Mentor Blogs

Summer is again in our rear-view window. What a summer it was though, thanks in large part to the ingenuity of today’s military and aerospace (mil/aero) engineers armed with innovative, high-tech tools. Where were you on the night of 5 August 2012? (Shines light on face.) If you were like this geek, you were on the edge of your seat watching a historic broadcast. It was many things at once: history, … Read More

JPL, Geek, Mentor, Aerospace, Military, Mount Sharp, nasa, 7 minutes of terror, Mentor Graphics, Engineer, Mentor.com, Gale Crater, Mil-Aero, Milaero, EDL

If you watched the live broadcast of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover landing on the surface of Mars, you know it was a nail-biter. People all over the world—especially engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and technology firms the world over that had contributed systems and components to the mission—waited with baited breath for the successful completion of a number … Read More

Milaero, Mil-Aero, Mars, Atlas V, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com, Aerospace, Geek, Hardware, JPL, Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center, Computer, Embedded Systems, Electronic, Engineer, Military, Software, Technology, MSL, nasa

NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft, housing the unmanned Curiosity rover, set upon a monumental, 9-month, 352-million-mile journey to its final destination–Gale Crater near the base of Mount Sharp on Mars–with help from a powerful Atlas V 541 launch vehicle. In fact, this November 2011 mission marked the first launch of United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V 541 configuration. Roughly … Read More

Military, Milaero, Mentor, Atlas V, aviation, Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Aerospace, Gale Crater, EDA, electrical, Geek, Hardware, Curiosity, design, Mars, Embedded Systems, Electronic, Engineer, Mount Sharp, Technology, zapping, rover, Software, MSL, nasa

Curiosity (cu·ri·os·i·ty, noun) is defined as: 1. a desire to know or learn; 2. an object that arouses interest, as by being novel or extraordinary; and 3. from the Latin “curiosus” meaning careful, diligent, thoughtful, devoted; elaborate, complicated; meddlesome, officious, prying, interfering, curious, inquisitive; and a spy or scout, informer. Certainly, the Curiosity rover and its mission—dedicated … Read More

Mars Science Laboratory, Mars, Mentor, Cape Canaveral, Military, MSL, nasa, Aerospace, Technology, Mentor Graphics, Geek, Mentor.com, Hardware, Mil-Aero, Engineer, Milaero, Fla.

By the time Neil Armstrong had reached his 30s, he had already logged an impressive career as an aerospace engineer, U.S. Navy officer, veteran of the Korean War, and test pilot. He retired from the Navy in 1960 and, just two years later, joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He didn’t retire from aerospace, however, and kept reach for the stars. Four years later, in 1966, … Read More

Mentor, Gemini 8, Mentor Graphics, Apollo 11, nasa, Neil Armstrong, President Barack Obama, Aerospace, Technology, Mentor.com, Engineer, Mil-Aero, Geek, Milaero, Buzz Aldrin, Military, Charles Bolden

On Saturday, 25 August 2012, the worldwide aerospace community lost one of its greatest heroes. “Neil Armstrong was a hero not just of his time, but of all time,” describes President Barack Obama in a statement released the day of Armstrong’s death. “Thank you, Neil, for showing us the power of one small step.” Neil Armstrong, commander of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 mission, … Read More

Mentor Graphics, Mentor, Mentor.com, USC, U.S. Navy, Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong, Perdue University, President Barack Obama, Aerospace, Technology, Mil-Aero, Geek, Milaero, Gemini 8, Military, Embedded Systems, nasa, Engineer

As I talked about last week, the news lately has been dominated by the Olympics, but NASA managed to grab a few headlines by successfully landing the Curiosity rover on Mars. I have always been interested in space exploration and I am curious about what the inside of embedded systems look like. To me, Curiosity is just an embedded system with 6 wheels and 17 cameras … I have always been impressed … Read More

Mars, nasa

Forty-three years ago, on 20 July 1969, the United States Apollo 11 became the first manned mission to the moon. Were you aware, however, that it the first space vehicle to reach the vicinity of the moon was not manned at all? Intrigued? This geek hopes so. Fun fact: Unmanned spacecraft reached the vicinity of the moon a decade before the first manned mission landed on the lunar surface. The Soviet … Read More

Moon, Milaero, Mentor, Apollo, Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Aerospace, Electric, Geek, electrical, Hardware, Luna, Computer, Luna 1, COTS, Embedded Systems, Electronic, Engineer, nasa, spacecraft, unmanned, Sally Ride, Soviet Union

Forty-three years ago this month, astronauts made history. The Apollo 11 mission, a milestone in human history, continues to be celebrated worldwide decades later. The first words spoken on the moon by Neil Armstrong, the first to step onto the lunar surface, remain among the most famous and inspirational in the world: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Nearly 500 million … Read More

Neil Armstrong, nasa, Mentor.com, Apollo 11, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Moon, Aerospace, COTS, Geek, Hardware, Electric, Mentor, Buzz Aldrin, Mentor Graphics, Cold War, Electronic, electrical, Engineer, Soviet Union, Technology

The aerospace industry has a way of keeping an even keel, even in the most trying economic times. When government funding for spacecraft waned, commercial investment soared. When commercial aviation and business aviation sectors suffered significant losses, the military sector posted gains and kept the market afloat. The aerospace industry is alive and well. It appears to have weathered the storm and, … Read More

nasa, SLS, heavy-lift vehicle, Space Launch System

This geek loves the modern space race, as it is being called by many. I speak of the resurgence of interest in rockets, spacecraft, and virtually all things space-related. I enjoy all facets of it—whether private, public, international, or domestic. I love it all, as my fellow geeks likely already know. The recent decommissioning of the U.S. Space Shuttle program, after many decades of successful service, … Read More

Space Launch System, SLS, Mil-Aero, Asteroid, Electric, Milaero, Military, nasa, Aerospace, Embedded Systems, Mars. Moon, Mentor, Engineer, Mentor Graphics, electrical, Mentor.com, Electronic, LEO, Geek, Low Earth Orbit, Space Race, Space Shuttle, U.S. Space Shuttle program

The aerospace industry was born more than 100 years ago, when the internal combustion engine was joined to the balloon and the glider, reads a NASA Web page. “America’s contribution to it is vast, ranging from the first airplane and the first modern rocket to the latest in avionics.” Is the U.S. the losing its status on the world stage as a leader in aerospace innovation? On the state level, … Read More

Mentor.com, Mentor Graphics, Mil-Aero, Boeing, Aerospace, Gov. Chris Gregoire, Milaero, Military, Mentor, Electronic, nasa, Geek, Ray Conner

When the Space Shuttle retires as scheduled in June, NASA will be dependent on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Based on a recent $753 million contract NASA awarded to the Russian Federal Space Agency, these outsourced services cost U.S. taxpayers roughly $63 million per seat. It’s doubtless a hefty price tag, but NASA lacks U.S.-based … Read More

Aerospace, nasa, Virgin Galactic, Soyuz, Milaero, Geek, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, ISS, Elon Musk, rad-hard, spacex, Mentor, Boeing, Russian Federal Space Agency, Space Shuttle, Mentor Graphics

Decades ago, the United States and the Soviet Union were in competition, battling for superiority in the space race and demonstrating scientific prowess, technological capabilities, and power. Now fodder for the history books, the space race bred myriad advancements through competition; today, in a time of budget cuts, the U.S. is paying Russia for help when it comes to human spaceflight. NASA officials … Read More

Military, Milaero, nasa, Charles Bolden, Geek, Aerospace, Obama, Mentor.com, Russian Federal Space Agency, Mil-Aero, Mentor, Soyuz, Mentor Graphics

This geek is in love with the developing private space flight industry. If you haven’t been an avid follower, my previous blogs on the President’s 2012 Budget Request for NASA and the latest announcements from X Prize, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic can get you up to speed. It is terribly exciting to witness technological advancements stemming from private investment, commercial successes pioneering research … Read More

nasa, Military, Obama, Geek, US, Mentor, Virgin Galactic, x prize, Aerospace, Russia, Mil-Aero, Space Race, Milaero, spacex, Mentor Graphics, U.S.S.R., Mentor.com