Episode #1
From Blue Collar Navy Vet to NASA Engineer: Chad's Story
Blue Collar White Coat is back for Season 2 — and we're kicking things off on location with NASA Ames Facility & Maintenance Manager Chad Cleary, who oversees operations for the massive boiler system creating space-like conditions at NASA Ames Research Center's Arc Jet Complex in Mountain View, California. The work done by Chad's team facilitates the researchers testing spacecraft thermal protection systems (heat shields) by blasting materials with plasma streams reaching temperatures over 10,000°F — simulating the extreme heat of atmospheric re-entry. This work directly supports NASA's Artemis II mission, plus commercial partners like SpaceX and Blue Origin. In this episode, Chad breaks down how the somewhat archaic technology of boilers power the state-of-the-art Arc Jet chamber and what it actually takes to certify a spacecraft component as flight-safe. But the real story is how he got there. Chad's path to NASA didn't start with an engineering degree — it started in a Navy boiler room. Ruled out for pilot training and special warfare due to color blindness, he became a machinist mate, operating boilers and propulsion systems on the USS Boxer in 130-degree engine spaces. After leaving the Navy, he worked in industrial steam/electric cogeneration, then pivoted into IoT smart-building lighting systems for high-rises like the Salesforce Tower — before landing a "boiler operator" contractor role at NASA Ames that he almost overlooked because he didn't think skilled trades experience was a way into the space program. He could not have been more wrong! This episode is for: Skilled tradespeople and veterans wondering if a technical trade background can lead to a career in aerospace or science Anyone navigating a military-to-civilian career transition Listeners curious what "working at NASA" actually looks like outside of the astronaut and PhD-engineer stereotypes STEM and space enthusiasts who want the human, hands-on side of spacecraft testing Also in this episode: the Navy's most misunderstood job (machinist mate vs. mechanic), invisible high-pressure steam leaks, transferable skills after military service, and how Chad built a hot sauce brand from his kitchen during COVID. This episode launches a Season 2 arc focused on ocean, aerospace, and skilled-trades careers — including a commercial diver and the life support technicians who keep the Tennessee Aquarium's exhibits alive and thriving. Follow Blue Collar White Coat on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn: @bluecollarwhitecoatpod. Leave us a review — it's the single biggest thing you can do to help the show grow. 00:00 – Intro & Season 2 Kickoff (On Location!) 02:35 – Inside NASA Ames' ArcJet Complex: Testing Spacecraft Heat Shields 07:11 – From Navy Machinist Mate to Boiler Room Duty 19:04 – The Winding Path: Cogeneration, IoT Lighting & Finding NASA 23:15 – Landing the NASA Contractor Job (No Degree Required) 26:36 – Career Advice: "Right Place, Right Time, Right Uniform" 28:51 – Climbing the Ladder: Supervisor to Facility Manager 32:09 – Government Pay vs. Mission-Driven Work 36:04 – Managing Craft, Technicians & Scientists at NASA 44:07 – Watching Artemis II Splash Down 53:10 – Going Back to School at 30 & Advice for Trades-to-STEM Careers 57:48 – Fatherhood, Hot Sauce & Wrap-Up Keywords: NASA careers without a degree, thermal protection systems, ArcJet, Artemis II, spacecraft heat shield testing, blue collar to NASA, skilled trades careers in aerospace, military to civilian career transition, Navy machinist mate, boiler operator jobs, veteran career change, STEM careers for tradespeople, working at NASA Ames
