Eric Fernandez joins NASA civil service after 17 years as telemetry specialist

Growing up on the central California coast, Eric Fernandez watched rocket launches with his father and kept posters of rockets on his wall. He assumed launches from nearby Vandenberg were military and never imagined a NASA career. After working as a painter and then as an appliance technician, a friend told him about a telemetry opening; at the interview he saw oscilloscopes, screens with squiggly lines and blinking lights, and his electronics and soldering skills stood out.

He accepted a technician position supporting NASA under the Expendable Launch Vehicle Integrated Support (ELVIS) contract and changed careers. Seventeen years later he advanced to telemetry engineer in 2019 and has contributed to 27 NASA launches as well as hundreds for the U.S.

military and commercial sector. When NASA moved mission-critical roles into the civil service, he applied and on June 15 swore in at Vandenberg, bringing his knowledge and experience to the agency.

United States, Vandenberg

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