Ever since I went to Space Camp in the 8th grade (and again in the 9th), I’ve wanted to work for NASA. What I’ve wanted to do at NASA has constantly been changing—from wanting to explore Mars as an astronaut, to leading the first team down to the surface from mission control, to now wanting to work a little more behind the scenes as an astrodynamics engineer planning the mission’s trajectories through space. But one things has remained the same—my desire to explore the cosmos.
So when I found out about the NASA Pathways Intern Program (then called the NASA Co-Op Program) while on a college visit, I knew I needed to be a part of it! Since applying for and being accepted into the program when I was a sophomore (circa 2010), I haven’t looked back! It has seriously been one of the most rewarding and fun experiences I’ve ever been through…and whose journey continues on still to this day.
After so many wonderful opportunities at NASA these past 6 years, I thought it would be beneficial to share with you my experiences being a part of this great agency. So today I am sharing with you a little more about the NASA Pathways Intern Program—what it is, what experiences I’ve had in the program, and how you can apply if you are interested! So without further ado…let’s get started!
Note: I’m still digging up more photos from all my tours, so I’ll add in pictures as I can find them!
. . .
What is the NASA Pathways Intern Program?
The NASA Pathways Internship Program operates under the co-operative education model, whereby the student gains work experience while alternating between semesters of work and school. In other words, it’s an internship in the traditional means that you gain work experience at a company, but different in that you come back for multiple work tours that are interspersed throughout your schooling. It’s a truly great experience for someone who wants to immerse themselves into a company and see all the different facets of how the company operates over multiple tours.
Visiting the business end of the Saturn V on site at JSC.
As a part of the NASA Pathways Intern Program at Johnson Space Center (JSC), you are encouraged (expected) to work in a different department each tour. And I highly recommend this too! At JSC, the two main branches for engineers are the Flight Operations Directorate and the Engineering Directorate. As their names imply, the Mission Operations Directorate focuses on managing and running crew operations and training (i.e. Mission Control), while the Engineering Directorate focuses on analysis, planning, and testing of the technologies associated with future missions and mission goals. Within each Directorate there are a number of divisions. For instance, the Engineering Directorate has the Avionics Division, the Propulsion Division, the Flight Mechanics Division, the Robotics Division, etc. And then within each division are a number of branches that specialize in a particular area of research or analysis. For my first tour I worked in the Mission Operations Directorate, EVA Robotics and Crew Systems Division, specifically in the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Systems branch. For my second tour I worked in the Engineering Directorate, Flight Mechanics Division, specifically in the Trajectory Design branch. I’ll go into each of my work tours in a bit, but I just wanted to give you an example of how the departments at JSC are organized.
By working in a different branch each work tour, it provides you with a more global perspective of the work going on at the center and helps you to understand how all the work fits together. For instance, I’ve worked in both the Propulsion Division and the Flight Mechanics Division, each of which plays a major part in a mission’s trajectory design. One tour I was working on development of the propulsion system and the required fuel for use, and the next I was working on trajectory development using that same propulsion system. It was the same problem but from two different perspectives and it greatly aided me in understanding how each Division approaches a problem, and ultimately the importance of working together.
In addition, I highly recommend for engineering students to do at least one tour in the Mission Operations Directorate (in addition to the Engineering Directorate). By trying out both Directorates, you will understand how other engineers across the center are using the information you produce. It will also give you a greater appreciation for the collaborations happening across center. For instance, when working in Crew Operations I gained an understanding and an appreciation of the time and effort that goes into creating procedures used on-board by astronauts. Developing procedures is a lengthy process whereby several iterations are required for even the simplest of tasks (to account for safety, ease, and efficiency). This understanding aids me not only on the front end when I’m talking to these people (in how I present information to them), but also on the back end when I’m deciding what information and analysis will be most useful to generate. Understanding how your tools and analysis will be used is a huge step forward in creating and disseminating your information more effectively.
. . .
How is it different than being an “intern”?
At the base level, it’s all about who is funding you–the NASA Pathways Program or another government-funded agency (such as NSF, NSTRF, etc.). But it’s also the type of experience you get. While I highly value the opportunities provided by more traditional internships at NASA, I would never trade in the experiences I had as a NASA Co-Op. Being able to come back for multiple works tours, while trying out different branches of work was an indispensable experience and like none other. My global understanding of the agency is something I can carry forward with me in this job and the next.
Aggie astronaut Mike Fossum meeting with Texas A&M students. Gig ’em!
As a Pathways Intern, you are an official NASA civil servant. With that title comes more responsibility but also more opportunity. Most interns will be considered on-site contractors, which comes with it subtle differences in security clearance (which I won’t get into here). As a Pathways Intern, you will have access to some of the agency’s one-of-a-kind facilities and expertise. Tours to places like the Apollo historic mission control, the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, and the floor of ISS Mission Operations are available, as well as talks from space industry heroes like Gene Kranz, just about any astronaut you could think of, and NASA Center Directors. It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you get to come back to multiple times throughout your educational career!
. . .
Wait, but aren’t you a graduate student?
Yes! I am a graduate student (in my 4th year!). I started as an undergraduate co-op and then was accepted into the graduate co-op position. And yes, you do have to receive an offer letter to be a part of the graduate co-op program–it’s not something that you are just moved into when you become a graduate student.
The program itself is pretty much the same, except that I don’t change branches each tour now. Instead, I received an offer from a single branch (Flight Mechanics and Trajectory Design in my case) and return to that branch each work tour. While I miss seeing a new side of NASA each tour, I love going back to the same branch time and time again. Each tour I gain a little more responsibility and the work environment feels so much more like family since I’m with the same group each time. You really get to dive in and become a true and valued member of the team.
. . .
What kind of work have you done?
Like I mentioned above, I’ve been working as a NASA Co-op for 6 years now and I’ve loved every minute of it. Below I’ll give a brief overview of the work I did on each tour. I’ll try to keep things simple here so that everyone (the non-rocket scientist) can understand a little more about what I’ve done.
Tour 1 | Fall 2010 – EVA, Robotics, and Crew Systems
The EVA Systems branch is responsible for crew training of EVA systems, tools, and procedures, as well as providing real-time operational support for astronauts on orbit. In this group, I became certified to teach the Enhanced Caution and Warning System (ECWS) to astronauts. The ECWS is the system of the space suit that provides feedback to the astronaut about his/her consumables (oxygen, water, etc.) on a space walk. When astronauts are out on a space walk, they have to carry all their consumables with them. And so to teach this course, I had to understand the Primary Life Support System (PLSS) that the astronauts carry with them and how this system interfaces with the ECWS. If you’re interested, you can learn more about space suits and suit design here.
image, Astronaut training in the NASA JSC Neutral Buoyancy Lab.
In addition, I gained 80+ hours experience running CrewStation of the Space Station Training Facility used to train flight controllers. This means that I acted as a crew member aboard the ISS and modeled typical errors that would happen on orbit to train flight controllers on the proper procedures to follow.
Visiting the EVA console in NASA Mission Control.
As a part of my overall training in this branch, I completed 45 classes and had the opportunity to work and train with astronauts on a daily basis! Aside from these duties, I co-developed and independently worked the Knowledge Capture Project which documented various failures, upgrades, and best practice methods for EVA team reference. Two of my favorite events covered as a part of this project include the first (and only) ever 3 person EVA and repair of the Hubble Space Telescope.
In addition to my work duties, I served as the Point of Contact for NASA Co-Op Outreach, coordinating events for student volunteers.
. . .
Tour 2 | Summer 2011 – Flight Mechanics and Trajectory Design
The Flight Mechanics and Trajectory Design branch is in charge of vehicle design and mission profile development. In this group, I determined the optimal flight profile and phasing for Mars ascent trajectories through pitch and throttle modulation. In layman’s terms, I generated different ascent trajectories from the surface of Mars while varying different design parameters such as engine angle and power. I also examined two phase performance for various orbits that was used in sizing the spacecraft lander design. Meaning that my ascent trajectories provided data on the required propulsion system needed and were used in the design and development of the landing vehicle itself. (It’s a very iterative process!)
image, The surface of Mars taken by Mariner 4.
As a part of these studies, I gained experience presenting and defending my results to other agency centers, and my trade studies were used to update the Design Reference Architecture (DRA) for future Mars missions.
. . .
Tour 3 | Spring 2012 – Advanced Physics Propulsion
The Advanced Physics Propulsion branch works on breakthrough technologies to enable human exploration of the Solar System. As a part of this team, I developed a passive magnetic damping system for use on a torsion pendulum to measure the low thrusting capabilities of the Quantum Vacuum Plasma Thrusters (QVPTs). You can read more about the Q-thrusters here, but it is essentially a novel propulsive technology that uses properties of the quantum vacuum to propel itself through space without the need to carry fuel! My work on this technology included development of a pendulum system that allows us to measure the teeny tiny forces (think micro-Newtons) associated with an experimental Q-thruster engine.
image, Breakthrough propulsion technologies could make the Star Trek Enterprise a reality!
I also initiated testing of the Alcubierre Warp Drive phenomena through examination of interferometer fringe patterns. My role in this work was setting up the actual lasers used in the interferometer system. The fringe pattern generated from this setup can then be examined for constructive and destructive interference of the two light beams, which would demonstrate if a phase shift occurred. A shift in phase would represent a change in the distance traveled by one of the light beams, and would signify a change in the spacetime continum, as predicted by Alcubierre.
I also supported development of cis-Lunar (between the Earth and Moon) crewed mission architectures, with special emphasis on Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) systems which use a combination of solar cells and ion drives to propel a craft through space . You can read all about SEP systems here.
In addition to my work duties, I designed and engineered a pump demonstration for a piezoelectric valve developed for fuel line priming on the Morpheus test vehicle. Morpheus is an experimental lander developed fully in-house at JSC. You can watch all the Morpheus test videos here. The demonstration I developed was used at the Innovation Day for NASA JSC employees, where innovative technologies from across the center were shared.
image, Morpheus Vehicle during a flight test.
I also served as the Point of Contact for NASA Co-Op Outreach, coordinating events for student volunteers. Additionally, I presented the fundamentals of rocket design to local high school students interested in building a hybrid powered rocket. There are a multitude of opportunities for STEM outreach (and outreach in general) at JSC and in Houston.
. . .
Tour 4 | Summer 2013 (Graduate) – Flight Mechanics and Trajectory Design
The Flight Mechanics and Trajectory Design branch is in charge of vehicle design and mission profile development. On my 4th tour, I was involved in the development, testing, and documentation of a new software called MORPH, used for on-orbit targeting and rendezvous. Becoming proficient in both the trajectory program Copernicus and the rendezvous program MORPH, I developed 50+ input decks to model optimized trajectories and single vehicle targeting options. These were then used to generate data in the testing and validation of MORPH.
image, Spacecraft rendezvousing in Low Earth Orbit.
In layman’s terms I developed several test cases that were run in a verified software program and whose results were compared to a new software program’s outputs. Comparing these two outputs, I was then able to verify the new program’s ability to produce valid results. One of the biggest (and most surprising) challenges of this project was development of the test cases themselves. In order to generate a test case that can adequately test the new program’s ability to solve not only the easy problems, but also the most difficult ones (think: singularities), you must understand the underlying orbital mechanics fundamentals well enough to develop complex problems that test very specific issues.
In addition to my work duties, I served on the founding leadership team of the NASA Graduate Student Group, whose purpose it was to provide networking and social events for graduate students across the center. Previously, there had been no opportunity for this. The group also organized a graduate student panel, whereby undergraduate students could ask current graduate interns and co-ops about the NASA program and graduate school in general.
. . .
Tour 5 | Summer 2014 (Graduate) – Flight Mechanics and Trajectory Design
The Flight Mechanics and Trajectory Design branch is in charge of vehicle design and mission profile development. On my 5th tour, I assessed the performance benefits of Q-thrusters, a low-TRL (Technology Readiness Level) form of electric propulsion that operates on the principle of pushing off the quantum vacuum. (See Tour 2! I was working on a different side of the problem during this tour, which was incredibly cool!)
image, Sample trajectory work using Copernicus Optimization tool.
Using Copernicus Trajectory & Optimization Design tool, I performed trade studies that examined one-way minimum flight times, phasing performance, and round trip mission duration. Meaning, I was seeing just what kind of capabilities (speed, flight time, etc.) we could get with the Q-thruster engine, especially for missions to the outer Solar System. I also validated previous Q-thruster studies on outer planet trajectories and crewed mission architectures. Validation and repeatability of results is a key step in the process of space mission development.
In addition to my work duties, I was the Point of Contact for the NASA Graduate Student Group.
. . .
Tour 6 | Summer 2016 (Graduate) – Flight Mechanics and Trajectory Design
The Flight Mechanics and Trajectory Design branch is in charge of vehicle design and mission profile development. On my 6th tour, I developed detailed abort analysis and techniques for spacecraft (such as Orion) in novel Lunar trajectories. As a part of this project, I developed five initial input decks in Copernicus that corresponded to different segments in the trajectory. I then used a Python script to vary the time of the abort (when the abort maneuver would happen) and return time (how long it would take to get back to Earth), and to then optimize the delta-velocity required (analogous to fuel requirements). Running this type of analysis over the entire duration of the nominal mission, we were able to better see where critical points in our mission occurred, as well as how are vehicle was able to recover from missed maneuvers and other problems that could arise. This type of abort analysis is critical to mission planning.
image, The next manned spacecraft—Orion.
All results were then post-processed to find general trends and “no-abort” zones of the trajectory. This analysis will be used in the design and operation of future Lunar missions, and especially when looking at what capabilities our spacecraft of choice offers us in terms of mission trajectories (where can we go safely in this vehicle?).
In addition to my work duties, I was the Point of Contact for the NASA Graduate Student Group again and also served as a Student Mentor for the High School Aerospace Scholars.
. . .
What about after work activities?
The Pathways Intern Program at JSC has an entire student group dedicated to the co-op experience (work and play) while at JSC. There are committees (run by co-ops, for co-ops) focusing on community outreach, NASA apparel, social get-togethers and even for putting together fun music videos (you may recognize this video and this video).
NASA Co-Ops hanging out on-site at JSC.
Not only are there tons of co-op centered activities after work, but you are only a 35 minute drive to downtown Houston. This summer I made it my goal to explore the downtown area, and I’ll be covering my favorite spots over the coming months. You can check the Houston Local tab under the Travel Menu to see what all I did!
A Houston Dynamo MLS soccer game in downtown Houston.
Moral of the story: There is a plethora of things to do in Clear Lake and in Houston. The only shortage you’ll have is time to do everything you want!
. . .
Woah! All of this sounds awesome! How do I apply?
Yay! I love that you would like to be a part of the NASA Pathways Intern Program. You definitely won’t regret taking this step in your education and work career. If you are interested in the JSC Pathways Intern Program, you can find out more information and apply HERE. There are also Pathways Intern Programs at other NASA centers, and you can find out more information and apply to those HERE.
. . .
Do you have any tips for applying?
While the NASA Pathways Intern Program has evolved a lot in the six years I’ve been a part of it (including the application process), there are a few things I would recommend regardless of any changes that may have happened. (These are in addition to keeping good grades in your classes!)
- Get Involved. | Make sure you get involved on campus and in things that you love! Whether it be undergraduate research, organizations and clubs, space events in your area, or design challenges or camps. Show NASA how passionate you are! They are looking for well-rounded students with time management skills and a passion for the community (and space).
- Stay Current. | Make sure you are keeping up with current issues in the space industry. And also have a good understanding of what your NASA center of choice focuses on and why you want to be at that center specifically. For me, I wanted to be involved in the manned space program, and JSC is the leader in this. Tell them why you want to work for them!
- Show Your Passion. | At the end of the day, working at NASA means having a passion for space exploration. NASA wants people who whole-heartedly LOVE this stuff. From my experience, you’ll be hard spent to find more space-passionate people than those working at NASA. Passion is probably the most important characteristic you can show them!
No Comments