By Cynthia De Castro
SEPTEMBER 28, 2007
Asianjournal.com
A True-Blue Rocket Scientist
IN AN episode of Star Trek during the 1960’s,
FilAm behind
leading the Deep Space 1 in-flight technology
a spacecraft was launched into outer space validation work. She had also received a
using ion propulsion. In December 1996,
NASA space missions
NASA Space Act Award for co-design of Mars
fiction became a reality when the Deep Space 1 Pathfinder ground support equipment, and
spacecraft tested the first use of ion propulsion over a dozen NASA Group Achievement Awards
engine for a spacecraft exploring deep space. on these and other unmanned space missions.
A few months later, the Mars Pathfinder Ralph is the current Deputy Project Manager
landed on and explored the surface of Mars of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO)
in 1997. The Delta II spacecraft was a “faster, Project and the Ocean Surface Topography
better and cheaper” spacecraft, costing under Mission (OSTM). Both the OCO and OSTM
$150 million compared to the cost of the spacecrafts are scheduled for launch in calendar
Viking Missions which cost $3.5 billion in 1997 year 2008 to provide the scientific community
dollars. with additional data in which to examine and
Since then, other spacecrafts built by NASA understand global climate change processes
and sent to orbit the earth and other planets and hopefully lead to further research for ways
like Saturn and Jupiter used this technology. to alleviate the problem.
This technology will be used in two earth A member of the Society for Industrial
orbiters in 2008. and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), Ralph has
One of the geniuses behind the building of authored or co-authored over a dozen technical
these amazing spacecrafts is a Filipino. Born in publications.
Cebu in 1965, Dr. Ralph Ramos Basilio is often Dynamically-Natural Spacecraft Formations” Basilio explained what happens to the
referred to as “the rocket scientist”. was accepted unconditionally by his dissertation spacecrafts they sent outer space. “They
The word “rocket scientist” is a slang for committee and the university editing staff. basically just stay there. For the Mars pathfinder,
someone who is super smart. It’s also an Space crafts it just stayed (landed) on the planet. For the one
informal term for aerospace engineering. This In an exclusive interview with the Asian sent to Saturn, it is still orbiting the moons of
area of engineering requires mastery in fluid Journal, Ralph explained how space crafts are Saturn. For the ones sent around the earth, it
mechanics, orbital mechanics, flight dynamics, built. is still orbiting the earth. After the mission is
mathematics, control engineering, materials “First, it is determined where the spacecraft over, it basically becomes just one of the debris
science, aero elasticity, avionics, reliability will go, and what its mission will be. The team in space.”
engineering, noise control and flight test. then designs the spacecraft, builds it, then Good genes
Basilio is one of few individuals in the world integrates the pieces and tests it.” Not surprisingly, Ralph and Eleanor has a
who has mastery of this complex body of He added that they have a “clean room” genius for a son. “Our 15-year old son, Andrew,
knowledge. As engineering manager who where all the pieces are put together and is in the International Baccalaureate Program
leads the team that builds NASA spacecrafts, workers need to wear clean smocks so they do of Walnut High School. The IB program is more
Basilio has been interviewed on Channel 2 and not contaminate the pieces. They subject the difficult than the Honors Program and the
9 to discuss the space missions he has been spacecraft to extreme heat, cold, vacuum, and Advanced Placement Program. because of its
involved in. vibration. It is better to break the spacecraft rigid structure and requirements. He is currently
He came to the US when he was 3 years while still on earth because it is easy to fix. a straight A’s student,” reported Eleanor.
old with his parents Greg and Tessie Basilio. “It is better than sending a mechanic up in “He is also a member of Who’s Who Among
Ralph built model airplanes as a hobby in space,” Ralph joked. High School Students and a member of National
his teens. He grew up in Rowland Heights, After Ralph’s team builds the spacecraft, his Society of High School Scholars. Andrew plays
earning his Bachelor of Science Degree in wife Eleanor and her missions operations team the piano very well and his interest is in music
Aerospace Engineering from the California then takes over. of classical /romantic era. He also has a black
State Polytechnic University, Pomona. “My team supports the ground operations belt degree in Tae Kwon Do and a black belt
While working for Rockwell International as by designing the ground system, [by]sending degree in Shaolin Kempo.”
an aerospace engineer, Ralph met his future the commands to maneuver the spacecraft, The work of Ralph and Eleanor Basilio have
wife, Eleanor, another engineer who was maintaining and calibrating the instruments,” benefited the world tremendously. “Whatever
working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of Eleanor said. “It’s sort of like maintaining a car we learn from these missions and the space
NASA. on its 1000 mile trip, once in a while you have to program help us learn about the composition
“We were set up by friends, kind of like a constantly change oil, put air in your tires, etc. of the planets which in turn allow us to learn
blind date,” recalled Eleanor. “When we got This is what the mission operations team does, more about our own planet Earth,”Eleanor said.
engaged, I told Ralph that there were a few only in a spacecraft sense.” “Also, by building the pieces needed for the
openings at JPL and perhaps we can work and “He is the one who builds the spacecraft, mission, engineers discover that the materials
carpool together. That worked out really well,” then I fly it,” Eleanor explained. and design used to build the spacecraft can
she chuckled. Team work also be used here on earth to help advance our
Ralph pursued his Master of Science Eleanor worked on the following missions: life here on earth — technologically speaking.
Degree in Aerospace Engineering (with an Galileo (mission to Jupiter), Cassini (mission to Some of the by-products of these research
emphasis in Astronautics) from the University the moons of Saturn), TOPEX (an earth orbiting helped the world come up with new technology
of Southern California (USC), and also took up spacecraft that saw the first signs of the El Nino such as imaging cameras for hospitals, digital
an Engineering Management Program at the storm in 1997-1999), among others. thermometers, microwave ovens, airbag
California Institute of Technology. Dr. Ralph Basilio was presented with two system, cell phones, and radios,” Ralph added.
He went back to USC to get his PhD in NASA (National Aeronautics and Space They say anywhere in the world, you’ll find
Aerospace Engineering. His dissertation Administration) Exceptional Achievement a Filipino doing outstanding work. Now we
entitled, “Controlled and Uncontrolled Motion Medals — one for leading the CloudSat know, the that Galing Pinoy can be found in
in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem: spacecraft development effort and the other for outer space. (AJ)
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