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Thomas Leps Internship Abstract

An optical navigation system is being flown as the backup system to the primary Deep Space Network telemetry for navigation and guidance purposes on Orion. This is required to ensure Orion can recover from a loss of communication, which would simultaneously cause a loss of DSN telemetry. Images taken of the Moon and Earth are used to give range and position information to the navigation computer for trajectory calculations and maneuver execution. To get telemetry data from these images, the size and location of the moon need to be calculated with high accuracy and precision. The reentry envelope for the Orion EM-1 mission requires the centroid and radius of the moon images to be determined within 1/3 of a pixel 3 sigma. In order to ensure this accuracy and precision can be attained, I was tasked with building precise dot grid images for camera calibration as well as building a hardware in the loop test stand for flight software and hardware proofing. To calibrate the Op-Nav camera a dot grid is imaged with the camera, the error between the image dot location and the actual dot location can be used to build a distortion map of the camera and lens system so that images can be fixed to display truth locations. To build the dot grid images I used the Electro Optics Lab optical bench Bright Object Simulator System, and gimbal. The gimbal was slewed to a series of elevations and azimuths. An image of the collimated single point light source was then taken at each position. After a series of 99 images were taken at different locations the single light spots were extracted from each image and added to a composite image containing all 99 points. During the development of these grids it was noticed that an intermittent error in the artificial "star" locations occurred. Prior to the summer this error was attributed to the gimbal having glitches in it's pointing direction and was going to be replaced, however after further examining the issue I determined it to be a software issue. I have since narrowed the likely source of the error down to a Software Development Kit released by the camera supplier PixeLink. I have since developed a workaround in order to build star grids for calibration until the software bug can be isolated and fixed. I was also tasked with building a Hardware in the Loop test stand in order to test the full Op-Nav system. A 4k screen displays simulated Lunar and Terrestrial images from a possible Orion trajectory. These images are then projected through a collimator and then captured with an Op-Nav camera controlled by an Intel NUC computer running flight software. The flight software then analyzes the images to determine attitude and position, this data is then reconstructed into a trajectory and matched to the simulated trajectory in order to determine the accuracy of the attitude and position estimates. In order for the system to work it needs to be precisely and accurately aligned. I developed an alignment procedure that allows the screen, collimator and camera to be squared, centered and collinear with each other within a micron spatially and 5 arcseconds in rotation. I also designed a rigid mount for the screen that was machined on site in Building 10 by another intern. While I was working in the EOL we received a $500k Orion startracker for alignment procedure testing. Due to my prior experience in electronics development, as an ancillary duty, I was tasked with building the cables required to operate and power the startracker. If any errors are made building these cables the startracker would be destroyed, I was honored that the director of the lab entrusted such a critical component with me. This internship has cemented my view on public space exploration. I always preferred public sector to privatization because, as a scientist, the most interesting aspects of space for me are not necessarily the most profitable. I was concerned that the public sector was faltering however, and that in order to improve human space exploration I would be forced into private sector. I now know that, at least at JSC, human spaceflight is still progressing, and exciting work is still being done. I am now actively seeking employment at JSC after I complete my Ph.D and have met with my branch chiefs and mentor to discuss transitioning to a grad Co-op position.

Leps, Thomas↗

My Internship at NASA

My name is Isaac Lopez and I am a junior at the University of Houston majoring in Mechanical Engineering Technology. I will be completing my first tour at the NASA-Johnson Space Center ("JSC") as a Mechanical Engineer within the Human Interfaces Branch. Throughout my tour, I was given the opportunity to work on multiple projects that have expanded my knowledge and interest in acoustics and engineering design. One of the projects I worked on at JSC consisted of doing acoustic simulation of the EVA comm. cap. While working on the comm. cap headset, my main duty consisted of simulating the acoustics of the headset to find a solution to the condensing water that can accumulate and block the acoustic tube, causing attenuation or complete loss of audio in one ear for an astronaut using the EVA. For this project, I had to create a Creo model of the comm. cap so that I would be able to import it into Comsol for acoustic simulation. I also had the opportunity to design a portable and lightweight beam degrader for the EEE Parts and Radiation team. With the help of Creo, I was able to make a CAD design and put together a small working prototype for the radiation team to demonstrate the capabilities that the beam degrader had. In addition to these projects, JSC allowed me to work closely on projects with other interns. I had the opportunity to help another intern with his acoustic diverter, intended to improve the sound quality in Node 1 of the ISS. During this project, I helped with some of the acoustic testing inside the anechoic chamber as well as helping record data during testing at the ISS mock up. During the course of my first tour, I was able to learn and continually improve on my CAD drafting skills. With each project I worked on, I acquired new ways to create and improve various designs with various constraints. Furthermore, I also had the opportunity to work with electrical engineers and learn about the electronic components that would provide control of the beam degrader functions. I was able to take the knowledge, skills and designs I had acquired during my tour at JSC (such as Finite Element Analysis) and apply them to my work on the Comsol Multiphysics software for acoustics simulation. I was also able to use it to do some stress analysis on a proposed design for a proposed Habitat structure. My time at JSC has been invaluable as it helped me grow and more fully-comprehend my major as well as spark an interest in acoustics and how much it relates to mechanical engineering. This internship has taught me that engineering is much more than a profession - it is embedded in our daily lives as a puzzle that requires critical thinking as an everyday challenge that makes life more interesting.

Lopez, Isaac↗

Spring Internship 2018 at the Prototype Development Lab: A place of Dreamers and Makers

This paper covers the role of the design process and the methodology of creating a trophy during my Spring 2018 Internship at the Prototype Development Laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center. In the course of this project I used many new machines and materials while trying to deliver a professional product for a competition that invites college student teams from across the country. The machines covered in this paper include the wood chop saw, CNC mill, water jet, laser engraver, and the 3D printer. This paper also serves as an assembly guide for the trophy.

Rueda, Juan F.↗

Abrstract - OnePlace Redesign Spring 2020 Internship

The project I worked on was the OnePlace Redesign. In that, I converted the OnePlace home page to the Service Portal to match NASA OnePlace’s current application design standards, I was able to allow users to easily find applications in OnePlace and I was able to allow users to easily find and request OnePlace services (new app development, new knowledge base, etc.). It was a major accomplishment to be able to remodel a website that soon the entire Langley center that uses OnePlace will use. The website was made through ServiceNow’s Service Portal, and I organized the applications like never before, allowed a clear styling to applications a user does not have access to and/or are new applications, browsing of applications with clear button divisions, and allowing for different options depending if app is accessible or not, with proper error checking in place and very-well documented code. It was amazing to incorporate all this logic into one widget so that whoever wants to utilize this feature has no trouble at all to do so. The 3 most important things I learned were being able to do this work within ServiceNow, as it is such an important enterprise platform for CRM and boosting the connected workforce of NASA, incorporate built-in APIs from ServiceNow Glide Records to connect Server Scripts to Client Scripts and HTML, and be able to use agile to get another experience of managing work capacity with stories, and having proper communication with the team if every feature is done correctly and steps for continuing forward. The part that I enjoyed the most was the training I did for ServiceNow and I freedom I had to experiment to see how to structure the Service Portal. I was not tied down, and I believe this allowed for a better outcome of the product. As part of the internship, I created a very in-depth design document with the help of my team to document the project goals before it was started and technical documentation (including the design document) summarizing the final result of the product in terms of the new features added and the explanation of the logic thoroughly so that anyone can understand the project easily. The technical documentation will be published as a Knowledge Article within OnePlace Knowledge Base documentation.

Ariel Wald↗

Fall 2014 Marketing Internship Final Report

The function of Kennedy Space Center's Center Planning and Development (CPD) directorate is to develop partnerships with the commercial space industry, academia, and other non-NASA government agencies to use KSC's facilities, technical capabilities, technologies and expertise, while building on existing partnerships. As an intern for the Spaceport Planning Office within the CPD, I played an essential part in promoting these opportunities by assisting the Marketing Specialist with organizing CPD's multi-booth exhibit for KSC's 2014 Innovation Expo. I was also responsible for gathering/reviewing video clips of interviews from existing partners to be used as potential footage for video testimonials that would be used to educate the public on KSC. My last project was to develop a standard presentation highlighting the benefits and potential of partnering with KSC, which would be used by KSC partnership development managers (PDMs) when presenting externally to potential partners. With these various projects and limited timeframe to complete each, learning to effectively manage my time and actively multitask was imperative.

Marketing↗

Cross-Cultural Competencies for the NASA International Internship Project

One of the principles that NASA upholds is to cooperate with other nations to advance science, exploration, and discovery for all. Effective cooperation across cultures, however, requires a certain level of skill. A construct called cross-cultural competency (CCC) emphasizes that individuals are capable of acquiring skills that facilitate positive and cooperative interaction with people of another culture. While some aspects of CCC stem from stable individual traits such as personality (i.e., extraversion, tolerance for ambiguity), most components can be learned and strengthened over time (i.e., empathy, mindfulness, trust). Because CCC is such a vital part of international cooperation, this summer we will design a training program to cultivate these skills between student interns, their mentors, and the Ames community as a whole. First, we will research what specific competencies are valuable for anyone to have when working in an international setting. We will then design a series of activities, events, workshops, and discussions that target and strengthen those skills. Finally, we will use both qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods to measure the success of the pilot program. This summer, the current international student interns will serve as our trial population for the program, while our goal is to launch the full program in Fall 2017. Overall, we hope to contribute to NASAs mission of optimizing international collaboration for everyone involved.

international↗

Traditional and nontraditional internships in government

Traditional and nontraditional methods for training technical writers-editors within the federal government are discussed. It is concluded that cooperative education that combines work experience with classroom instruction provides an excellent method for locating and training competent and reliable young professionals.

Stohrer, Freda F.↗

Engineering Internship Program Report

Towards the end of the summer, I prepared for a presentation to the chief of the Flight Crew Support Division to obtain funding for Phase 1 of the project. I presented information on the tracking systems, David Ray presented on the POGO and PABF and the integration of the virtual reality systems, and Mike Van Chau talked about other hardware issues such as head-mounted display, 3-D sound, gloves, graphics platforms, and other peripherals. The funding was approved, and work was to begin at the end of August in evaluating a couple of the tracking systems, to integrate the graphics platform and video equipment with the POGO, and to build a larger gantry for the POGO. This tour I learned how to effectively gather information and present them in a convincible form to gain funding. I explored a entirely new area of technology, that being virtual reality from the most general form down to finer details in its tracking systems. The experiences over the summer have added a lot of detail to work at the Johnson Space Center, life within NASA, and to the many possibilities for becoming involved with the space program.

Bosch, Brian Y.↗

Summer Research Internships at Biosphere 2 Center

Through the support of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth, Biosphere 2 Center hosted 11 research interns for 6 to 8 weeks each during the summer of 1997. In addition, we were able to offer scholarships to 14 students for Columbia University summer field courses. These two types of programs engaged students in much of the range of activity of practicing Earth Scientists, with an emphasis on the collection and analysis of data in both the field and the laboratory. Research interns and students in the field courses also played an important part in the design and evolution of their research projects. In addition to laboratory and field research, students participated in weekly research seminars by resident and visiting scientists. Research interns were exposed to the geology and ecology of the region via short field trips to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Mount Lemmon, Aravaipa Canyon and the Gulf of California, while field course students were exposed to laboratory-based research via intern-led hands-on demonstrations of their work. All students made oral and written presentations of their work during the summer, and two of the research interns have applied to present their results at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Maryland in April, 1998.

Broecker, Wallace S.↗

Summer Research Internships at Biosphere 2 Center

Through the support of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth, Biosphere 2 Center hosted 10 research interns for a 10 week period during the summer of 1998. In addition, we were able to offer scholarships to 10 students for Columbia University summer field courses. Students participating in these programs were involved in numerous earth systems activities, collecting data in the field and conducting analyses in the laboratory. Students enrolled in the field program were expected to design independent research projects as part of their coursework. In addition to laboratory and field research, students participated in weekly research seminars by resident and visiting scientists. Field school students were involved in field trips exposing them to the geology and ecology of the region including Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Mount Lemmon, Aravaipa Canyon and the Gulf of California. Interns participated in laboratory-based research. All students were expected to complete oral and written presentations of their work during the summer.

Source record↗

An Overview of My 2004 Summer Internship

This summer I have been working with the Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) group and NASA Glenn Research Center. As this is my second summer with the group, I was able to begin working as soon as I arrived. My first task was to develop a system to acquire an impedance analyzer. The basic setup of the system is as follows: a piezo- electric patch is attached to a sample, and a lead is attached to that patch. Another lead is attached directly to the sample, and the leads are connected to the impedance analyzer. The system then puts a voltage through the material over a range of frequencies, and the corresponding impedances are measured for each frequency. After data is collected, it can be compared to another data set, and through a series of calculations a damage parameter is produced. For the time being, we are using a correlation calculation to find the damage parameter. The hope for this project is that a baseline measurement can be taken, and then sometime later another measurement could be taken, and the damage parameter would determine how much damage had been done to the sample. To test this hypothesis, we took baseline data from a sample, and then sent it out to have a notch cut into it. When it was returned, we again took measurements on the sample, and the damage parameter was significantly lower. Another project that I have been working on pertains to the group's newly acquired acoustography system. This system creates a full field ultrasonic signal on one side of a sample, and an acousto-optic sensor is placed on the other side of the sample.

Hertert, Lucien↗

NASA USRP Internship Final Report

The purpose of this report is to describe the body of work I have produced as a NASA USRP intern in the spring 2010. My mentor during this time was Richard Birr and I assisted him with many tasks in the advanced systems group in the engineering design lab at NASA's Kennedy space center. The main priority was and scenario modeling for the FAA's next generation air traffic control system and also developing next generation range systems for implementation at Kennedy space center. Also of importance was the development of wiring diagrams for the portable communications terminal for the desert rats program.

Black, Jesse A.↗

IT Project Management and Systems Engineering Internship

In the summer of 2009 I had the privilege of participating in the NASA INSPIRE program and during the summer of 2010 I was hired by ASRC Aerospace, a NASA contractor on the USTDC contract, as an Engineering Aide. These experiences combined inspired me to pursue a career in engineering and a goal to work as a NASA engineer and astronaut.

Cardamone, Lauren↗