Internship Management System

Wallops Mechanical - Aerospace

• (Engineering - Mechanical-Mechanisms)
• (Engineering - Mechanical-Design)

The Wallops mechanical systems engineering group supports the broad range of aerospace activities conducted at or led from Wallops Flight Facility by supplying mechanical and aerospace engineering expertise. We are looking for hard-working, technically-oriented students who are interested in mechanical and/or aerospace engineering careers.

The projects we are presently working on include: lunar orbiter launch site preparation; small satellite body, deployer, and bus development and testing; space station resupply launch site preparation; space station experiment payload and ground support equipment development; science experiment accommodation design and installation on aircraft; sounding rocket launch infrastructure improvements; suborbital payload water-recovery system development; 3D printer utilization; and composite structure fabrication. An intern may work on any or several of these efforts depending on the intern's interests/abilities and the department's needs.

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/

Guidance, Navigation and Control Branch High School Intern will learn and aid in the analysis of rocket related engineering. (Wallops Flight Facility)

• (Engineering - Aerospace-Flight Dynamics)
• (Engineering - Balloons & Sounding Rockets)

The intern will work closely with a senior aerospace engineer to develop and apply engineering tools for the analysis of rocket technology development.  The student will use math and physics skills and will have the opportunity to expand their understanding and to be involved in the practical application of these skills. Location will be on site at Wallops Flight Facility.

Testbed development for the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration

• (Engineering - Integraton & Test-Space Simulation Testing)
• (Computer & Information Sciences - Integration and Testing-Software)

We are currently developing several laser communication testbeds to support the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD program).  The objective of the LCRD program is to demonstrate the feasibility of high data rate communication using laser beam from the geosynchronous orbit to Earth.  One of the testbeds we are pursuing is to demonstrate laser power scaling using fiber laser amplifiers for space applications.   During this testbed development we will require autonomous testing of the these amplifiers with computer controlled test setup.  The objective of this project is to develop a computer program that will be used for testing the performance of these amplifiers.

Thermal Analysis of Cryogenic System

• (Engineering - Cryogenics)

Cryogenics branch designs and builds cryogenic system for space telescope and instrument, which operates at low

temperature. Current projects include James Webb Space Telescope, Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer (CPST) and others.

Technology Demonstration Mission, and others. Thermal analysis predicts temperature distribution and cooling power

required. It also helps to design and optimize cooling system. The selected candidate will work on thermal analysis of CPST

on-orbit.

GSFC Integrated Design Center (IDC) Mission Design Lab (MDL) H.S. Intern

• (Engineering - Systems Engineering-Space Flight Hardware & Software)
• (Computer & Information Sciences - Information Systems-Data Retrieval and Mining SW)

During study weeks, the MDL H.S. intern will participate in the space flight mission study activities with the objective to learn the important characteristics involved in mission design, development and test, and operations. In-between studies, the MDL intern will use this knowledge to continue the work of previous H.S. interns in the development of an IDC/MDL mission information database. Identification of important mission characteristics and development of a method of comparing these characteristics between studies is an important objective for the IDC.

The GSFC Integrated Design Center (IDC) is a unique facility that brings scientists, engineers and managers together to conduct rapid space flight instrument and mission conceptual design studies. Studies are typically one week long and are conducted in a dedicated lab that contains the equipment (workstations) and tools (software) needed by the different disciplines to allow rapid design of the concept.

Concepts include Earth science, Space science, Planetary, Comet/Asteroid, Solar and human-crewed missions. The successful candidate will become involved with these study activities in the Mission Design Lab (MDL).

Visitor Center Internship supporting STEM engagement for visitors

• (Education - Education Research-Informal Ed)
• (Earth Science)

The high school intern will support the Visitor Center education staff in delivering NASA Goddard Science, Technology, Engineering and Math educational activities at the Visitor Center. The applicant should have excellent communication skills and be customer focused. The student should also be interested in NASA science, engineering or technology. The student will be trained on education activities as well as the exhibits including Science on a Sphere. Occasionally, the student may be asked to support an event such as a lecture or a education program occurring on the weekend or in the evening. More information on the NASA Visitor Center can be found at:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/home/index.html

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.

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.

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.