Category: Internship Report

What are the current goals of your project?

With most of the work toward my original deliverables already complete, I plan to spend the second half of the internship on my personally assigned projects. The creation of calculator demos was actually suggested by me after doing some initial research in the first two weeks. I found a better way to run the backend of our simulators, which I plan to use to convert all of the remaining calculators on the site.

I was also recently assigned to a team for a collegiate design challenge held by NASA for interns, which involves designing and prototyping a small cleaning robot meant to operate in zero gravity environments. That work will be completed over the next 4 weeks, along with several of the other interns in my office. Of course, any more page migration or implementation of already completed work after review will also be necessary, and I hope to have several new sections of the website complete and published before my time here is finished.

What accomplishments has your project made so far?

Throughout my five weeks at NASA so far this summer, I have accomplished a number of tasks focused on the migration and further development of the public Beginner’s Guide to Aeronautics website maintained by GRC. My project outline focused on three main tasks: the conversion of equations from text / HTML format to LaTeX, the migration of the Guide to Hypersonics page, and the creation and presentation of a new calculator.

While the first two weeks of my internship were spent mainly completing orientation assignments and waiting for admin access to the website, I was still able to view the public side of the site, creating several organized sheets of information for later use. During the third week, I completed several small updates based on user error submission forms, and was granted admin access to both the main site and a training site to use as a personal sandbox. I used the training site a significant amount in the fourth week, during which I completed a number of my original deliverables. I drafted and fully completed the calculator demo early in the week, sending it off for review shortly afterward. I then created over 100 pages of LaTeX equations in the training site to use for comparison to the main site and easy integration once they have been reviewed. This, along with several pages I updated without review, finished almost all of the work toward my first deliverable.

I ended the fifth week by finishing the migration of the Hypersonics page, my final deliverable, and completing reviews of another two sections of the site, making this my most productive week by far. Most recently, during the fifth week, I began work on converting more calculators, which should be completed within the next two weeks.

What impact has this internship had so far?

So far, this internship has been a unique look into the operations that keep large public sites up and running. Web development was one of several topics I was interested in after beginning a computer science minor, and working on the BGA website has given me a much more in-depth guide on using various tools, including site plugins and even methods of team communication. Additionally, much of the information I spend my time converting from one format to another ties directly into content I am currently learning in my aerospace classes in college, making my work feel much more relevant to my current education.

Outside of the actual assigned work I have been completing for the internship, I have also toured several of the other buildings and research facilities on site, giving me a better idea of what exactly I want to pursue in the future. Being able to talk face-to-face with professionals during their everyday work schedules is rare, and being surrounded by experts in their fields makes learning about their everyday work that much more enjoyable. This internship provides a glimpse at what NASA actually accomplishes on a day-to-day basis, and definitely has me looking forward to my future work in the aerospace industry.

Describe what you did during your internship:

The general attitude at the Johnson Space Center is very intern-focused, so when I wasn’t working, I spent a lot of my time attending intern events, such as guest lectures, tours, and more. I also made sure to network and meet many other people in the organization.

Did you achieve your goals?

Yes, I did achieve my goals! The UPRITE interface, Flywheel middleware, and Flywheel support tool were all developed as planned. There are still discussions being had to continue optimizing the software, fixing any potential bugs, and adding functionality to each, which is pretty typical in the software development lifecycle.

Describe positive lessons learned:

One or the most important lessons I learned is that if you want to make something happen, you absolutely can at NASA. If you’re interested in a project, or you want to pursue a potential opportunity, the only caveat is that you have to take the initiative and ask about those things yourself. Maybe you asked and were turned down – ask again, either to someone else or by discussing an alternative. There’s a good chance that, at the end of the day, it’s possible, and someone will be interested in helping make it happen for you.

Describe negative lessons learned:

The summer term is insanely short. It can be super difficult to manage all of the intern experiences offered to you, on top of the actual work itself, because it felt like there was simply not enough time to take advantage of everything. It was hard having to sacrifice certain opportunities over others in the sake of time, but my time management and decision skills have definitely become more refined as a result.

What was the impact of this internship?

My NASA internship gave me a lot of invaluable technical skills and connections, but the overarching lesson that it taught me was that, with enough enthusiasm and relentlessness, there really is no limit to what you can do and where you can end up. I’m forever grateful to the ISGC for opening the door to this opportunity for me.

What are the current goals of your project?

For the second half of the internship the plan remains to finish the inlet section of RAPTOR and complete the accessory work that was being done in the first five weeks. Work will also begin on the new RAPTOR sections as they get approved. In between doing RAPTOR Wind Tunnel work, assembly of the RAPTOR WATCH system I picked up design work for in the spring will begin. Finally, I am looking forwards to hopping on any new projects I am assigned and hope to see all the projects I did in the spring come to fruition as they begin testing in the summer.

What accomplishments has your project made so far?

Construction work for the RAPTOR Wind Tunnel has been ongoing for multiple years with a variety of interns working on both the tunnel itself and methods for characterizing the flow through the test section. From the start of the summer session a large quantity of my time has been spent continuing RAPTOR construction with another returning RAPTOR intern. With our combined experience of RAPTOR we have been able to design two to three new RAPTOR wind tunnel sections to facilitate the new drive system the tunnel uses, begun work on the tunnel window, completed gasketing for the sections, and begun work on the inlet to allow for smooth flow through the test section. Along with RAPTOR work, many of the projects I started in the spring came to a close as I finished the assembly of a blast shield and completed other smaller projects.

What impact has this internship had so far?

This internship has continued to verify my interest in aerospace engineering. I enjoy my work and the feeling I get from being able to see my projects develop from an idea to a design to a completed product. The passion I have for engineering, design, and problem solving has helped me realize that my primary goals are to get into the field as soon as possible and eventually get a masters as needed. My time at the Rotorcraft Aeromechanics division has been fantastic and a combination of the people I get to work with and the meaningful work I get to contribute to has helped me realize that I am on the right path!

Describe what you did during your internship:

During my internship I migrated all content from the legacy site to GLEW, ensuring seamless integration of interactives and simulations. Additionally, I researched and developed new content focused on emerging aeronautics and aerospace technologies. One of my key projects involved designing and developing a fully autonomous Kwadropus duster arm prototype for cleaning the ISS in microgravity. I also managed inventory and conducted quality testing on legacy equipment to ensure optimal performance.

Did you achieve your goals?

I was able to achieve my overall goals of this internship. Not only did I migrate all the contents, but in addition, I was able to develop my own content and publish them on the GLEW pages. I was also able to contribute to additional projects where I learned so many new things.

Describe positive lessons learned:

It’s okay to say “I don’t know.” People are generally willing to teach and support me without judgment. In networking and presentations, this mindset allows for open learning and growth, fostering a more collaborative and understanding environment.

What was the impact of this internship?

My experience at NASA Glenn taught me the power of collaboration. Working alongside experts from diverse fields showed me that the best solutions are often born from collective ingenuity.