Material Testing Technician

Peraton•Wallops Island, VA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Peraton provides management and technical support for NASA’s scientific balloon program which supports enabling science missions for NASA and universities across the United States and foreign scientific communities. Scientific balloon missions provide researchers inexpensive, relatively quick, long duration access to near space altitudes and environments. Balloon missions cost orders of magnitude less than satellite missions and provide platforms for heavy experiments (some greater than 5000-lbs) to operate for weeks and even months. Balloon missions have provided significant science theories and discoveries about cosmic rays, gamma ray and x-ray astronomy, optical and UV astronomy, atmospheric sciences, and cosmic microwave background studies. Our staff are located at the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) in Palestine, TX where we design, analyze, build and assemble the support hardware and balloon gondola payloads for the missions. We launch the balloons from locations within the United States (Texas, New Mexico, and Hawaii) and around the world including Antarctica, Sweden, New Zealand, and Australia. Our engineers and technician staff support the launches and balloon and payload recoveries in the US and many worldwide locations. Peraton’s NASA Balloon Operations Contract (NBOC) program is seeking an Mechanical Technician to join our team.

Requirements

High School diploma or GED with five years of experience
Knowledge of materials properties testing
Familiarity with relevant professional standards for material properties testing
Analysis and interpretation of test data
Uniaxial tensile testing, Photogrammetry testing, Creep/relaxation of material testing, Thermal vacuum environmental testing, Cold brittle testing
Has certification, or can obtain certification: Instron testing equipment, Cryogenics safety, handling, operation
Ability to pass the National Science Foundation physical (medical) requirement to work in Antarctica including latest FLU vaccination
Must be a US citizen and able to obtain a NASA PIV badge and passport

Nice To Haves

Equipment troubleshooting
Handling of delicate test specimens
Familiarity with 3D printing and materials quality assurance
Has certification, or can obtain certification: Powered industrial truck (mechanical forklift) operations, Overhead crane operations and rigging, Personnel lifts (e.g. manlifts, scissor lifts), Fall protection

Responsibilities

Observe applicable laboratory and work environment safety and job hazard instructions
Crosstrain on all laboratory equipment
Support audits and inspections as required
Provide maintenance for all laboratory equipment, including timely service and repair
Daily up-keep of laboratory space, equipment, inventory, and assets
Maintain the 3,500 balloon liquid nitrogen tank located outside building F-7 while observing all safety requirements for handling of cryogenics
Maintain current calibration of equipment where required
Maintain calibration records for review/audit
Operate - Instron static, hydraulic, and Advanced Video Extensometer (AVE), Data Imaging Correlation (DIC) equipment, Thermal and Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) chambers, National Instruments (NI) software and hardware
Design and fabricate various hardware/devices to support requested custom testing
Maintain Balloon Research and Development Laboratory (BRDL) database (electronic and physical)
Primary work on-site Wallops Flight Facility