Released by the NAWCWD China Lake Public Affairs Office---Elsa Hennings, a mechanical engineer, will be the guest speaker Thursday, Jan. 27 at 1 p.m. in the Technical Library of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD). This is the third event in the new program, “Have I Got a Story for You!” aimed at preserving and sharing the intellectual capital and the WD legacy.

Hennings began working at China Lake as a junior professional (now ESDP). Her years of experience developing parachutes and other high strength fabric components led her into an interplanetary mission that could have only been a dream when she began 22 years ago. She, along with her team of experts, were asked to work in connection with NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory not only to perform retrorocket testing but to create the 70-ft. long bridle that became a vital part of the entry, descent and landing phase of the Pathfinder’s successful mission in 2004.

All NAWCWD employees are encouraged to attend. The Technical Library (Bldg. 02946) is located just inside the north gate of the Michelson Lab compound. More information is available at 939-4668.

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Photo: Mechanical Engineer Elsa Hennings