Internship Management System

Office of Education Summer of Innovation Project Support

• (Education)

The high school intern will support the Goddard Education Office Summer of Innovation STEM program (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in areas such as the planning of and preparation for upcoming NASA STEM summer camps for middle school students. The applicant should have excellent communication and organizational skills, experience with web design, graphics, database development, and demonstrated interest in NASA science, engineering or technology.

Optical, Electrical, or Computer Engineering

• (Engineering - Optics)
• (Computer & Information Sciences)

 The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large, infrared telescope with a primary mirror that is 6.5-meters in diameter.  The project is working to a 2018 launch date. The JWST will be the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It will study every phase in the history of our Universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang, to the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of our own Solar System.  More information on this observatory is available at www.jwst.nasa.gov.

As part of the JWST team, the student will work in the areas of computational optics and image-based phase retrieval.  Depending on the student's interests & skill set, time can be spent:

(1) partaking in optics experiments, collecting and analyzing data, 

(2) developing tools for computer control of mechanical devices and digital cameras, 

(3) developing software for numerical analysis, possibly to run on graphics processors (GPU) using CUDA, or

(4) developing graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for existing software.

These different possibilities involve programming in MATLAB and C/C++, using CODE V or ZEMAX optical design software, and working with Linux, Mac, and Windows operating systems.  Experience with any of these software tools or operating systems is not essential, but a benefit.

Photographer

• (Other)

The Intern will assist the senior photographers in the Technical Information and Management Services Branch (TIMS) to provide photographic support and other duties. The following photography assignments will be performed: (1) Document the outside of each buildings on-site, (2) Document summer interns at their work sites, and (3) Archive CD's and pull images as requested by the photographers. Depending on project schedules, the Intern will accompany the senior photographers and assist in covering a broad ranges of photo shoots including ceremonies and Center events, building documentation, portraits, passport photos, and videography.

Phytoplankton and the Carbon Cycle

• (Earth Science - Ocean Science)
• (Earth Science - Climate Change)

Phytoplankton serve as the base of the food chain in the ocean. They are important to the ocean's productivity because they are eaten by oysters, fish, and even whales. NASA has satellites that look at the ocean and measure phytoplankton concentrations. This internship will use knowledge of chemistry, biology, and optics. We will conduct fieldwork and lab work. This internship requires good skills on the computers with Microsoft applications such as MS Word and Excell. This project will take place at NASA Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

PICetSat Technology Development

• (Engineering - Electrical/Electronics-Radio Frequency (RF))
• (Engineering - Electrical/Electronics-Controls)

This high school project is reserved for a senior or rising senior who is interested in pursuing a degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering (EE) or Electrical-Computer Engineering (ECE) at an acredited university within the next year, pending approval of the Code 568 branch head. 

The student will need to be trustworthy and self motivated.  The skills to be used and developed are in electronics, microcontrollers, interface circuits, radio, Windows OS, programming and basic test equipment. 

The tasks available will be to (1) explore additional programming options and capabilities using the new PICAXE-08M2 microcontroller on the PICetSat I module (see http://simsat.net/carrollsat/), (2) work to obtain one's Amateur Radio license for all the benefits this reaps near and far, (3) explore USB-to-Serial conversion as a means to program an onboard PICAXE and ATMEGA microcontroller and write a tutorial (or "how to") for peers, (4) evaluate Code Reader software (e.g., CwGet, MixW, FLdigi) and write a Consumer Reports-like article for peers, (5) support I&T phases (e.g., encapsulation, ground station setup, or calibration of sensors) of flight modules, (6) assist Code 568 university student interns as needed, or (7) any number of other duties as assigned.  

 

Propulsion Branch Support

• (Engineering)
• (Engineering - Propulsion-Spacecraft Maneuvers)

The student will join the propulsion branch at NASA Goddard which designs, builds, tests, and operates spacecraft propulsion systems. The primary project for the summer student is the development of a propulsion branch wiki (information site). This project involves working with a number of engineers to collect and review current design tools used in the propulsion branch. The work also includes investigating and collecting information regarding propulsion component specifications as well as vendor information. The student will also comb historical propulsion resource documents to be included in the wiki. The summer student will also have the potential to work alongside some engineers in the clean room, assisting with the integration and test of the current systems being built at Goddard.

Science Website Development

• (Computer & Information Sciences)
• (Communications)

The public web presence of the NASA/Goddard Sciences and Exploration Directorate (SED) consists of more than 600 websites, covering spacecraft missions, instrument science and engineering, research projects, and a variety of other topics. Interns are needed to work with a team of Web developers, content producers, editors, and database programmers to upgrade and update the SED's extensive catalog of websites, some dating back a decade or more.

Depending on sites selected for reworking, interns may be asked to 1) Apply new page templates to create a modern "look and feel" for existing legacy content; 2) Work with the Science Writer and Editor-in-Chief to enhance and update text, graphics, and links; and 3) Renovate inadequate or ineffective site navigation.

In addition, interns who would like to gain experience with digital media will have the opportunity to work with the Science Writer to create original Web content, including videos and blog posts, about scientific activities at Goddard.

Comments:
Candidates for the internship can be at any academic level or discipline, as long as they have hands-on HTML experience and an ability to learn new skills rapidly and work independently. Future Computer Science and Information Technology majors are an especially good fit for this position, but any interested candidate with relevant skills is encouraged to apply. We can provide computers and office space.

Software Process Improvement (SPI) Team Intern

• (Computer & Information Sciences)
• (Engineering)

The Intern will support the Software Process Improvement (SPI) Team in process workflow development to create software development processes and procedures, which comply with NASA Procedural Requirement 7150.2A, Goddard Procedural Requirements, and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) requirements, using the Software Developer’s Assistant (SDA) tool.

Solar Storms and Earth's Radiation Environment

• (Space Science (Astronomy) - Heliophysics-Solar Wind and Magnetosphere Physics)

The solar wind is a stream of electrified gas constantly being expelled from the Sun. When the Sun is active, the powerful solar wind can unleash tremendous magnetic storms that can disable satellites, threaten astronaut safety, and even disrupt Earth-based communication systems. At NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, computer simulation models have been developed to predict the response of the Earth’s space radiation environment to variable inputs from the solar wind. This project involves (1) analyzing available satellite and ground-based data sets and identifying geomagnetic storms; (2) modeling these storms with in-house computer models; (3) performing data-model comparisons to quantify the predictive capabilities of these simulation techniques. We are looking for students with a desire to learn computational models and to work with data sets. Basic knowledge on computer visualization is preferred but not necessary. Students with an interest in space physics and space weather are encouraged to apply.

Sounding Rocket visualization for post-flight analysis at Wallops Flight Facility

• (Engineering)
• (Computer & Information Sciences)

The Mission Planning Lab (MPL) provides a collaborative visualization and analysis tool that allows realistic simulation, presentation and evaluation of platform selection, flight profiles, and range asset placement.

A pre and post-flight mission tool, MPL visualizes, analyzes, and optimized mission specifications based on vehicle characteristics, range setup, and performance to support missions and assess alternatives with: Visibility, Feasibility, Variability and Certainty.

This project will specifically address a post-flight simulation for investigation into a sounding rocket mission for the program: http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/code810/