A Day in the Life of an Orbit Analyst II at ExoAnalytic Solutions
Chase, an Orbit Analyst II at ExoAnalytic Solutions, works a unique schedule—"8:00 PM to 6:37 AM, three and a half days a week"—monitoring a global network of telescopes and analyzing data on approximately 1500 satellites for issues like proximity or tumbling. The work varies greatly depending on the day, with "very busy nights" contrasting sharply with the "slowest" Saturdays and Sundays when "satellite operators actually have those days off".
Data Analysis, Problem-Solving, Technology, International Collaboration, Shift Work
Advizer Information
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Job Title
Company
Undergrad
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Chase Crawford
Orbit Analyst II
ExoAnalytic Solutions
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
-
Biology & Related Sciences
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense
Data and Analytics
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Works a flexible schedule that allows for a balance between work and personal life. The analyst works three and a half days a week, totaling almost 40 hours, allowing for flexibility in scheduling.
2. Monitors a global network of telescopes to track satellites. The work involves monitoring the status of telescopes across the globe and ensuring they are functioning properly to collect data.
3. Analyzes satellite data to identify potential issues. The analyst reviews data to ensure satellites are operating correctly, checking for proximity issues, tumbling, or other problems; this involves managing a catalog of about 3000 objects.
4.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of an Orbit Analyst two look like?
As much as I'm allowed to say, I don't think I'm supposed to give a lot of specific details. I start my shift at 8:00 PM, give or take, and I work all the way until 6:37 in the morning. This is to ensure every night is covered fully.
I don't work a full five days a week; it's usually three and a half days. I still get almost 40 hours a week, and I can fill in those extra hours when I see fit.
From there, the first priority is to ensure everything that needs to be running is running, and my telescopes are working correctly. As the earth rotates, different sites open up around the world because our telescope network is worldwide. It's a constant process of checking which sites are open.
These can be in Hawaii, Chile, or Australia. All the telescopes are working, and then more in the middle and at the end of the night, I can start collecting or analyzing the data collected throughout the night. This involves making sure all the satellites are functioning properly and aren't too close to each other, tumbling, or having problems.
Our catalog has about 3,000 objects in it, and I cover about half of those because I work at night. Nights can range from having a little bit of trouble in space to sometimes very busy or very boring nights, depending on what's going on.
Funny enough, Saturdays and Sundays are by far the slowest. I think satellite operators actually have those days off, so there's not a lot going on. By the end of the week, though, people realize they really need to move their satellites. It just depends on the day.
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