UF alumnus works on new NASA spacecraft 'Orion'

January 20, 2009

Duane Chin wouldn’t be a good candidate for space flight — he gets motion sickness. But it doesn’t stop him from working with NASA.

Chin, a University of Florida graduate, works as a biomedical engineer for NASA. His current project concerns NASA’s Constellation Program.

The Constellation Program is developing spacecraft and booster vehicles to replace the space shuttle and return astronauts to the moon and beyond.

Chin is helping develop the Orion spacecraft’s crew compartment for the program. He works as a crew health integrations specialist, developing ways the crew can stay healthy in space while living in a small area.

“The shuttle’s volume of livable space is like a bus,” Chin said. “Orion is like a VW Beetle.”

Chin is working with engineers and flight surgeons to make sure the crew’s medical needs are met in the small space provided.

“We have to get down to the basics,” Chin explained. “The crew still needs to exercise every day but there is limited space.”

The Orion vehicle is planned to debut in 2015.

University Ties

Chin, who graduated from UF in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in engineering science and mechanics, first heard about the opportunities at NASA for engineers from his professors at UF.

“Going through the UF Biomedical engineering program with professors so close to Kennedy Space Center definitely helped me,” Chin said. “UF has a great engineering program and enabled me to be a great engineer.”

Chin’s work at UF has now paid off. His job with NASA is paramount and unrivaled.

“The opportunity to help in a launch, something that only a few countries in the whole world can do, is exciting,” Chin said. “To be a part of (the Constellation Program) is really huge.”