Intern - Blog Posts
Another Poll
I know this is an incredibly obscure fan base, but i wanted to do a thing and needed the opinion of the people :> This is for/about the YouTuber Interndotgif, or just Intern. go check out his videos! :)
Soaring into Aerospace: NASA Interns Take Flight at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
Sustainable Aviation Ambassadors Alex Kehler, Bianca Legeza-Narvaez, Evan Gotchel, and Janki Patel pose in front of the NASA Pavilion at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
It’s that time of year again–EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is underway!
Boasting more than 650,000 visitors annually, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, or “Oshkosh” for short, is an airshow and fly-in held by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). Each year, flight enthusiasts and professionals from around the world converge on Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to engage with industry-leading organizations and businesses and celebrate past, present, and future innovation in aviation.
This year, four NASA interns with the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project count themselves among those 650,000+ visitors, having the unique opportunity to get firsthand experience with all things aerospace at Oshkosh.
Alex Kehler, Bianca Legeza-Narvaez, Evan Gotchel, and Janki Patel are Sustainable Aviation Ambassadors supporting the EPFD project, which conducts tests of hybrid electric aircraft that use electric aircraft propulsion technologies to enable a new generation of electric-powered aircraft. The focus of Alex, Bianca, Evan, and Janki’s internships cover everything from strategic communications to engineering, and they typically do their work using a laptop. But at Oshkosh, they have a special, more hands-on task: data collection.
“At Oshkosh, I am doing some data collection to better estimate how we can be prepared in the future,” said Janki, an Aerospace Engineering major from the University of Michigan. “Coming to Oshkosh has been an amazing experience… I can walk around and see people passionate about the work they do.”
The NASA Pavilion at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is full of interactive exhibits and activities for visitors to engage with. NASA Interns Alex, Bianca, Evan, and Janki are collecting data in the pavilion to help improve future exhibits at Oshkosh.
In addition to gathering data to help inform future NASA exhibits and activities at Oshkosh, the interns also have the opportunity to engage with visitors and share their passion for aviation with other aero enthusiasts. For Evan, who is receiving his Master's in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, “being able to be here and talk with people who are both young and old who are interested in what the future of flight could be has been so incredible.”
Alex, Evan, Bianca, and Janki pose in front of NASA’s Super Guppy, a specialized aircraft used to transport oversized cargo.
At Oshkosh, one memory in particular stands out for Alex, Bianca, Evan, and Janki: seeing NASA’s famous Super Guppy in person. With a unique hinged nose and a cargo area that's 25 feet in diameter and 111 feet long, the Super Guppy can carry oversized cargo that is impossible to transport with other cargo aircraft.
“We had a very lucky experience… We were able to not only see the Super Guppy, we got to get up close when it landed,” said Bianca, who is receiving her Master's in Business Administration with a specialization in Strategic Communications from Bowling Green State University. “From a learning experience, it gave me a way better basis on cargo aircraft and how they operate.”
For Alex, who is receiving his Master's in Aeronautical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, it was exciting to see the Super Guppy’s older technology integrated with newer technologies up close. “There have been a lot of good memories, but I think the best one was the Super Guppy. It was cool to see this combination of 60’s and 70’s technology with this upgraded plane.”
Evan and Janki pose for a photo while walking around EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
With Oshkosh coming to a close this Sunday, July 30, Alex, Bianca, Evan, and Janki also reflected on advice they have for future NASA interns on how they can get the most out of their internship: be curious and explore, connect with people who work in the field you’re interested in, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Alex advises potential NASA interns to “dream big and shoot for your goals, and divide that up into steps… In the end it will work out.” For Bianca, being open and exploring is key: “take opportunities, even if it’s the complete opposite thing that you were intending to do.”
“Ask questions all the time,” said Evan. “Even outside the internship, always continue asking people about what they are knowledgeable on.” And Janki encourages future interns to “Follow your own path. Get the help of mentors, but still do your own thing.”
Visiting Oshkosh and want to see NASA science in action? Stop by the NASA Pavilion, located at Aviation Gateway Park, and see everything from interactive exhibits on sustainable aviation, Advanced Air Mobility, Quesst, and Artemis to STEM activities–and you may even meet NASA pilots, engineers, and astronauts! At Oshkosh, the sky’s the limit.
Interested in interning with NASA? Head over to NASA’s internship website to learn more about internship opportunities with NASA and find your place in (aero)space.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!
Five Ways NASA’s Internships Rock(et)
Sending humans to space, returning to the Moon, transforming aircraft, exploring the extraordinary every day: just a few things you are a part of as a NASA intern. Whether you have dreamed of working at the agency your whole life, or discovered a new interest, students at NASA have the opportunity to make real contributions to space exploration and flight. Want to know more? Here are five ways these internships can be rocket fuel for your career:
5. NASA gives you a navigation system.
Imagine walking into a lab to work side-by-side with NASA scientists, engineers and researchers. As a NASA intern, that’s a daily reality. Mentors are full-time employees who guide and work with students throughout their internship. Space communications intern Nick Sia believes working with a mentor is what makes NASA’s internships different. “Working one-on-one has given me more opportunities to work on different projects,” he says. “It’s the best motivation to do great work.”
4. It’s more than training for launch day.
As a NASA intern, your work matters. Students are treated as employees, and their ideas are valued. Hands-on assignments allow interns to make real contributions to NASA research and gain experience. For example, Erin Rezich is working in our mobility lab to help design excavation hardware for planetary surfaces such as the Moon. “It’s an incredibly exciting project because these are problems that have to be solved to move planetary exploration forward,” she says.
3. Students develop an array of skills.
Not only do interns improve their technical skills, but they are also building communication and leadership skills. This summer, students are taking part in a two-week immersive design challenge. Participants will design a Ram Air Turbine for NASA Glenn’s 1x1 Supersonic Wind Tunnel. “This design challenge is a unique opportunity to create a design from scratch, which could actually be implemented,” says Woodrow Funk, an electrical testing engineer intern. Projects such as this allow students to work independently, plan, organize and improve time management skills.
2. Non-technical degrees shoot for the stars.
NASA also offers many opportunities for students pursuing a career outside of STEM fields. Departments such as human resources, administration, education and communications engage students with hands-on projects. These organizations provide support essential to NASA’s programs and missions. “I was excited that NASA offered opportunities that match my skill set,” says Molly Kearns, a digital media student working with Space Communications and Navigation. Kearns’ first summer at NASA confirmed her passion for graphic design. “What makes the experience so rewarding is seeing content that I created published on social media sites,” she says.
1. Students are surrounded by extraordinary peers.
Students come to NASA from all over the nation to develop important skills matched to their career goals and expand the way they think about their work. Being surrounded by the best scientists, developers, engineers, mathematicians and communicators is inspiring. NASA’s network is one of graduate fellow Jamesa Stokes’ main motivations. “There are tons of smart and awesome people who work here,” says Stokes, “At the end of the day, they are willing to help anyone who comes and asks for it.”
Are you ready to liftoff your career? Learn more about opportunities for students at NASA here.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
Solar System: 10 Ways Interns Are Exploring Space With Us
Simulating alien worlds, designing spacecraft with origami and using tiny fossils to understand the lives of ancient organisms are all in a day’s work for interns at NASA.
Here’s how interns are taking our missions and science farther.
1. Connecting Satellites in Space
Becca Foust looks as if she’s literally in space – or, at least, on a sci-fi movie set. She’s surrounded by black, except for the brilliant white comet model suspended behind her. Beneath the socks she donned just for this purpose, the black floor reflects the scene like perfectly still water across a lake as she describes what happens here: “We have five spacecraft simulators that ‘fly’ in a specially designed flat-floor facility,” she says. “The spacecraft simulators use air bearings to lift the robots off the floor, kind of like a reverse air hockey table. The top part of the spacecraft simulators can move up and down and rotate all around in a similar way to real satellites.” It’s here, in this test bed on the Caltech campus, that Foust is testing an algorithm she’s developing to autonomously assemble and disassemble satellites in space. “I like to call it space K’nex, like the toys. We're using a bunch of component satellites and trying to figure out how to bring all of the pieces together and make them fit together in orbit,” she says. A NASA Space Technology Research Fellow, who splits her time between Caltech and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), working with Soon-Jo Chung and Fred Hadaegh, respectively, Foust is currently earning her Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She says of her fellowship, “I hope my research leads to smarter, more efficient satellite systems for in-space construction and assembly.”
2. Diving Deep on the Science of Alien Oceans
Three years ago, math and science were just subjects Kathy Vega taught her students as part of Teach for America. Vega, whose family emigrated from El Salvador, was the first in her family to go to college. She had always been interested in space and even dreamed about being an astronaut one day, but earned a degree in political science so she could get involved in issues affecting her community. But between teaching and encouraging her family to go into science, It was only a matter of time before she realized just how much she wanted to be in the STEM world herself. Now an intern at NASA JPL and in the middle of earning a second degree, this time in engineering physics, Vega is working on an experiment that will help scientists search for life beyond Earth.
“My project is setting up an experiment to simulate possible ocean compositions that would exist on other worlds,” says Vega. Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus, for example, are key targets in the search for life beyond Earth because they show evidence of global oceans and geologic activity. Those factors could allow life to thrive. JPL is already building a spacecraft designed to orbit Europa and planning for another to land on the icy moon’s surface. “Eventually, [this experiment] will help us prepare for the development of landers to go to Europa, Enceladus and another one of Saturn’s moons, Titan, to collect seismic measurements that we can compare to our simulated ones,” says Vega. “I feel as though I'm laying the foundation for these missions.”
3. Unfolding Views on Planets Beyond Our Solar System
“Origami is going to space now? This is amazing!” Chris Esquer-Rosas had been folding – and unfolding – origami since the fourth grade, carefully measuring the intricate patterns and angles produced by the folds and then creating new forms from what he’d learned. “Origami involves a lot of math. A lot of people don't realize that. But what actually goes into it is lots of geometric shapes and angles that you have to account for,” says Esquer-Rosas. Until three years ago, the computer engineering student at San Bernardino College had no idea that his origami hobby would turn into an internship opportunity at NASA JPL. That is, until his long-time friend, fellow origami artist and JPL intern Robert Salazar connected him with the Starshade project. Starshade has been proposed as a way to suppress starlight that would otherwise drown out the light from planets outside our solar system so we can characterize them and even find out if they’re likely to support life. Making that happen requires some heavy origami – unfurling a precisely-designed, sunflower-shaped structure the size of a baseball diamond from a package about half the size of a pitcher’s mound. It’s Esquer-Rosas’ project this summer to make sure Starshade’s “petals” unfurl without a hitch. Says Esquer-Rosas, “[The interns] are on the front lines of testing out the hardware and making sure everything works. I feel as though we're contributing a lot to how this thing is eventually going to deploy in space.”
4. Making Leaps in Extreme Robotics
Wheeled rovers may be the norm on Mars, but Sawyer Elliott thinks a different kind of rolling robot could be the Red Planet explorer of the future. This is Elliott’s second year as a fellow at NASA JPL, researching the use of a cube-shaped robot for maneuvering around extreme environments, like rocky slopes on Mars or places with very little gravity, like asteroids. A graduate student in aerospace engineering at Cornell University, Elliott spent his last stint at JPL developing and testing the feasibility of such a rover. “I started off working solely on the rover and looking at can we make this work in a real-world environment with actual gravity,” says Elliott. “It turns out we could.” So this summer, he’s been improving the controls that get it rolling or even hopping on command. In the future, Elliott hopes to keep his research rolling along as a fellow at JPL or another NASA center. “I'm only getting more and more interested as I go, so I guess that's a good sign,” he says.
5. Starting from the Ground Up
Before the countdown to launch or the assembling of parts or the gathering of mission scientists and engineers, there are people like Joshua Gaston who are helping turn what’s little more than an idea into something more. As an intern with NASA JPL’s project formulation team, Gaston is helping pave the way for a mission concept that aims to send dozens of tiny satellites, called CubeSats, beyond Earth’s gravity to other bodies in the solar system. “This is sort of like step one,” says Gaston. “We have this idea and we need to figure out how to make it happen.” Gaston’s role is to analyze whether various CubeSat models can be outfitted with the needed science instruments and still make weight. Mass is an important consideration in mission planning because it affects everything from the cost to the launch vehicle to the ability to launch at all. Gaston, an aerospace engineering student at Tuskegee University, says of his project, “It seems like a small role, but at the same time, it's kind of big. If you don't know where things are going to go on your spacecraft or you don't know how the spacecraft is going to look, it's hard to even get the proposal selected.”
6. Finding Life on the Rocks
By putting tiny samples of fossils barely visible to the human eye through a chemical process, a team of NASA JPL scientists is revealing details about organisms that left their mark on Earth billions of years ago. Now, they have set their sights on studying the first samples returned from Mars in the future. But searching for signatures of life in such a rare and limited resource means the team will have to get the most science they can out of the smallest sample possible. That’s where Amanda Allen, an intern working with the team in JPL’s Astrobiogeochemistry, or abcLab, comes in. “Using the current, state-of-the-art method, you need a sample that’s 10 times larger than we’re aiming for,” says Allen, an Earth science undergraduate at the University of California, San Diego, who is doing her fifth internship at JPL. “I’m trying to get a different method to work.” Allen, who was involved in theater and costume design before deciding to pursue Earth science, says her “superpower” has always been her ability to find things. “If there’s something cool to find on Mars related to astrobiology, I think I can help with that,” she says.
7. Taking Space Flight Farther
If everything goes as planned and a thruster like the one Camille V. Yoke is working on eventually helps send astronauts to Mars, she’ll probably be first in line to play the Mark Watney role. “I'm a fan of the Mark Watney style of life [in “The Martian”], where you're stranded on a planet somewhere and the only thing between you and death is your own ability to work through problems and engineer things on a shoestring,” says Yoke. A physics major at the University of South Carolina, Yoke is interning with a team that’s developing a next-generation electric thruster designed to accelerate spacecraft more efficiently through the solar system. “Today there was a brief period in which I knew something that nobody else on the planet knew – for 20 minutes before I went and told my boss,” says Yoke. “You feel like you're contributing when you know that you have discovered something new.”
8. Searching for Life Beyond Our Solar System
Without the option to travel thousands or even tens of light-years from Earth in a single lifetime, scientists hoping to discover signs of life on planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets, are instead creating their own right here on Earth. This is Tre’Shunda James’ second summer simulating alien worlds as an intern at NASA JPL. Using an algorithm developed by her mentor, Renyu Hu, James makes small changes to the atmospheric makeup of theoretical worlds and analyzes whether the combination creates a habitable environment. “This model is a theoretical basis that we can apply to many exoplanets that are discovered,” says James, a chemistry and physics major at Occidental College in Los Angeles. “In that way, it's really pushing the field forward in terms of finding out if life could exist on these planets.” James, who recently became a first-time co-author on a scientific paper about the team’s findings, says she feels as though she’s contributing to furthering the search for life beyond Earth while also bringing diversity to her field. “I feel like just being here, exploring this field, is pushing the boundaries, and I'm excited about that.”
9. Spinning Up a Mars Helicopter
Chloeleen Mena’s role on the Mars Helicopter project may be small, but so is the helicopter designed to make the first flight on the Red Planet. Mena, an electrical engineering student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, started her NASA JPL internship just days after NASA announced that the helicopter, which had been in development at JPL for nearly five years, would be going to the Red Planet aboard the Mars 2020 rover. This summer, Mena is helping test a part needed to deploy the helicopter from the rover once it lands on Mars, as well as writing procedures for future tests. “Even though my tasks are relatively small, it's part of a bigger whole,” she says.
10. Preparing to See the Unseen on Jupiter's Moon Europa
In the 2020s, we’re planning to send a spacecraft to the next frontier in the search for life beyond Earth: Jupiter’s moon Europa. Swathed in ice that’s intersected by deep reddish gashes, Europa has unveiled intriguing clues about what might lie beneath its surface – including a global ocean that could be hospitable to life. Knowing for sure hinges on a radar instrument that will fly aboard the Europa Clipper orbiter to peer below the ice with a sort of X-ray vision and scout locations to set down a potential future lander. To make sure everything works as planned, NASA JPL intern Zachary Luppen is creating software to test key components of the radar instrument. “Whatever we need to do to make sure it operates perfectly during the mission,” says Luppen. In addition to helping things run smoothly, the astronomy and physics major says he hopes to play a role in answering one of humanity’s biggest questions. “Contributing to the mission is great in itself,” says Luppen. “But also just trying to make as many people aware as possible that this science is going on, that it's worth doing and worth finding out, especially if we were to eventually find life on Europa. That changes humanity forever!”
Read the full web version of this week’s ‘Solar System: 10 Things to Know” article HERE.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
What is it Like to be a NASA Intern?
We asked prospective interns that follow us on social media what questions they had for our current interns.
You asked…they answered! Let’s take a look:
Answer: “Yes, sometimes astronauts request to run through the International Space Station simulation that we have using the hyper-reality lab.”
Answer: “Persistence is the key to getting your first NASA internship. Work hard, study hard, keep applying and persevere.”
Answer: “NASA is looking for passionate, smart and curious, full-time students, who are U.S. citizens, at least 16 years of age and have a minimum 3.0 GPA.”
Answer: “In addition to STEM majors, NASA has many opportunities for students studying business, photography, English, graphics and public relations.”
Answer: “The highlight has been the chance to learn a lot more about embedded systems and coding for them, and just seeing how everyone’s efforts in lab come together for our small part in the AVIRIS-NG project.”
Answer: Yes! Here at the Kennedy Space Center is where all the action takes place. Check out the schedule on our website!”
Answer: “There are 10 NASA field centers and they all accept interns.”
Answer: "Yes, we do! I am currently working in tech development for an X-ray telescope that is launched into space to take pictures of our galaxy.”
Answer: “The greatest thing I’ve learned as a NASA intern is to not be afraid of failing and to get involved in any way you can. NASA is a very welcoming environment that offers a lot of opportunities for its interns to learn.”
Answer: My favorite experience from being a NASA intern is meeting people from all around the world and being exposed to the different cultures.”
Want to become a NASA intern? Visit intern.nasa.gov to learn about the open opportunities and follow @NASAInterns on Twitter and Facebook for regular updates!
Watch the full story on NASA Snapchat or Instagram until it expires on April 6.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Sing About NASA with Our Interns
Each semester, interns at Johnson Space Center (JSC) have the opportunity to contribute to our agency’s missions and help us lead the frontier of human space exploration. Interns at JSC also have the opportunity to enhance their experience through weekly meetings to discuss social and professional development topics, and can also get involved in many different committees.
The intern video committee from each semester comes up with ideas and carries out the entire process of creating a video that puts a creative, youthful spin on spreading NASA messages.
Here are a few highlights from some of the great intern videos that have been created:
Welcome to NASA
“Welcome to NASA” is based off of Flo Rida’s “My House” and was created to raise interest for our Journey to Mars. The lyrics and scenes in the video have been re-imagined in order to inform the public about the amazing work going on at NASA and the Johnson Space Center.
Created in 2016
NASA is Good
This latest intern video is based off of Andy Grammer’s “Honey, I’m Good”. This video is designed as an outreach video to raise interest around the One-Year Mission aboard the International Space Station and the Pathways and Student Intern opportunities.
Created in 2015
NASA Johnson Style
NASA Johnson Style was created as an educational parody of Psy’s "Gangnam Style". The intent of the video is to inform the public about the work being done at Johnson Space Center and throughout the agency.
Created in 2012
I.S.S. Baby
A group of NASA interns collaborated to create the I.S.S Baby video based off of Vanilla Ice’s “Ice, Ice, Baby”. The video was designed as an outreach video to raise interest around the International Space Station.
Created in 2008
There are plenty more JSC intern videos. You can watch more and learn about the work done at JSC and throughout the agency HERE.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Week 1 of NASA Co-Op Tour #4 You know it's going to be a good semester when the first person you recognize in the badging office is former NASA Administrator and astronaut Charles Bolden, No matter who you are, NASA's security doesn't falter. I am guessing Bolden was stopping by to check up on Johnson post Hurricane Harvey. Schedules are undeniably out of wack following Harvey. Nonessential astronaut training was rescheduled and "Lessons Learned" meetings are being added to calendars. The International Space Station (ISS) still flew and flight controllers still manned mission control despite the storm.
I am Co-Oping with OSO (Operations Support Officer) pronounced "Oh So", a console in mission control. OSO is responsible for ISS hardware maintenance and ISS hardware training. Engineers in the Mission Evaluation Room (MER), pronounced like "myrrh", brainstorm what on space hardware needs to be repaired. OSO brainstorms how the hardware can be repaired with limited resources safely in low gravity. OSO also provides ample training to new astronauts in preparations for missions. Similar to the other mission control teams I Co-Oped with, OSO has their own console and sits in mission control center. On console OSO is most active when a visiting vehicle docks with ISS, when maintenance is being preformed, and if something off-nominal happens. I will be completing twelve little projects that give me a sampling of the training and maintenance side of OSO. One project that looks particularly interesting requires python scripting for a ISS simulation. This simulation is used to train flight controllers trainees. It teaches trainees what is nominal and abnormal telemetry from space station. Additionally trainees have to figure out how to fix whatever breaks the ISS simulation. The scripts I am writing simulates how day to day astronaut actions change telemetry. These actions include dispensing water for meal time and flushing the toilet. Yes, I am basically writing a space toilet simulator
Rare maintenance occurred this week to fix electronic hardware that was brought inside ISS from a spacewalk this spring. It required opening up hardware that had not been opened since before it was sent to space. I arrived in mission control promptly at 1:30am for a four hour procedure. OSO wrote the procedure that astronauts followed to fix the hardware and the software to test it. Some flight controllers prefer to work in the very early morning, sleep during the day, and enjoy free time in the evening. This week I have been meeting with all of my project points of contacts and reorienting myself to flight operations.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Become a paid intern at NASACo-Op (Pathways Intern) with NASA
Check out what scientist are learning from the Year In Space astronaut twin mission
Learn about space radiation
Read a fellow NASA Co-Op's blog - Imagine Nat
More on mission control operations during Hurricane Harvey
Stowage Success: NASA Co-Op #3 Week 16
Last week at my third Co-Op tour at NASA Johnson concluded with successful handover and continuation of the stowage app. I passed on development leadership to a full-time employee after receiving green light from managers. I consider this outcome to be a mission accomplished.
After receiving feedback from non-biased data takers, I met with app developers to prioritize how to move forward with app development. As a result the development team wants to designate a point of contact to learn about stowage ops just as I have to understand what the customer, crew member, would benefit the most from. The developers plan to take the feedback to refine app functionality and interface to make it more intuitive. Additionally, after comments from users like, “what do I do next?”, implement a procedure based app and conduct more user tests after refinements with an explicit tutorial.
Following my exit pitch to management about the stowage app I was awarded a Flight Operations Challenge Coin earned by exemplifying Mission Control values during my Spring Co-Op tour with the Inventory and Stowage Officers. These values include; discipline, competence, confidence, responsibility, toughness, teamwork, and vigilance.
Res Gesta Per Excellentiam -
Achieve through Excellence
This tour has been the most challenging and enjoyable so far. This fall I will be joining OSO (Operations Support Officer) team in Mission control.
You thought volunteering at Houston FIRST Robotics Championships was enough robots for me?
WRONG
I attended the St. Louis Championship too on my way home from Houston! My "Robot" Mater the Duluth East Daredevils and local team Esko Subzero Robotics competed.
It's good that we are moving the St.Louis Championship to Detroit next year because the roof started leaking on the field! Note the plastic tarp covering part of the field.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
This week at NASA < 3 minute video summary.
First ever virtual career summit Wednesday May 24th hosted by NASA with insight on internships.
Why Co-Op during college?
Astronaut Jack Fischer chats with MIT students about space life.
Johnson Space Center Director, Ellen Ochoa, is inducted in astronaut hall of fame.
Space Device User Test: NASA Co-Op #3 Week 13
Feels like a day back in high school robotics. Staying late Friday to work out the last software bug. If there is a team member in the lab, you are in the lab. Instead a team of high school robo-prodigies, I lead a team of developers and flight controllers in preparation for a space device user test. The goal is to test a stowage app may make unloading and loading cargo ships easier astronauts to perform on the International Space Station. The app runs on a device that makes these operations more hands free. Additionally the app may make stowage operations more error free. I have coordinated the Stowage App's debut - a user test performed by experienced Mission Control flight controllers in NASA Johnson's Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF). The SVMF is filled with exact replicas where astronauts train and devices are tested.
During the space device user test participants were asked to go on a sort of extraterrestrial Easter egg hunt. Users were asked to unpack stowage items from a visiting vehicle mockup and stow them in the International Space Station mockup. While participants learn how to use the app and pick up items non-biased data takers record results and record reactions. Unapologetically, we threw the users under the bus without giving a tutorial on how to use the app. This way data takers could assess how intuitive (or not) the app is.
Valuable data was collected about app usability. Developers shared they already had ideas to make the app more user friendly. For the remainder of my Co-Op tour I will be engaged with data analysis, brainstorming with the dev team how to improve the app and a pitch to management about continuing app development.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
"This week at NASA" video highlights John H Glenn's interment and Cassini the Saturn orbiter's final days prep.
If you missed NASA's Snapchat story featuring interns their Tumblr page shares how you can land a PAID NASA internship.
Become a US Government Civil Servant and get on track to becoming a full-time NASA employee by participating in the NASA Pathways Internship Program (Co-Op).
Details about Cassini's last shot to take data on Saturn.
Robotics, Simulation & Future: NASA Co-Op #3 Week 8&9
Robotics: Many NASA interns and Co-Ops got hooked on STEM disciplines by participating in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics. In fact there is a robotics team that meets at NASA Johnson's Space Vehicle Mock Up Facility, the Robonauts. There are four levels for FIRST Robotics; Junior Lego League for ages 6 to 10 (JrFLL), Lego Robotics League for 4th to 8th grade (FLL), FIRST Tech Challenge for 7th to 12th grade (FTC), and FIRST Robotics Competition for 9th to 12th graders (FRC). There are still FIRST Robotics events you can take part in.
Search for FIRST Robotics events pick “Event” and use filters such as dates, program type, county and zip code.Volunteers apply through the Volunteer Information and Matching System and need to pass a background check. Once you are accepted into a position the volunteer coordinator will supply you with the necessary training.
WATCH TEAMS COMPETE LIVE (every Thur - Sat through weekend of April 27th, 2017).
Robot my FRC team made
Robot the team who builds here, Robonauts, made.
This year’s FRC game.
Simulation: A group of us toured the Systems Engineering Simulator (SES) lab a part of NASA Johnson's Robotics Engineering division. Astronauts visit SES to practice docking Orion, capturing the SpaceX Dragon cargo ship, and driving a Mars rover. They simulate realistic physics and scenarios with in house software (Unreal Engine couldn't cut it). The have simulations with the International Space Station, Japanese Cargo Vehicle (HTV), Dragon, Cygnus, Orion and future space exploration vehicles.
Future of NASA: Center Director Ellen Ochoa, Deputy Director Mark Geyer and Associate Director Melanie Saunders hosted an All Hands where they shared with NASA Johnson employees essentially our state of the union. Ochoa described that NASA of priority and interest of the new administration. Per the request of the administration, NASA is conducting a study to weigh the risks of adding a manned crew to Space Launch System and Orion Space Craft's EM1 test. This study is expected to conclude late March.
Nothing, you can't do anything with an electrical engineering major. Jk folks, EE is one of the most flexible degrees:
https://umdcareers.wordpress.com/2016/11/22/what-can-you-do-with-an-electrical-engineering-major/
Throwback to when I captained a FIRST Robotics team and a really fun interview about my NASA Co-Op experience:
http://www.fox21online.com/news/local-news/UMD-Student-Reaches-For-The-Stars-With-NASA/42581116
Think you are bombing an interview? Ways to turn things around, gain control and get hired!
One Stop Career Advice
Links to career posts by me to help you transform a passion into a profession
Introduction to USAJobs | Score a Career with the US Government Part 1
USAJobs Resume Builder | Score a Career with the US Government Part 2
Pathways Internships | Score a Career with the US Government Part 3
It’s Never Too Early to Intern
Internships – Beyond Your Project
What Can You do with a Computer Science Major?
Make the Most Out of Your Summer Career Experience
What’s a Co-Op & How Do I Get One?
Not a Typical Internship - Alternatives to a Summer Internship
Comfortably Inconclusive: NASA Co-Op #2 Week 10 & 11
This is the first internship I have completed without a definite finished product to hand over and it truly bothers me. Trials were performed with the small business made humidity sensor with three levels of humidity in order to gather different data points. From these trials a >10% difference between the humidity sensor and NASA known sensors was found. This was primarily because the sensors available to me were not calibrated so errors in the thermodynamic equations could propagate. In conclusion the trials were inconclusive. However, I left a trial rig that can be used with calibrated sensors and known humidity levels, explanation of equations used to gather data and ample documentation on how to run trials with my fluid system and data collection program. My exit presentation pictured above went really well, I was so glad the Director of Engineering Propulsion could attend my presentation!
Before my departure International Space Station astronauts gave a debrief on missions 46 and 47. British astronaut Tim Kopra and American astronaut Tim Peake narrated a video showing images from the missions and scientific experiments they performed. Kopra explained astronauts are experiments themselves and they draw blood, perform ultrasound and exercises to help advance medical science and understand how humans are affected by space travel.
I really enjoyed the multi-disipline challenges I faced this summer running trials on the humidity sensor. Right before I left my Dad and I caught Kate Rubins and Jeff Williams installing the Commercial Crew Docking Adapter outside of Space Station live! This fall I am back at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) continuing my studies in electrical engineering and computer science. While at UMD I work in the career center editing resumes, giving presentations and writing career tip posts like this: https://umdcareers.wordpress.com/2016/08/17/internships-beyond-your-project/
In the spring I will return to Johnson to Co-Op in Mission Control's ISO (Inventory and Stowage Officer) group.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
See what NASA was up to this week.
Read about the astronauts on space station right now!
Apply for a NASA Co-Op
Apply for a NASA Internship
Sensing Mars: NASA Co-Op #2 Week Nine
Running trials with the new humidity on my fluid rig showed the fruits of my labor finally ripened. This week I ran three trials to collect data determining if a small business designed Humidity Sensor makes accurate measurements. NASA collaborates with small businesses to solve problems related to upcoming missions. The small business designed this Humidity Sensor so it could measure the humidity on Mars without corroding due to the planet’s chemistry.
Using sensors that NASA is familiar with I ran trial cases to get three different data points and compared those measurements to the new sensor. I created a low humidity environment with a desiccant (drier), created a moderate humidity with ambient air and a high humidity environment with a water bubbler. Using a National Instruments cDAQ (compact data acquisition) I collected data from a thermocouple, pressure gauge and a Vaisala humidity sensor that measures dew point (the temperature at which air can no longer “hold” all of the water vapor which is mixed with it) and mixing ratio (mass of water vapor over the mass of dry air). The new humidity sensor simply gives me the parts per million (ppm) of water using it’s ultrasensitive laser absorption spectroscopy. My other sensors don’t give me a ppm value so I have to calculate it using equations from my mentors “Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics” book.
Building this trial rig was a unique experience because it required knowledge in electronics to interpret the signals sent by the sensors, computer science to write the data acquisition program and VNC (Virtual Network Computing) and chemical engineering to interpret data reported and use correct thermodynamics principles and equations. Next week will be looking at the data and get tangible values about how accurate the new Humidity Sensor is.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Check out the AstrOlympics
See what NASA was up to this week
Apply for a NASA Co-Op
Apply for a NASA Internship
I had the awesome opportunity to have coffee with Johnson Space Center (JSC) Director Ellen Ochoa and Deputy Director Mark Geyer. Above I am pictured to the left of Ochoa in a red blazer and I look pretty serious writing notes. JSC leaders have been striving to hear voices from employees up high, in the trenches, wise, and new. Recently JSC Center and Deputy Directors have hosted coffees to share their goals for JSC and listen to concerns. Ochoa and Geyer shared their vision of JSC 2.016, how NASA can do more with less resources and deliver what is expected and beyond on current missions. Out of all NASA contractors and civil servants I was randomly selected to share my perspective and concerns as a Co-Op.
JSC 2.016
It's no secret that NASA's budget is far less than it was during the Apollo Era. NASA's budget was over 4% of the federal budget during the Space Race to the Moon and now below 1% despite NASA's goals to journey to Mars. Keeping realistic in funds and resources JSC 2.016 is a mantra adopted by NASA employees to do more with the resources they have. At the coffee Ochoa shared that the goals of JSC 2.016 is to ensure our work is pushing forward NASA's current missions, enabling change by listening to and adopting new ideas, removing obstacles that hinder progress, and share NASA's missions with communities.
Concerns
Before attending the coffee I polled JSC interns and Co-Ops to see if they had concerns and questions to share. Within moments of the coffee starting Ochoa and Geyer shared essential insights on how NASA’s mission is evolving in a five, ten and beyond year sense - it was very Carl Sagan Cosmos-esk. Once I was brought to this level of long-term thinking my key concern broadened from specifics. During my opportunity to talk I mentioned the concern about the vagueness of the Journey to Mars mission compared to the solidity of Space Launch System, Orion, Space Station and Commercial Crew missions. I was surprised to hear that fluidity of our Journey to Mars is actually intended. Discoveries and knowledge from Space Launch System, Orion, Space Station and Commercial Crew missions are necessary before solidifying the Journey to Mars. During those missions we will collect a lot of data on the vehicles that will be carrying our astronauts, learn new things we didn’t plan to learn and test the waters with deep space collaboration with private industries and international partners. Fluidity is the nature of NASA’s long-term impact on humanity which is unique to all other forces in the world advocating for short term instant gratification (short term can even mean one year, eight years and even decades compared to humanity as a whole). NASA must deliver what is expected of us and beyond on these current solid missions to ensure more solidified Mars related mission in the future.
We Still Need NASA
With all the SpaceX, Lockheed Martin and general private space industry hype some may have the impression that we no longer need NASA for space exploration. Articles titled "U.S. government should fund private space companies, not NASA" paint false claims of competition between government space missions and private industry. During this coffee this misconception of competition was expunged and I was re-energized about why we still need NASA. NASA, as a subset of the US Government, awards contracts to private space companies that would otherwise not be able to pursue these aerospace endeavors because they do not bring in a profit. The government can risk to make these long-term investments without certainty of short-term instant gratification like profit. There is a tendency to forget that NASA has been contracting work to private companies since the 1960s. Grumman Aircraft was contracted to build the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) in 1962. Being a government agency, NASA can foster a unique relationship between other countries space agencies such as ROSCOSMOS, JAXA and ESA. Through decades NASA is the government agency that has lead the cohesiveness and steady beat of the drum of space exploration progress.
Fellow Co-Op shared her experience testing Curiosity Rover's drill, Morpheous tested thrusters and students toured space structure labs.
Jackelynne Silva-Martinez presented "Behind the Scenes on the Verification and Validation (V&V) Tests of the Curiosity Rover's Robotic Arm." The Curiosity rover has been gathering data on Mars since August 2012. Jacky is a mechanical engineer who was a test operator for the MSL robotic arm during its V&V surface tests for sample acquisition, processing and handling. She tested with equipment which are a replica of the drill and the Collection and Handling for In situ Martian Rock Analysis (CHIMRA).
Engineering Structures (ES) students hosted a presentation and tour of labs that they work in for fellow Co-Ops and interns. These ES students are working on testing materials that cover Orion, untangling vibrations the Space Launch System experiences during tests and analyzing samples after the first Orion test.
ES had lab with electron microscopes, impact test tools and a 3D printing lab. From the outside the ES building looks like a bunch of office spaces but nested in the inside are many we equipped labs.
July 20th was the Moon Landing's 47th anniversary. In celebration Johnson Space hosted an ice-cream party!
Morpheus is a planetary lander capable of taking off vertically. This week Morpheus' positioning thrusters were tested to capture footage for Engineering Propulsion. The test happened outside and we had to stay in the lab to remotely operate the test. Co-Op Michael O'Donnell is working on Morpheus preparing it's fuel chambers for thermo testing.
Pokemon Go Has Taken Over NASA! Before work, at lunch and after work interns gather at Pokemon lures and battle at Johnson Space Center's gyms. There is a Saturn V, Mission Control and Apollo Statue gym! It appears the majority of NASA folk are blue team. Our unique Pokemon include Jynx, Venasaur and Mewoth.
100 Million X-Rays: NASA Co-Op #2 Week Three & Four
Jupiter orbital insertion, FIRST robotics coach visit and humidity sensor test prep have filled these past two weeks.
Drafting a fluid schematic complete with themocouples and pressure gauges I learn some fluid dynamics not expected to acquire as an electrical engineering and computer science major. The humidity sensor will be tested three ways - for 0% humidity with evaporating liquid nitrogen (Yah!), for ~ 50% with ambient room humidity down here in Houston, and >50% with ambient air being pulled through a water filled bubbler. Sensors will systemically be scattered to collect data and determine with a hefty amount of PV=NRTing if the humidity sensor works. After learning PV=NRT can only be used when you are certain the amount of water and vapor are equal to derive humidity we came up with the simple three part test matrix explained above.
My high school FIRST Robotics coach came to Johnson Space to tour some spacefaring robots, propulsion test center and space station mock ups (exact replicas of what is in space) at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility! We also visited Houston’s Natural Science Museum and biked on Galveston.
Within a second of what was expected the Juno Spacecraft performed her tasks successfully and inserted into Jupiter’s orbit. This basketball court sized spacecraft will be exposed radiation equivalent to a human receiving 100 million X-Rays in a year. Juno also captured the first demonstration of celestial harmonic movement hypothesized by physics. Powered by solar energy this Juno is unique because most crafts that travel this far are radioisotope thermoelectrically powered. A critical part of this insertion was turning the solar arrays back toward the Sun post insertion.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Watch…
Juno Media Briefing: https://youtu.be/I6uUEYOzipw
Juno Insertion: https://youtu.be/zfIqnpqPFbI
Juno Post Insertion Media Briefing: https://youtu.be/LH_uPWU5V3o
Apply for a NASA Internship: https://intern.nasa.gov/ossi/web/public/guest/searchOpps/
Apply for a NASA Co-Op (check back as it is updated as soon as one opens): http://nasajobs.nasa.gov/studentopps/employment/opportunities.htm
How to Work for NASA: Tips from a NASA Intern
Working for NASA is a life long dream for those who grew up building LEGO space stations, watching Space Shuttle launches and admiring Apollo Era heroes. Transforming this childhood dream into reality is more complicated than handing your resume to the right person but more straightforward than receiving a classified invite from an intelligence agent. I will share the many avenues of becoming a part of interstellar exploration discovered during my time interning at NASA. Ramen to Rockets NASA has two primary avenues for current college students to get involved - OSSI Internships and thePathways Internship program (Co-Op). OSSI (One Stop Shopping Initiative) is the main source for internships, fellowships and scholarship opportunities at various NASA centers. An internship is a semester long program where you work alongside professionals in your discipline, get paid in a stipend and do meaningful work that advances NASA’s mission. Some interns have been invited to join NASA full-time but is not common. A Pathways Internship (Co-Op) is similar to an OSSI Internship except a Co-Op is sworn in as a US Government Civil Servant, paid bi-weekly, receive benefits of a Civil Servant, and flip-flops between semesters studying at college and working at NASA. Some Co-Ops extend their flip-flopping into grad school. NASA’s primary pipelines for full-time Civil Servants is the Pathways Intern (Co-Op) program. I shared in great detail what the Co-Op program is and how to apply in this three part blog series. The phrase “college student” may spur images of a microwavable ramen zapping Millennial but NASA’s college programs are great for every kind of college student! OSSI and Co-Op students are parents, veterans, Millennials, experienced in industry and more. Cold Call Nothing can stop you from simply applying to a full-time position at a NASA center. I call it a “Cold Call” because this isn’t a pipeline program driven process. Go on USAJobs and search “NASA” and pages of positions will appear. Applying in this manner may feel like tossing your resume into a black hole. With stellar related experience in aerospace industry, research, military or start up work this method of applying may just work! I share how to use the USAJobs resume builder in this post. Alternatively, an extreme way to join NASA is to become an astronaut. I shared tips on the astronaut application processhere. Note that becoming an astronaut is the least probable way to work at NASA. Space Contract The majority of individuals working onsite at NASA centers are actually contractors. This means they are employed by private companies that NASA collaborates with on projects. Some of many contractors are Lockheed, Boeing, Jacobs, and System Technologies Group (STG). Projects that contractors work on include Orion, Space Launch System, propulsion testing, and International Space Station maintenance. A private company may have a contract to build a part or system and do so offsite at their respective facility. Contractors that produce a part offsite often come onsite to perform integration tests and are an important part of the NASA team and mission. Keep in mind, if you apply to a private (possibly aerospace related) company you may not have much control over if you are a part of a NASA related project. More recently NASA has been reaching out to small businesses for parts, services and solutions via Small Business Innovation Research. Small businesses can propose projects that can advance NASA’s mission. From Civil Servant on site to a small business working in a small town you can work with NASA and advance space exploration.
Mars Dust into Thrust: NASA Co-Op #2 Week One
You would think pursuing a double major in electrical engineering and computer science would provide enough breadth to remain confident at a Co-Op... wrong. As I start my second Co-Op tour at NASA Johnson's Propulsion & Energy Conversion team I am finding that the more you learn the less you know. This summer I will be LabVIEW programming for In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) a system that turns Mars dust into fuel. ISRU is a rover payload that takes in mars atmosphere and soil and turns it into liquid methane and oxygen (fuel options). Other capabilities is getting O2 to breathe and excavating drinkable water. One of my projects is to control with a National Instruments compact cRIO an oxygen liquefier and a new water concentration sensor. The sensor I am testing uses spectroscopy to eliminate sensor erosion from corrosive Mars materials. These tasks are very chemical engineering heavy which require understanding a system and how to control it safely. I am excited to tackle this learning curve, understand more about Mars mission energy systems, and become more comfortable with chemical engineering concepts. WAYS TO GET INVOLVED Watch what NASA is up to: https://youtu.be/p_snvjghMJg Learn how to program with LabVIEW: https://youtu.be/IOkoyuikj5Q?list=PLdNp0fxltzmPvvK_yjX-XyYgfVW8WK4tu Read about our journey to Mars: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/journeytomars/index.html ISRU in more depth: https://youtu.be/M3HbD1S_H5U
Make the Most of a Summer Internship Establishing good habits, setting goals and doing research - I share internship tips in U of Minnesota Duluth's career blog: https://umdcareers.wordpress.com/2016/05/05/make-the-most-out-of-your-summer-career-experience/
Our cheering faces are in an Official NASA Tumblr post. Go Cotern class of Fall 2015! You all can join us at NASA by applying for an internship, Pathways Internship (Co-Op), Recent grad program, Full Time position or become an astronaut!
So you want to work at NASA?
An out of this world career or internship might not be as far out of reach as you think. Check out all the ways you can get involved!
If you’re a student…
Our internships are the perfect place to start! We offer paid internships for spring, summer, and fall semesters to U.S. citizens currently attending an accredited university full time. Learn more at: https://intern.nasa.gov
Seriously considering a job in the Federal civil service? Check out the Pathways Internship Program which allows you to do multiple work tours while you finish school: http://nasajobs.nasa.gov/studentopps/employment/iep.htm
If you’re a recent graduate…
If you’re a U.S. citizen who has graduated from an accredited college or university within the past 2 years (or 6 if you have served in the military), then the our Recent Graduates program is just for you. Accepted applicants are placed in a 1 year career development program with the possibility of an additional year, or even granted term or permanent jobs within the agency. Learn more at: http://nasajobs.nasa.gov/studentopps/employment/rgp.htm.
If you’re a professional…
You can search for our job openings any time at USAJobs.com. Create an account, then use the USAJobs resume builder. Want to make sure your resume maximizes your opportunity for a job at NASA? Check out our Applicant Guide: https://applyonline.nasa.gov/applicant_guide.html.
You can then search for our job openings here: https://nasai.usajobs.gov/.
If you want to be an astronaut…
Astronaut candidate applications are accepted every few years- including right now! Get yours in before the current application closes on February 18, 2016.
Do you have a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field and 3 years of related professional experience? You might be eligible. Find out more and apply online at: https://nasai.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/423817000.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
NASA Co-Op Week 17: First Co-Op Tour Wrap Up
During my final week at NASA this fall I leave PLUTO with a helpful tool. I am putting together a database of hardware on board the International Space Station that is searchable by part number or name. Sometimes the astronauts ask about something that is hard to explain and visualize so this will ease communication. This may not be the most technical task but I wanted to leave them with a really helpful tool. This week I am also awaiting the opportunity to watch the astronauts use my training.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my semester with PLUTO. My top three experiences would have to be developing the astronaut training, visiting Kennedy Space Center and sitting console in Mission Control. PLUTO's work environment is impressive with friendly people, personal growth opportunities and approachable leaders. The PLUTO team was so gracious to nominate and present to me a Co-Op award for my work this semester. It is such an honor to work with these passionate and talented Mission Control specialists. This summer I return to the Co-Op program with the Propulsion and Power Division turning Moon and Mars regolith into fuel. I am so thankful for my Co-Op opportunity and I hope you all can get involved with NASA too! Please check out ways you can be a part of the NASA mission below.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Apply for a NASA Internship NOW (high school to grad school):
https://intern.nasa.gov/ossi/web/public/main/
Apply for a NASA Co-Op (Pathways Internship):
http://nasajobs.nasa.gov/studentopps/employment/opportunities.htm
Other current NASA opportunities for students:
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/current-opps-index.html
Apply to be a NASA astronaut due Feb 18th:
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/423817000
Follow Scott Kelly in his yearlong mission: http://time.com/space-nasa-scott-kelly-mission/
NASA Co-Op Week 16: Barf Lab & Mockups
Twenty five weeks at NASA Johnson I finally got a proper tour, lead by a tour guide, of the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility that houses exact replicas (build with same blueprint) of International Space Station modules, Shuttle, and Soyuz. Astronauts train in these mockups. A "low definition" mockup of Orion was present too.
Neurosciences Laboratory took us on a tour of their various astronaut barf machines. It is really like the rumors of spinning chairs, dizzying treadmills, and dark enclosed sliding contraptions. The spinning is to isolate parts of your brain that are used for balance. Only one day after Space Station astronauts return to Earth in Russia they are flown over to Johnson Space Center and put through a series of gravity adaptation tests. They had to pick up weighted objects, navigate around obstacles, jump of a short platform, and exit a hatch like structure. These tests will help NASA determine if astronauts would be capable of completing Mars surface operations after a long low gravity flight to the Red Planet. I wouldn't be surprised if returning astronauts Kjell, Oleg and Kimiya are on their way to the barf lab right now!
Most of the NASA Johnson Co-Ops and Interns complete their Fall semester this week. It is absolutely heart breaking to get to know so many space passionate people only to have to say goodbye at the end of the semester. I wish I could see all of these stellar students participate in NASA's future as they have already contributed to the growth of space exploration. It was an honor to work among these bright minds.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Accomplishments this week at NASA: https://youtu.be/4tw5uwHD0PEApply for a NASA Internship NOW (high school to grad school):https://intern.nasa.gov/ossi/web/public/main/Apply for a NASA Co-Op (Pathways Internship):http://nasajobs.nasa.gov/studentopps/employment/opportunities.htmLearn to code: https://hourofcode.com/usMeteor Shower live chat December 13th: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2015/M15-180.htmlCurrent NASA opportunities for students: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/current-opps-index.htmlCode more: https://www.madewithcode.com/
NASA Co-Op Week 15: Precious Cargo
Six flags of countries who contributed to the International Space Station decorate the flight console. I return to Mission Control watching launch preparations from a new perspective - with Remote Interface Officer. Colloquially called RIO this team of international collaborators were originally dubbed Russian Integration Officer. The RIO flight controller communicated with the Russian team for launch and cargo capture system checks for the Cygnus rocket launch carried by an Atlas V rocket. Cygnus carries over 7,000 pounds of experiments, food and replacement parts to Space Station. cell cultures, bacteria, and microbe satellite experiments are on board the Cygnus rocket. We are calling this event a "Cyg"-nificant launch.
A team of NASA flight controllers flip-flop working in the Russian Mission Control Center in Moscow and NASA's in Houston. For two months controllers visiting Moscow sit console for eight hours a day, six days a week, and on call 24/7. By being available to assist with international troubleshooting, answering the right questions, and making right calls at the right time RIO has saved the space station hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ten years ago an hour of an astronaut's time in space was worth $100,000 so that cost has inflated even more now!
RIO introduced me to their mascot, a groundhog named Phil. One of the first Russian American collaborations took place on a Groundhog Day. Phil's collar is decorated with pins from various missions. The plush Ground Hog was hibernating under the console but has been kidnapped and escorted around the Red Square.
An odd anecdote I learned is that there is a survival hand gun stowed away on the Soyuz capsule. It is used if the Soyuz makes an emergency landing in an unexpected area and the astronauts need to defend themselves from bears or wolves. That's pretty hard core!
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED Watch the Cygnus cargo launch Dec 3rd 4:55pmCT: http://www.ustream.tv/NASAHDTV Accomplishments this week at NASA: https://youtu.be/t3_5ahJ0-Lw Apply for a NASA Internship & Scholarships NOW: https://intern.nasa.gov/ossi/web/public/main/ NASA Co-Op applications: http://nasajobs.nasa.gov/studentopps/employment/opportunities.htm NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars: http://nas.okstate.edu/ncas/ Join an aspirations in computing community: https://www.ncwit.org/programs-campaigns/aspirations-computing