Internship Management System

Cryogenics Technology

• (Engineering - Cryogenics)
• (Engineering - Electrical/Electronics-Parts & Packaging)

Various tasks associated with cryogenics technology will be performed by the student.

[Propulsion Subsystem] Deep Space Climate Observatory

• (Engineering - Aerospace-Flight Dynamics)
• (Engineering - Mechanical-Fluid or Structural Dynamics)

The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) is one of the missions under the Earth Science Program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The purpose of the DSCOVR mission is to predict space weather, solar wind, and geomagnetic  storms critical to the nation’s power and transportation industries. This is a unique mission involving refurbishment of an already-built satellite at NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center.

The student will be responsible for organizing technical data on flight propulsion system components and creating propulsion subsystem design documents that will help verify the propulsion subsystem is prepared for launch.

Digital Media Internship

• (Communications - Public)
• (Space Science (Astronomy))

Earth science data system web site content development

• (Computer & Information Sciences - Scientific Visualization)
• (Computer & Information Sciences - Computer Science-Vision)

The NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) collects and processes remote sensing data from earth observing satellites, aircraft and ground based measurements, and distributes data products to science users around the world. EOSDIS performs these data functions at 12 data centers across the country led by a project office at the Goddard Space Flight Center. The project office promotes EOSDIS information and capabilities via a web site currently being upgraded with interactive graphics to engage and improve the viewer’s experience. This web site describes the types of Earth science data collected and presents the facilities that store and manage the data. Describing the sources of the Earth science data is important to establishing the context for the data managed in the data system. The intern will assist the project in gathering, assessing and implementing the science missions, instruments, and measurement parameters to display on the web site in newly designed formats.

The intern will research internal and related external web sites and documentation to gather the Earth science information, conduct a review process with project staff, and update the EOSDIS web site with the approved information. A major goal is to ensure up to date information consistent with NASA Earth science program documentation, NASA HQ web sites, and EOSDIS internal consistency. The intern will also be expected to provide feedback on the graphical representations and suggest changes or improvements that, if adopted, will be implemented by the development team. During this activity the intern will learn about the Earth science program at NASA from the data system perspective. The intern will work with computer systems, security processes, and networks necessary for the data system operation.

Electronic Component Fatigue Stress Assessment

• (Engineering - Mechanical-Design)
• (Engineering - Integraton & Test-Vibration & Dynamics Testing)

Increase fatigue analysis capability in group by aiding in determining a simple method for evaluating the fatigue stress of electronic components.  Learn how to operate vibration control system (simulates rocket launch environment) to perform failure testing on several electronic component styles. Learn simple, principles of the finite element method and fatigue analysis and apply them to build simple finite element analysis models (with help from mentor).  Provide results of testing and simplified hand calculation that will predict if a component should fail when exposed to various levels of loading.

Environmental Science Technician at Wallops Flight Facility

• (Earth Science - Biospheric Science)
• (Other)

Student will assist Wallops Flight Facility Environmental Office personnel in conducting protected species surveys, performing  soil, water, and air sampling as well as noise monitoring.  The student will also provide office support by doing research, performing simple calculations, and preparing presentations.  One of two weeks of planting marsh grass in a mitigation wetland might be in store as well.

Establishing links between solar-wind and topside-ionospheric parameters

• (Space Science (Astronomy) - Heliophysics-Ionospheric Response to Solar Inputs)
• (Space Science (Astronomy) - Heliophysics-Solar Wind and Magnetosphere Physics)

The ionosphere and magnetosphere are integral parts of the same plasma-dynamical system that is affected by changing solar-wind conditions. This project attempts to determine if solar-wind drivers can directly modify the high-latitude topside ionosphere and, if so, to determine the quantitative linkage. The work will involve the analysis of data from satellites in the ionosphere and/or the solar wind. The former involves radio sounders used to determine ionospheric electron-density profiles; the latter involves extracting specific physical parameters from solar-wind data. Case studies involving both quiet and disturbed geomagnetic conditions will be investigated.

Exciting Science of Space Weather and Forecasting of Space Weather Events

• (Space Science (Astronomy) - Heliophysics-Space Weather)

The importance of space weather has been recognized both nationally and globally. Our society depends increasingly on technological infrastructure, including the power grid as well as satellites used for communication and navigation. Such technologies, however, are vulnerable to space weather effects caused by the Sun's variability.
 
NASA GSFC's Space Weather Center (SWC) (http://science.gsfc.nasa.gov//674/swx_services/swx_services.html) has developed space weather products/capabilities/services that not only respond to NASA's needs but also address broader interests by leveraging the latest scientific research results and state-of-the-art models hosted at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (http://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov).

This is an opportunity for highly-motivated and qualified high school students to learn the basic science of space weather and to gain first-hand experience of how scientists/forecasters at NASA/GSFC Space Weather Center carry out analyses needed to predict space weather events and safeguard NASA's assets as well as society's interests at large.

Three interested students will be selected for this opportunity. After basic training in space weather science and operational procedures, along with mock-up space weather event analysis, they will be encouraged to work as a group to carry out the functions/duties of a space weather forecaster. It is our intention to foster their interest/involvement in research related to space weather.

Expected opportunity outcome: an independent space weather forecaster; knowledge about the solar system and impact of the solar storms on the earth's environment and society; interested in further pursuing space weather related scientific research; the decision-making skills and knowledge acquired during the program will be beneficial to any future career pursuit.

Facility Management/Engineering/Operations and Maintenance

• (Engineering)

The intern will be supporting the business management aspects of executing the facility management program at the Wallops Flight Facility. This will include an introduction to facility engineering, facility operation and maintenance, and project management for the overall operation of the Wallops Flight Facility.  Activities may include conducting Facility Condition Assessment with building inspections and photographing, cataloging the Wallops Island Airfield lighting or other specialty technical equipment, audit of Operations and Maintenance Library, and performance surveillance reporting.

Fiber Bragg Gratings for Frequency Stabilization

• (Space Science (Astronomy) - Astrophysics-Gravitational Wave Astrophysics and Black Hole Theory)
• (Engineering - Detectors and Sensors-Active (Lasers))

Lasers are an essential component of many precision measurement methods, and it is often necessary to control the wavelength or frequency with high precision.  Any control method needs a frequency reference, and we are investigating optical fiber bragg gratings as a possible alternative to traditional frequency references.  These optical fiber-based gratings are the size of a human hair and have a number of properties that make them well suited for spaceflight applications.  This project will involve assisting in experiments to investigate the properties of these gratings as references.