Matthew Staber- Johnson Space Center

Accomplishments:

I developed new Isotonic mode firmware for the PKD (knee dynamometer), enabling astronaut strength training and rehabilitation at torques up to 240 ft-lb. I also contributed to ARC-ANGEL, a wearable system simulating lunar and Martian gravity, by building software and middleware for ODrive motor controllers, supporting the successful Test Readiness Review (TRR) and prototype deployment. Additionally, I assisted in the mechanical design of the UPRITE rack, a proprioception-training device, focusing on safe shell integration for astronaut use. I collaborate daily in a team of four interns and six mentors, integrating hardware, software, and firmware solutions across projects. Beyond project work, I engage with over 130 interns through the PIPE/SCuM professional groups, where I help organize events and participate in intern rocketry.

Mid-term Goals:

I plan to continue advancing the ARC-ANGEL system, improving performance and reliability of the ODrive control software gui, and supporting upcoming testing in NASA’s ARGOS offload facility. I also hope to refine the isotonic mode firmware for the PKD to further enhance astronaut training capabilities and to contribute to system-level integration across the hardware and software teams.

Impact:

This internship has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I’ve learned so much from incredibly talented mentors and peers. The intern community, both professionally and socially, has been inspiring and supportive, and I’ve built connections that I truly value. This experience has strengthened my passion for STEM and for NASA’s mission!I hope everyone has the opportunity to work in an environment like this someday, whether in STEM or Non-STEM, because it’s been wonderful.

Adam Rutecki – Collins Aerospace

Describe what you did during your internship:

Throughout this internship, I was able to get hands-on experience performing first unit integration and testing of software-defined radios and high-power radio amplifiers. This allowed me to gain many insights into intentional design decisions that are made for space environments and interfaces between hardware, firmware, and software and their integration. Throughout this, I significantly deepened my understanding of Python by writing automated tests, firmware interfaces, and testing user interfaces. I also have significantly expanded my knowledge of secure RF communication theory and digital signal processing through mentoring sessions with engineers and on-the-job learning resources provided by Collins. Lastly, I was able to assist with requirements traceability work and test procedure development, giving me a valuable insight into this important work that ensures customers receive working hardware to fulfill their missions.

Did you achieve your goals?

In summary, this internship provided useful and insightful experience that will prove valuable in understanding and continuing to work on applications of terrestrial technology to space. The experience has also connected me with many great mentors and leaders, and will prove useful in helping me secure a full-time job before graduating in the spring of 2026.

Describe positive lessons learned:

One of the most valuable lessons I took away from this summer was the importance of prioritizing learning and professional development to deepen my understanding, as well as seeking out strong mentors to support my growth as both an engineer and a leader.

Describe negative lessons learned:

I did not realize the importance of advocating for my interests in an internship program that offered flexibility in terms of the types of work I could do.

What was the impact of this internship?

Being a part of this team has given insight into how crucial of a role solutions for space can play, and how commercial solutions can be quickly adapted for low earth orbit applications.

Ryan Muetzel – Goddard Space Flight Center

Describe what you did during your internship:

I had two tasks in the internship. The first was to familiarize myself with MagicDraw MBSE modeling. To do so, I was given a training project to learn the systems, so I could later build tools that would integrate with MagicDraw development. During the training project, the design decisions were also intended to be used an example training guide for future systems engineers. The second task was to develop a tool for test plan creation. The goal was to create a series of AI agents that would take functional requirements, create test plans for each requirement, and then consolidate test plans where they overlap to increase testing efficiency. These test plans would still need to be reviewed by professional system engineers, but this tool was designed to bootstrap the initial phases of systems engineering and skip a lot of the initial work typically incurred at the start of a project.

Did you achieve your goals?

Both projects went really well. The training model was completed quickly, and I learned a lot to help me in the second task. This basically taught me the process for completing the three tasks listed in the project goal, which I leveraged to improve development of the test plan processing software. The final output from the second task was successful, and I created a proof of concept system that was able to process the majority of requirements into usable test plans for systems engineering development. The solution is not yet perfect and there are a handful of issues that need to be handled in the future. However, the final program that I had created lays the groundwork for future development to revolutionize how systems engineering work is done.

Describe positive lessons learned:

I learned a lot during this experience. I took a deep dive into learning how systems engineering development works, especially at the onset of a project. This was also my first experience working with an AI agent for a dedicated task. Training and tuning the AI’s output was certainly a learning experience, and taught me a lot about what they can and cannot be used for.

Describe negative lessons learned:

I think the main negative lesson I learned is that there may not always be a solution, at least with the current mindset. Looking at a problem or architecture from a different perspective can reveal the real issue or at least provide insights into the issue at hand. A mindset change, based on a new perspective, may reveal that the current idea is not feasible and requires a new approach. This was a painful lesson for me to learn, when I realized I needed to rebuild my architecture for the second project, but making that change and rebuilding let me make a successful final solution.

What was the impact of this internship?

This internship has shown me how software and AI can be used to solve real-world engineering problems, especially in space missions where reliability is critical. It’s made me more interested in working on tools that support large, complex engineering projects.

Gabe Holden – Marshall Space Flight Center

Describe what you did during your internship:

During my internship with ER-63, I focused on supporting the development of accurate models and control methods for a BLDC motor applied to an inertial load simulator. I researched and implemented data acquisition methods using a Magtrol DSP7001 controller paired with an HD-715 dynamometer, enabling precise measurement of motor behavior. Using LabVIEW and MATLAB, I derived key motor parameters including rotor inertia, viscous friction, and Coulomb friction, which supported the building high-fidelity Simulink models. I also supported deploying field-oriented control (FOC) on the BLDC motor through the Arduino SimpleFOC library, allowing for improved torque control and motor efficiency. Additionally, I designed and tested a physics-based soft-stop safety feature in Simulink and created a quick-start guide to streamline future use of the inertial load simulator.

Did you achieve your goals?

All of my objectives were completed over the course of the internship. I established reliable DAQ methods, extracted accurate motor parameters, and implemented FOC, supporting the creation of validated Simulink models and improved motor control. These outcomes advanced ER-63’s testing capabilities and provided practical tools for future users.

Describe positive lessons learned:

My favorite part of being with NASA has been the contagious amount of passion circling around. Everyone has an open door and are ready to share their work with you. Interning with NASA is much deeper then just coming into work for eight hours every day to complete a few tasks. There is purpose and meaning behind work given to interns and it is an incredibly cool opportunity to be a part of. I have learned endless amounts of information, as shared in this report, that I have never touched and may not touch in class.

Describe negative lessons learned:

This summer has presented trialing times to NASA as an entirety, this has forced some uneasy and uncertain situations. As an intern it has been challenging to unfold the chances of returning.

 

Owenn Hermann – Kennedy Space Center

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Did you achieve your goals?

 

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Luke Post – Langley Research Center

Student in lab equipment showing off internship project.

Describe what you did during your internship:

I started by investigating whether electroding the flax-based composite samples was necessary for accurate dielectric measurements which entailed creating a mask for uniform electrodes, and then thermal evaporating gold and sputtering silver on them. After that testing was complete, I moved to the main goal of my spring here which was characterizing the effect of moisture on the dielectric constant of the composites. For that study another intern and I made a humidity chamber by developing a bubbling system and exposed all of the samples to increased levels of humidity. I then took capacitance measurements on those samples every morning and calculated the dielectric constant. Doing that, I was able to find a line that fit the moisture level versus dielectric constant plot so we should be able to figure out how much moisture is in these composites by their dielectric constant. While I was doing that, I was also using an inkjet printer to print frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) in silver and attempting to find the optimal sintering conditions that resulted in the lowest resistivity of the printed structure. I then used those printed structures to detect moisture inside of the biocomposite samples based on the change in the frequency response of the samples when there was no moisture present. I also started preliminary work on using those same FSSs to test for strain within the material by looking at the shifted resonant frequency of the FSS when the composites were under a load.

Did you achieve your goals?

Yes, I did achieve my goals. For the dielectric measurements, I was able to classify a baseline dielectric constant for all three different composites and create a fitted curve that related to their moisture content vs dielectric constant. I also figured out that electroding of the samples was unnecessary for our experiment. Then for the moisture testing, I, along with one of my mentors, discovered that 1 uL of water was able to be detected when placed behind the flax/Rilsan sample, and we have preliminary results for strain testing on a milled FSS but nothing yet for the FSSs on the flax composites.

Describe positive lessons learned:

I learned how to effectively conduct research, how to better report my findings, and how to write a technical report for journals and conferences. I also gained in experience in how to effectively work in a team research setting.

Describe negative lessons learned:

The only negative I can think of is that sometimes layoffs happen and during my time in the internship, there was a lot of unease about what was going to happen.

What was the impact of this internship?

This internship has shown me how much I truly love research. It has challenged me in a way that I don’t get to see in school with real world problems and has allowed me to work on projects that have the potential to change the world. It has made me sure of the fact that I desire to continue school beyond my bachelors and aim for a PhD so that I can continue to do this kind of research when I graduate. It has also cemented my desire to work in the aerospace industry long term. The aerospace industry brings unique challenges to the table every day due to our minimal understanding of everything that goes on in space which I love. Getting to see all of the mind-blowing work that goes on at Langley certainly redefined portions of my goals and confirmed other aspects.

Gabe Holden – Marshall Space Flight Center

Describe what you did during your internship:

During this internship I participated in many fashions from my own project work to additional opportunities given to interns. For project work, my day-to-day included CAD modeling in CREO, using the MSFC Makerspace to 3d print and test parts, soldering circuit designs on protoboards, programming an Arduino UNO with the Arduino IDE, etc. Additional to PRIME, I spent plenty of time working on particle characterization which included running morphology as well as particle size distribution on AM powders and various regolith simulants. I also had the opportunity to take optical measurements on materials intended for flight under the Materials on International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) as well as on the passive side of Boeing’s Gateway docking station. There were also several tour opportunities such as to see Artemis hardware, the ISS Payload Ops Center & Lab Training Complex, and the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing (NCAM).

Did you achieve your goals?

During this internship, all goals and objectives put in place were not just met but exceeded. Over the course of the 16-week session, a complete overhaul of the system was completed. Ultrasonic transducers were successfully reverse engineered from an off the shelf ultrasonic cleaning unit and integrated into PRIME. Additionally, structural design changes were made in order to ensure a watertight system and a circuit capable of automatic operation was designed and soldered utilizing a protoboard and Arduino Uno. At the conclusion of the rapid prototyping process, a functional ground prototype was assembled. This ground prototype was then used to give a successful demo, drawing heavy interest in the future of PRIME. Following this demo, the ground prototype was put through initial testing which resulted in successful cleaning of contaminants during each test run. With this prototype verifying proof of concept and jumping the technology readiness level (TRL) of the ground version of PRIME, efforts were commenced to make progress towards a flight capable capsule. This involved collaboration the lead Glovebox Integration engineer at MSFC as the end goal of PRIME is to be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) for extensive microgravity testing as a Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) experiment. Towards the end of this 16-week session, a paper was written on the current status and design of PRIME as well as future work for the flight model. This paper will be utilized by future PRIME manpower as project guidance. Beyond this, a poster was produced to be displayed inside building 4711 at MSFC.

Describe positive lessons learned:

One of the biggest lessons I learned during this session was how to handle the difference between life in academia and life in industry. There was an initial learning curve of not going home and spending the entire evening diving deeper into my work. A major item for me was beating imposter syndrome, I was intimidated by the idea of coming to MSFC and had my own doubts. This internship showed me what I can do and has boosted my confidence as a student and engineer.

Describe negative lessons learned:

My one major takeaway as something to adjust to is implementing patience. Many situations have occurred where processes with NASA take longer then desired and caused unwanted downtime.

What was the impact of this internship?

This internship has opened the door to vast opportunities within NASA. Getting a taste of what working for NASA is like has inspired me to stay on this path and come back for an internship this summer, along with making my way to working for NASA full-time following graduation.

Brooke Scanlon – Johnson Space Center

Describe what you did during your internship:

I worked on various projects that revolved around exercise in space and the human component of spaceflight. I was able to do design work, mechanical assembly, and software development.

Did you achieve your goals?

I was able to further develop my coding skills which was a large goal of mine. This will further prepare me for the workforce and the world is heading further in an automated direction.

Describe positive lessons learned:

Open every door and advocating for yourself.

Describe negative lessons learned:

None! This experience only taught me great things I will carry forward in my career.

What was the impact of this internship?

My internship at Johnson Space Center has increased my interest in engineering, and solidified my choice of career. It gave me hands-on experience, helped me build technical skills, and showed me how teamwork plays out in real projects.‌

Sushant Chiramana – Ames Research Center

Describe what you did during your internship:

For the projects assigned, I was able to work on the following: For the RAPTOR project, my goal for this semester regarding this project was to continue the construction of the wind tunnel and hopefully complete it. Constuction includes building the various sections, and the drive system for the tunnel. The sections were mainly made out of wood hence hours of wood construction had to be put in to complete the building of the sections. For the Outwash project, my goal for this semester was to create a calibration rig that would help in the measure of the outwash air velocity. Various components are involved in making the rig for a proper calibration hence those parts were to be ordered and be designed as part of an assembly. Hot-films are being used to measure the air velocities and have to be calibrated before every test before taking the measurements, hence the rig should provide an easy method to calibrate the hot-films. A cart was designed which would easily carry all the components and can easily adjust based on the location of the hot-films and is mobile to take away from the testing setup. For the BEST project, a rotorblade component was designed to study the tensile strength of the root of the blade. The blade was 3D printed at different orientations and the root of each was pulled until the maximum force for each and understand the best orientation for the blades while manufacturing.

Did you achieve your goals?

For each of the projects, the following were achieved: For the RAPTOR project, the main construction of all the tunnel sections were complete. Although it is yet to be smoothened out, and painted, the construction itself is complete. For the Outwash project, the calibration rig has been built but is yet to be tested to ensure the components are connected well. The rig will soon be tested to verify if every component works well with the required function. For the BEST projects, multiple tensile strength tests were conducted, and more are to be conducted before any plausible results can be concluded. Overall, a lot of progress has been made on each of the projects to be carried forward for further developments.

Describe positive lessons learned:

I gained a lot of experience during my 16 week experience at Ames Research Center. I learned to work as a team and set daily tasks for myself to develop not just my skills but the project as well. I was able to network with reputed NASA employees and understand the working process. I was also able to learn the skill towards work-life balance such that I was able to give time for my leisure activities while making progress in my projects.

Describe negative lessons learned:

There were no negative lessons I have come across during my internship. I have had a very positive experience and was able to complete my internship with positive results.

What was the impact of this internship?

This internship has allowed me to explore different aspects of a research project. I am learnt the protocol of communicating with different levels of staff authorities based on the need and help, and how to work in terms of good needs for a project. I was able to enhance my skills and use it in a manner to contribute well to the projects to bring progress. All efforts as an intern was acknowledged by every mentor and I was given the opportunity to learn more about the science behind the projects. I developed my collaborative skills by not only helping out my mentors, but by helping out other mentors in their projects. This has developed my interest more in research and STEM as I have been exposed to different opportunities and how as an intern I am able to contribute to NASA projects.

John Greager – Johnson Space Center

Describe what you did during your internship:

I had two main tasks this tour: 1. Prototype and research vibration dampening solutions for the portable life support system on the xEMU. 2. Research weight saving materials for use within the xEMU for future Martian missions. Along with my two main tasks, I also assisted in designing audio lab support equipment and various other audio related tests.

Did you achieve your goals?

I can confidently say that I’ve become a lot more confident in my abilities as an engineer. I was able to learn from some of America’s finest engineers within the aerospace industry. I feel that I can approach complex issues and efficiently dissect them into simpler parts. On top of that, I have a great interest within the field of material science, enough to make me pursue a graduate degree within the field. I was also able to get my name and research onto two NASA documented research articles that will be presented at an annual conference.

Describe positive lessons learned:

It’s actually alright to ask as many questions as possible, especially when you’re working on a multi-million dollar system. Try to take on tasks that are not too far from your comfort circle. Broadening your talent only makes you better. Talk to people and get to know them, even if they’re in a far superior position than yours.

Describe negative lessons learned:

The government can be slow! There are many processes that delay a project, but they’re there to ensure your safety.

What was the impact of this internship?

I already have some opportunities for the summer, so continued employment is a valid option. I never thought I’d be working at NASA, and expanding on that, I never thought I’d be actually capable of doing so. I now see that the skills I have gained up to this internship are very useful and make me capable of doing what I thought i couldn’t.