Engineering topics

Tibbitts, Scott

Publications and source records attributed to Tibbitts, Scott.

6 records

NASA NTRS2004

The Morning Meeting

It was fourteen years ago and I remember it well. It seemed that the right hand didn't know what the left was doing. It was crazy. Starsys was only eight people and deadlines were being missed because someone didn't know what someone else needed. How could a handful of people be this disconnected? Maybe a daily meeting would help. Little did I know that we were initiating a process that would last for two decades. The idea was simple: a short, all-hands meeting once a day to maintain the week's actions item list. Not too tough a challenge with eight folks, but quite a challenge as we grew to a 140-person company.

Tibbitts, Scott↗

NASA NTRS2004

Tell Me about Your Lemonade Stand

At STARSYS, we execute many Firm Fixed Price (FFP) programs for the development of mechanical systems for spacecraft. Contracting this way pre-suppose that we have the ability to establish and hold scope for a system that has yet to be defined. To do FFP, it is critical that we have program managers who are masters at cost control. Fortunately, we have some "masters" in our company. They just seem to have a knack for driving to a financial target. Doesn't matter if the program has contingency or not. Doesn't seem to matter if they use MS Project, Excel spread-sheets, or the back of an envelope. Doesn't even seem to matter whether the program is set up as a financial challenge or a winner.

Tibbitts, Scott↗

NASA NTRS2004

Fly Away

Kurt was one of the lead engineers/project managers at our company, Starsys, in Boulder, Colorado. I had hired Kurt six years ago and found him to be a man of few words but huge actions. Kurt had single-handedly created two new business areas in the company and made a significant contribution to the upcoming Mars Exploration. While running in the mountains, Kurt had a fatal heart attack. An avid back country skier and climber, he was 45 years old and appeared in great health. I spoke honestly from my heart, and from my own experience as a father. That day people started to ask what they could do to help the family. Over the next couple days we set up a fund where people could contribute dollars or vacation time or comp time, and Starsya would translate that into equivalent dollars and provide a matching contribution.

Tibbitts, Scott↗

NASA NTRS2003

A Small as Possible

This story begins with a bit of serendipity: I was on a trip to see a Shuttle launch and I happened to sit next to a guy who was in charge of batteries for Space Systems/Loral. He told me that they needed to create a new battery bypass switch, the device that takes a battery out of commission if it goes bad. After discussing the conversation back at my company, we decided that we could create the switch. We contacted the folks at Loral and they said, 'Okay, let s see what you can come up with. We need it as small as possible.' We asked, 'How small?' They said, 'We need it as small as you can possibly make it.'

Tibbitts, Scott↗

NASA NTRS1991

Resettable binary latch mechanism for use with paraffin linear motors

A new resettable Binary Latch Mechanism was developed utilizing a paraffin actuator as the motor. This linear actuator alternately latches between extended and retracted positions, maintaining either position with zero power consumption. The design evolution and kinematics of the latch mechanism are presented, as well as the development problems and lessons that were learned.

Maus, Daryl↗

NASA NTRS1988

High output paraffin actuators: Utilization in aerospace mechanisms

High Output Paraffin (HOP) thermal actuators were developed to provide an alternative to conventional aerospace actuators: HOP actuators directly convert temperature changes to useful mechanical work. When fabricated with internal resistance heating elements, they provide an electric linear motor. For applications in which slower response times are acceptable or preferred, HOP actuators have distinct advantages over conventional approaches.

Tibbitts, Scott↗