Tech Update
OPPORTUNITIES IN SATELLITE AND RF-BASED COMMUNICATIONS

Satellite & RF-based communications enjoy a growth spurt

It's due to burgeoning sat radio and TV, GPS and cell phones, plus increased use of satellites by the military. Hurricane Katrina also played a role

By Sue Marquette Poremba
Contributing Editor

Robert McFarland is chief engineer and mission assurance VP at SS/Loral.

At an Orbital Sciences site, work advances on the BSAT-2.

Satellite and RF-based communications are going strong. But they're coming up short on savvy engineers, says Christy Duane, VP and director of HR at ITT. "We have seventy to a hundred job openings at any given time," she reports.

Emily Bender, VP of HR at Orbital Sciences Corp (Dulles, VA), notes that commercial satellite business has been strong at her company over the past twelve months. She's now looking for candidates with experience in guidance, navigation and control, plus other EEs, MEs and RF engineers.

"This past year, 25 percent of our new hires were women and 23 percent were minorities," Bender notes. She also tries to get a good mix of age groups, religious backgrounds and other factors, "but the main objective is to bring in the most talented engineers."

Cell phones, GPS and more
Much of the growth comes from increasing use of satellite radio, GPS and cell phones as well as the increased use of satellites by the military. Hurricane Katrina played a role, too, showing the need to improve the system currently in place.

During and after the hurricane, overloaded frequencies and collapsed towers halted much of the communications in the Gulf region. Companies are now looking at ways to prevent those types of problems in the future.

The opportunities are there
Because satellite and RF-based communication is still relatively new, with plenty of growth expected ahead, the field tends to be more open to women and minorities. The jobs are there, with a great opportunity to build a more diverse workforce. Recruiters do note that much of the work is on contract with the military, the Department of Defense (DOD) and other government entities, and may require security clearance and American citizenship.

Building a diverse workforce at ITT
ITT emphasizes the need for diversity at all levels. Duane says that managers are being trained in better interviewing techniques that "teach them to step outside the concept of looking for people like themselves." The company is also funding scholarships plus internships for a group of African American students majoring in engineering and finance.

"It's critical for our team to mirror the diversity of our customers," says Steve Gaffney, SVP at ITT and president of ITT Defense. "A diverse and inclusive work environment is an important component of our plan to create a successful future for ITT."

Dana Stonebraker: process updates at ITT Defense

Dana Stonebraker.

At ITT Defense (Fort Wayne, IN), EE Dana Stonebraker's current challenge is an integrated product development process that badly needs updating. She's streamlining a process that had 400 steps and more than 350 deliverables, and working with fifty other people to do it. She now has it down to about 200 steps.

"The problem with creating leaner processes is that there are always new things to consider," she observes. "There's a balance on how much flexibility you have with standardization."

When Stonebraker first entered college she was unsure of her direction. "Originally I wanted to be a music major, but my parents encouraged me to try engineering."

She did her first year in engineering at General Motors Institute and enjoyed it, then took a break to explore a variety of courses, including pre-engineering, at Michigan State University.

One day a classmate asked her why she was hesitating about her major. "She thought I would succeed in engineering. She saw strengths where I only saw weaknesses."

She got her EE in 1987 and held technical jobs at General Electric and General Motors for several years. Then she left the workforce to be a stay-at-home mom. Not always at home, however: she completed an MSEE at the University of Toledo (Toledo, OH) during her downtime. When her youngest child headed off to kindergarten, Stonebraker went to work at ITT.

Despite her technical background it was somewhat difficult to jump back into the workforce. "You feel a little out of the loop," she says. "There were challenging changes in basic terminology while I was away, but I eventually learned them."

Her favorite part of the day now is working with different groups of people and combining all their efforts. "I loved being home with the kids, but I was getting bored," she says. "I missed the feeling I'd get when I was tackling a tough job.

"It's fun to have that challenge again."

Chong Mei does RF design at Anaren Microwave
Chong Mei got his BSEE and MSEE in China in 1997 and 2000. Then he came to the U.S. to attend Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY) for his PhD in EE. "I decided on Syracuse for its good research reputation and lab facilities, and I got financial support," says Mei. He believed that finishing his education in the U.S. would provide a better career path.

And so it did. Mei's career began right there in Syracuse, when one of his professors helped him get a job with Anaren Microwave in 2002. He's still working there fulltime as an RF design engineer while going to grad school.

Anaren, Inc and its subsidiaries design, develop and manufacture microwave and RF components, assemblies and subsystems for radar, wireless communications and other wireless signals, and microwave transmissions. The company's customers are in wireless infrastructure, satellite, defense electronics and other areas that utilize complex microwave structures.

Mei's job is designing RF front-end components for consumer electronics and wireless communication infrastructures. He's currently working on satellite reception components for the worldwide direct broadcast satellite TV market. "It's a market that's challenged every day for higher performance and higher integration in a smaller package with lower cost," says Mei. "We're making the components smaller, better and cheaper for consumers."

When Mei was studying for his BS at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, he thought about going into CS because he was good at programming. "But soon I found myself getting passionate about the circuits interacting with our everyday life," and with the communications and IT fields booming, Mei turned his focus to EE and RF.

He is currently working on his dissertation for a PhD in microwave engineering. His research interests include both microwave engineering and computational electromagnetics.

When he completes his PhD, Mei expects to stay at Anaren and continue working as a design engineer. Studying in the U.S. provided this good start to his career.

Deborah Sandt represents the Navy at NAVAIR

Deborah Sandt.

Deborah Sandt decided in high school that she would join the Navy. "I liked the opportunities the military offered," she says.

At first her family couldn't believe that she was enlisting, but finally they supported her decision. She joined the Navy in the 1970s, and spent nine years on active duty and several more years in the Naval Reserves as an electronics technician, first class.

While in the Reserves, Sandt completed a BSEE at Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA). She worked for thirteen years as a communications systems engineer at BAE Systems, then joined the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR, Patuxent River, MD) in 2001. NAVAIR employs a mix of Naval personnel and civilians, providing engineering and development for Navy airborne weapons. Sandt is the government communications lead for the Advanced Hawkeye.

"We're building the next generation of E-2 aircraft," she explains. Working closely with Northrop Grumman, Sandt is excited to be part of developing the new aircraft. Its Advanced Hawkeye system represents a two-generation leap in radar technology.

"My team is involved from requirements development until the aircraft is an operational part of the fleet," Sandt explains.

Her role is to make sure the Navy's interests and concerns are being met by Northrop Grumman and its contractors. "Everyone on the team has an area of expertise and I help manage these resources so they work together for the common goal," she explains. "We want to give the uniformed Navy personnel the best system possible."

Sandt enjoys her work. "I like the big system stuff," she says. "I'm not much into lab work. I like to see the big picture and make sure all the pieces work in the overall system."

Robert McFarland: chief engineer and VP at Space Systems/Loral

Robert McFarland.

If you check the weather in the morning, watch TV via the DISH Network or listen to Sirius radio, chances are the feed is coming from a satellite built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/Loral, Palo Alto, CA). And that it was approved by Robert McFarland.

McFarland is SS/Loral's chief engineer and VP of mission assurance. He's responsible for engineering and tech standards of the company's communication satellites, and involved in every step of the process from initial concept through development to delivery.

"My role is twofold," says McFarland. "As chief engineer I ensure engineering criteria and review all new designs. As VP of mission assurance I ensure the reliability of the spacecraft and make sure it's technologically ready before it's launched. We expect a craft to last fifteen years."

McFarland also acts as liaison with customers. SS/Loral has launched more than 200 satellites for defense, civil and commercial apps. Recent projects include multiple frequency network satellites for direct-to-home TV broadcasting, satellite radio and broadband as well as international fixed-satellite services.

Sending satellites into space is a boyhood dream come true for McFarland.

"I grew up when rockets were going to the moon," he says. "I would get up early in the morning to watch liftoff."

McFarland joined SS/Loral in 1980 as a communication system engineer. He has a BSEE from the University of Kentucky and an MSEE from the University of Illinois. He also has a masters degree in business admin from the California State University. Before joining SS/Loral he was a member of tech staff at Sandia National Labs where he worked on a number of classified projects.

In his time at SS/Loral he moved up to system engineering manager, technical director and VP for system engineering. He moved into his chief engineer and VP position in 2001.

Under McFarland's guidance, SS/Loral is currently working on new types of satellites for state-of-the-art mobile communications. "Cell phone signals going by way of satellite will provide better reception in rural areas and potentially on boats and planes," he notes.

They will also help keep communications intact in a disaster. "When Hurricane Katrina hit, the affected areas lost landline and cell phone service. This new technology should keep communications up and running even when the ground infrastructure is devastated," he explains.

The new mobile satellite services use ground-based beam forming to maximize flexibility. McFarland explains that this approach lets operators upgrade technology even with the satellite already in orbit.

The new satellites have large antennas, over thirty-five feet in diameter, and employ high power to improve performance to small cell phones.

McFarland says he's a problem solver, and that's what helped him move up the corporate ladder at SS/Loral. "Being able to solve problems makes opportunities easier to come by," he says.

The company has a diverse workforce and is actively looking for more good techies.

U.S. Cellular: encouraging diversity

Greg Hinton.

U.S. Cellular (Chicago, IL) is the sixth largest cellular and wireless company in the U.S., with more than 8,000 employees in twenty-six states. Greg Hinton, senior director of strategic sourcing and diversity, is working to create a more diverse workforce.

It's easy enough to find diverse techies in urban areas where the overall population is diverse, he notes. But when the company first began it was mostly in rural areas where there was less diversity in population and in qualified technical applicants.

"You sometimes have to create your own diversity," Hinton says, by encouraging diverse employees to relocate or by rotating assignments into the rural areas.

Diane Supinski learned engineering on the job at U.S. Cellular

Diane Supinski.

Diane Supinski applied for a job at U.S. Cellular after graduating from Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) with a degree in management. She was offered an administrative position in 1996.

The next year the company went through reorganization. Supinski's skills stood out, and she was asked to move into a more technical role. Today she's a senior microwave engineer in U.S. Cellular's Madison, WI facility.

"I worked with a senior planner and took training and technical classes," she says. On-the-job training provided more of the skills she needed.

Her job combines technical work and management. "I connect the dots," she says. On a network map, "The dots are towers, and I look at how they talk to each other. If something is blocking the signal, I need to figure out what it is.

"It's a lot of data entry," she explains. "I have to know what the tree heights are, where grain elevators are located along the railroad and so on."

These obstacles can be affected by atmospheric conditions, so she adjusts for rain and temperature. "When I was in Knoxville the air was humid," she notes. "The signal gets trapped and bounces up and around and goes anywhere but the receiving antenna."

After she's taken all the factors into consideration she can figure how many feet of extra clearance are necessary.

Microwave signals in Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska are Supinski's main concern these days, and she's also working on two special projects. One involves replacing microwave frequencies and the other is upgrading a newly acquired network to U.S. Cellular standards.

Even though she's working as an engineer, Supinski finds her management background useful on the job. "A big part of it is administrative," she says. "I have to be well organized."

D/C

Sue Marquette Poremba is an engineering and construction writer in State College, PA.

Back to Top