaging and microgravity science missions, commercial satellite deployments and Strategic Defense Initiative sponsored shuttle flights.

Kirasich is in Chicago to support a cross-country trek of an Orion rocket mockup called a "pathfinder" that was used in preparation for Orion's first flight test called Pad Abort 1, which took place on May 6 at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range near Las Cruces, N.M. The Launch Abort System (LAS) pathfinder will be on display at the Adler Planetarium Oct. 5-7 for Chicago area residents and visitors to learn more about the Orion spacecraft and its innovative launch abort system. 

During the LAS's test flight, the rocket's abort motor fired 500,000 pounds of thrust propelling the crew module mock-up off the pad, reaching a speed of about 445 mph in three seconds. Technology firm Lockheed Martin and NASA led the team that developed this innovative abort system, which will significantly improve astronaut safety for future human space flight by immediately pulling the Orion crew module away from the launch vehicle during an emergency on the pad or during the climb to orbit.

Other rocket scientists in town with Kirasich include Jay Estes and Gabe Baca of NASA's Orion Flight Test office, and Lockheed Martin propulsion engineer Lisa Holowinski, also from Chicago.