NASA

2021 - 2023

From Fall of 2021 'til Spring of 2023, I'll be interning at NASA's Johnson Space Center in the NASA Pathways Program. Johnson Space Center is home to Mission Control, the Astronaut Corps, and a host of branches dedicated to the future of space exploration. I'll be supporting both engineering and flight operation directorates by contributing to the Artemis Program. Read more about my work, projects, and out-of-this-world experience at JSC below!

Fall 2021

Supporting EG5 - Flight Mechanics and Trajectory Design

August 2021 - December 2021

Mars Ascent Project

After much research and discussion with technical experts at NASA, I wrote trajectory scripts for Mars ascents. This work involved an extensive understanding of orbital mechanics, UNIX, Julia, and Genesis, and are meant to serve as a foundation for future Artemis mission scripts. I created created trajectory scripts for single-stage and multi-stage rockets with satellites ascending from Mars' surface. These scripts simulated Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC), accounted for the Martian environment, and placed the rockets into orbit around Mars. I optimized Isp, target altitudes, propellant mass, ascending nodes, periareion distances and apareion distances. I also analyzed and compared the different launches, and presented my findings at cross-center meetings to engineering chiefs, technical experts, and program leads.

August 2021 - December 2021

Orion Abort Project

My second project was to create Low Earth Orbit (LEO) abort trajectories for Artemis II to safely bring the crew back to Earth. This project was done in both a Python editor and NASA's Copernicus Trajectory software. I took courses in Python and had the Copernicus developers teach me the ins and outs of the program to prepare for this project. I edited scripts, ran scans, and compiled data to create optimized abort trajectories for every minute of the Artemis II launch windows. This work will eventually be added to NASA's Damocles Copernicus wrapper.

September 2021 - December 2021

Flight Director Chair

For the JSC Intern Committee, Tours and Lectures, I contacted, organized, and hosted lectures in Mission Control with Flight Directors such as Gene Kranz, Ginger Kerrick, and Fiona Turett.

September 2021 - December 2021

Outreach Project Leader

For the JSC Intern Committee, Outreach, I organized and planned community outreach events for the interns to participate in while in Houston.

Summer 2022

Supporting CI2 - Flight Operations in Mission Control

May 2022 - August 2022

Keyboard Camera Command Tool

I worked on software upgrades for a tool the flight controllers and astronauts can use to control the external cameras on the ISS. Between learning a new coding language, sitting in on sims and real time ops, and receiving instruction on flight controller responsibilities, this semester was rather transformative.

May 2022 - August 2022

Flight Director Chair

For the JSC Intern Committee, Tours and Lectures, I contacted, organized, and hosted lectures in Mission Control with past and future Flight Directors such as Gene Kranz, Ginger Kerrick, Chris Dobbins, and Ronak Dave.

Spring 2023

Supporting EC4 - Systems Test Branch in the Crew and Thermal Systems Division

January 2023 - May 2023

SpaceX Polaris Test Buildup

SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission is set to perform the first ever commercial EVA, or spacewalk. NASA has partnered with SpaceX to test their EVA/IVA suit to certify its life-support capabilities. I designed, machined, and assembled a large guidance structure to be used during manned testing, and also fabricated a covering for this structure. I made this structure out of TVAC-safe materials with high load-bearing capacities. I was also able to work with JSC's Softgoods/Spacesuits lab while working on this. The structure is now in JSC's Historic Chamber B and will be used in testing. While working on this, I gained an appreciation for all the coordination that goes on between EC4 and their commercial partners.

January 2023 - May 2023

Lunar Dust level sensor and Effects on Surfaces (LDES)

I supported LDES, which is a project studying the effects of lunar dust buildup on surfaces. If dust builds up on heat-emitting surfaces, the surface may not be able to emit the heat it needs to in order to safely operate, and the system could overheat as a result. LDES is working to mitigate the chance of failure by studying coatings that minimize dust buildup. I collected data on how lunar dust simulant is distributed by JSC's Dust Distributor, built an IR frame to simulate the infrared spectrum of solar radiation in testing, and supported Pioneer Astronautics Lens Coating test buildup and testing. For Pioneer, I designed and manufactured dusting and measurement stands for lenses, and was certified as an LDES test conductor so I could run trials.

January 2023 - May 2023

Cryogenics Research

I worked with 4 other engineers to conduct a study on the feasibility of adding mylar insulation around the cryopumping panels in JSC’s Historic Chamber A and Chamber B to improve refrigeration efficiency and thermal efficiency during warm TVAC testing. This work will be presented at the 2023 Cryogenic Engineering Conference and International Cryogenic Materials Conference. The abstract for this project can be found on NTRS - NASA’s Technical Report Server: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20230001701

January 2023 - May 2023

Chamber P Chiller Cart automation/upgrades

I worked with engineers and technicians to upgrade and automate Chamber P's Chiller Cart system. In doing this, I assisted with valve selection and electrical drawing updates.