Category: STEM Diversity

From Soccer Fields to Space: A Journey to NASA

Growing up in San Miguel, Mexico, Nestor Cano never thought of interning for NASA. Instead, Cano dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player, spending every moment he could on the field learning new tips and tricks—a theme that would continue through his life. While he came from humble beginnings, Cano’s family was always supportive of his dream and did everything they could to help him achieve it.

Alt Text: A portrait of a young Nestor Cano. He smiles with his hair parted and wearing a red shirt.
Alt Text: A portrait of a young Nestor Cano. He smiles, his hair parted, and wearing a red shirt.

“Part of who I am is due to the great support that I have always had from my mother,” said Cano. “She is the greatest support I have had; even when we were economically limited, she always made sure I was able to do my activities.”

At the age of 14, Cano’s parents decided to send him to live with his grandmother in California with the hopes of creating a better future for him. Cano didn’t speak English when he arrived in the United States, so he was enrolled in an elementary school for six months before graduating to his local high school. It wasn’t until his sophomore year of high school that he started to become confident in his English skills and began getting involved with clubs on campus. After graduation, Cano went back to Mexico to begin trials for professional soccer teams, although ultimately he returned to California with his little sister, for whom he was now responsible.

Alt Text: Nestor Cano as a young student. He poses alongside a certificate of achievement and two ribbons he received. He wears a school uniform with a dark tie and matching sweater.
Alt Text: Nestor Cano as a young student. He poses alongside a certificate of achievement and two ribbons he received. He wears a school uniform with a dark tie and a matching sweater.

“For about a year and a half, I was working two jobs, getting only three to four hours of sleep each night,” Cano shared. “Finally, I asked myself if this was a life I wanted to keep pursuing. That’s when I thought maybe I should go back to school.”

After deciding to return to school, Cano had to find a way to pay for his classes, his sister, and his life, which led him to become a plumber and pipefitter. After committing to his plumbing career, Cano discovered a passion for engineering, pushing him to consider it as his future career. Cano spent five years working and attending college before beginning an engineering internship with the same company. Still, Cano knew he could do more, so he researched engineering schools and internship programs until he found the University of California-Berkeley and NASA.

“I went from being a community college student and an intern working on construction engineering, to being a student at UC Berkeley and an intern at NASA,” said Cano, “After three years working towards the requirements, time to apply had finally came. I worked on the application for over two weeks.”

Cano’s internship project is with the Fluid Mechanics Lab at Ames Research Center, where he works with the Laser Spark Evaluating In-flow project (LASEI). The main goal of this research is to develop an optical method for measuring ambient pressure, density, temperature, and flow angularity in wind tunnels. Essentially, the team’s primary objective is to enhance the visual data that is gathered during wind tunnel testing of aircraft and other components.

Alt Text: Nesto Cano, alongside a diverse team of colleagues, pose atop a red, white, and blue NASA meatball logo.
Alt Text: Nesto Cano, alongside a diverse team of colleagues, poses atop a red, white, and blue NASA meatball logo. Behind them, a sandy volleyball court and hangars make up the background. 

As a Hispanic American, Cano feels this internship demonstrates that his ethnicity and cultural background are not barriers. For him, this experience proves that through hard work and dedication, anyone can pursue their dreams, no matter where they came from.

“This internship has introduced me to the research area of engineering, and I have been learning critical aspects of modeling for prototypes and the iterations required to achieve a great product,” Cano said. “Learning from the best engineers in their respective fields is a unique experience, since they have the knowledge, experience, patience, and skill to teach interns like me.”

Tara Roanhorse/NASA Headquarters

Making Her Own Place in Space: Caitlyn McClanahan’s HBCU Journey

“My mom always told me she believed that whatever you wanted to do when you were a child is your destiny—what you’re destined to do in life. And when I was a kid, I had every STEM interest.”

NASA intern Caitlyn McClanahan as a young student posing with her younger sister Erin in front of a science fair project, a recreation of the solar system. The two smile holding paper cutouts of stars. Credit: Caitlyn McClanahan
Alt Text: NASA intern Caitlyn McClanahan as a young student posing with her younger sister Erin in front of a science fair project, a recreation of the solar system. The two smile holding paper cutouts of stars. Credit: Caitlyn McClanahan

Meet Caitlyn McClanahan, a Weather Data Processing intern at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Growing up, McClanahan always loved studying the sciences. “I had a robotics phase. I had an astronaut phase. I had a weather phase. I had a paleontology phase. I had a chemistry phase,” she said.

Alt Text: NASA intern Caitlyn McClanahan as a young student sitting on a table in a book store smiling with a large history book open upon her lap. Credit: Caitlyn McClanahan
Alt Text: NASA intern Caitlyn McClanahan as a young student sitting on a table in a book store smiling with a large history book on her lap. Credit: Caitlyn McClanahan

However, as a young Black woman living in a Midwestern small town, she often found herself being the only Black woman in predominantly white  spaces. “It causes a lot of people to have anxiety, coming into a space and noticing that this is a very white space, a very male space. I’ve found myself throughout life kind of minimizing myself to try to fit into this space that I believe is too big for me.”

After graduating from high school, McClanahan continued her education at Hampton University. Founded in 1868, it is the oldest Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Virginia. Recounting her first days at Hampton, she was surprised to find that her science courses were  predominantly attended by women.

“In fact, our teacher told us there were four men majoring in chemistry that year, which was considered a lot more than usual,” McClanahan said. “It was such a stark difference to see so many women, especially so many Black women, who looked like me and had the same interest as me. And it was just such an awesome environment to regain that confidence in myself.”

Alt Text: NASA interns including Caitlyn McClanahan meet with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson at NASA's Langley Research Center. Bill Nelson smiles as he shakes an intern hand the other looking on smiling at him. Credit: NASA
Alt Text: NASA interns including Caitlyn McClanahan meet with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson at NASA’s Langley Research Center. Bill Nelson smiles as he shakes an intern hand the other looking on smiling at him. Credit: NASA

Located just 15 minutes away from NASA’s Langley Research Center, Hampton University has long had a rich history supporting the space agency. McClanahan quickly noticed how NASA celebrates Black experts, including Black scientists, such as “Hidden Figures” Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary W. Jackson.

Alt Text: NASA intern Caitlyn McClanahan poses with NASA's LOFTID (Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator) within a large hangar at NASA's Langley Research Center. She smiles and wears business casual attire. Credit: Caitlyn McClanahan
Alt Text: NASA intern Caitlyn McClanahan poses with NASA’s LOFTID (Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator) within a large hangar at NASA’s Langley Research Center. She smiles and wears business casual attire. Credit: Caitlyn McClanahan

“I feel welcome here,” McClanahan said. “I remember on my first day on-site I was nervous and walking along and a woman came up to me, stopped me, and chatted with me. Her being a Black woman, and one of the first people I talked to here, really made my anxiety crumble away. Since then, I’ve truly felt that NASA is working to reflect the diversity of America, and I am really excited to get to be a part of that.”

Asked to share advice for others who may follow in her footsteps, she said, “It’s easy to feel self-conscious, but remember that a lot of people have doubts and anxiety. They still fight through it and figure it out. Everyone doesn’t do great their first time. In fact, it took me about six applications to land my internship!”

Visualizing the Future – Yuhan Liu 

Yuhan Liu is standing on the roof of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with her hard hat on.
Yuhan Liu is standing on the roof of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with her hard hat on. 

It is National STEM Day! Today is the day that is dedicated to encouraging everyone to explore their interests in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Yuhan Liu, a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, is double majoring in Digital Media Design and Entrepreneurship. She is also a former Technology Design Visualization NASA intern at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “I am overjoyed to be able to witness the many innovations that are helping to bring us back to the Moon,” Liu said. 

SBIR Program and Boeing DV Lab 

As a former Technology Design Visualization NASA intern, Liu worked with NASA’s Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) Program. The SBIR Program funds small businesses and universities to create new NASA technologies. 

Liu also worked with the Boeing Design Visualization (DV) Lab which specializes in 3D laser scans to support ground operations. The Boeing DV Lab leverages 3D scanning, simulations, and modeling to ensure the efficiency and safety of NASA ground operations. In Liu’s day-to-day as an intern, she was usually in the lab, creating a 3D model or simulation of an environment or piece of technology at the Kennedy Space Center. If she is not found in the lab, then she was supporting the team in capturing 3D laser scans of a building, launchpad, or observing technology that is to be modeled in a research lab. 

Liu works with both teams to 3D model, simulate, and communicate new technology that is being developed for the Artemis Program. She has modeled new plant growth systems and launched software and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) machinery. Her project extended to multiple agencies and various research groups at the Kennedy Space Center. Liu’s most memorable excursion was to the Vehicle Assembly Building, in which the Boeing team came to laser-scan a sagging high bay platform. When one-half of the Orion Capsule Access platform was found to be two inches lower, she performed a laser scan and produced a 3D visualization. 

Every Day is a New Adventure 

Liu has absolutely loved the chance to work with software in the office and grab a safety helmet and see the wonders of the Kennedy Space Center up close. With every day being a new adventure, this internship was a perfect combination of her passions. While working with software to generate meaningful 3D models to contribute to the entire agency’s Artemis efforts, Liu was drawn to the intersection between art and computer science.  

As a computer graphics major, she hopes to invent software that is not only important, efficient, and useful, but also visually compelling. From this position, Liu has learned the significance of 3D modeling and how accurate visualizations can make a tremendous difference in guaranteeing mission safety, advancing new technology, and communicating complicated ideas. 

If you are interested in taking part in the STEM field, then check out our website! Also, don’t be deterred if you are not part of STEM as NASA Internships has many non-STEM positions available. We even have some high school positions! Read more about Drina Shah, a former high school intern at NASA, who worked on artificial intelligence. 

High School NASA Intern Works with Artificial Intelligence.

Drina Shah standing in front of the Goddard Space Flight Center.
Drina Shah standing in front of the Goddard Space Flight Center.

Reach for the stars because you might just become one! Drina Shah has a fascination with space exploration and engineering. When high school came around, Shah got the opportunity to work on NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative Project. Out of six schools across the nation, she was one out of eight students from her school to become a finalist.

With her interest in space exploration and engineering, and now her accomplishment from high school, she sought out an internship with NASA whose values align greatly with hers.

Artificial Intelligence Project

Currently, Shah is a Senior at Mooresville High School in North Carolina and a former NASA virtual intern at the Goddard Space Flight Center. The project that Shah worked on during her internship was an Artificial Intelligence based science translator for the spread of hydrological information.

Dreams Do Come True

NASA’s mission of innovating for the benefit of humanity and inspiring the world through discovery, and its core values of safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and inclusion inspired Shah to work for NASA. This internship meant the world to her and ended up being the very first job that she has ever had.

“It really was a dream come true opportunity for me and I’m sure it will help propel my career and my interest in space, engineering, and artificial intelligence,” Shah said.

If you are looking for a dream opportunity, check out our website for more information. You can also feel free to check out other fascinating stories such as Nicholas Houghton, who has a dream of becoming an astronaut and became an intern with an exciting position.

Grace Pham/ NASA Johnson Space Center

NASA Intern Studies the Stars

Anna Taylor standing next to a poster called “The Effect of Wind Speed and Roche Lobe Geometrics on the Wind Dynamics of Vela X-1" from NC State University.

Anna Taylor standing next to a poster called “The Effect of Wind Speed and Roche Lobe Geometrics on the Wind Dynamics of Vela X-1″ from NC State University.Anna Taylor, a former NASA intern from the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, wanted to know as much as she could about the sky full of stars she saw every night. In the 9th grade, Taylor competed in her first Science Olympiad, a premier team STEM competition, and realized that physics and astronomy was her ultimate passion.

The Stars are Aligning

“I believe in NASA’s initiative, and I want to contribute to our understanding of the universe,” Taylor said.

Currently, Anna Taylor is a senior at North Carolina State University where she is majoring in Physics and double minoring in Mathematics and Computer Science.

During her internship, she worked on a project where she modeled photospheres and chromospheres. A photosphere is a star’s outer shell where the light is radiating while a chromosphere is a red and gaseous layer above the photosphere.

She worked with the Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Lab which studies the formation and evolution of stars and planetary systems using advanced telescopes and theoretical techniques.

By identifying statistical trends linking stars to emissions, she would determine factors for the stars in the samples that she is given. Given this project, she would further NASA’s mission by researching these stars and help everyone understand how the universe is made, what else is out there, and how we all fit in.

Internship Takeaway

Taylor is grateful to take part in the astrophysics and astronomy field and is proud to be a part of the young female representation in such a male-dominated area

“This internship not only means I get to do research in coding and astrophysics which are my passions but also gives me an opportunity to meet so many smart and interesting people and learn all about what they do at NASA,” Taylor said.

Take the next step in becoming a NASA intern like Anna and learn more about the opportunities NASA has. Additionally, feel free to find out more about other NASA interns, such as Shalya Wilhelm’s experience of learning how to create oxygen on the moon for astronauts using lunar soil!

Grace Pham/ NASA Johnson Space Center

Lunar Soil: The Key to Breathing in Space- Shayla Wilhelm

Shayla Wilhelm standing in front of the Launch Crawler
Shayla Wilhelm standing in front of the Crawler Transporter.

If you can dream it, you can do it. Shayla Wilhelm saw the frothy sea of the Milky Way as she grew up in a small town in New York. Using a telescope, Wilhelm saw stars and planets shining everywhere across the sky. After realizing how much she loved what she saw in the sky, she ended up seeing a future in aerospace engineering. 

Oxygen in Space 

“If astronauts on the moon can harness the oxygen under their feet, sustaining a human presence on the moon may not be so difficult after all,” Wilhelm said. Currently, Wilhelm is a junior at the Florida Institute of Technology where she is majoring in Aerospace Engineering. As a former NASA intern at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, she worked on the Molten Regolith Electrolysis (MRE) Project. 

The purpose of the MRE Project is to create oxygen on the Moon and to use it in astronaut tanks. By taking the soil on the Moon, Wilhelm would then melt it and run an electric current through it. This would split apart the metal oxides into molten metal and oxygen. After this process, the metal would then sink, allowing the oxygen to be separated, harvested, and eventually purified and distributed. 

This process is potentially an important step in setting up long-term research centers on the moon and beyond. 

Internship Takeaway 

As an intern, Wilhelm had a very hard time to describe an “average” day while at NASA. While she spent every single day differently, she is grateful that her days as an intern was always a unique experience. From staying in the lab and analyzing data, to working in the machine shop and getting her hands dirty, Wilhelm would always be excited and feel lucky enough to take on these new and innovative tasks every single day. Wilhelm also got the opportunity to expand upon her software skills, improve her technical writing, and more. 

Have you ever dreamed of working with NASA? Check out our website for more opportunities and information. Also, feel free to read more exciting stories such as Andrew Hoang, another former NASA intern who worked on parachute landings! 

Grace Pham/ NASA Johnson Space Center

Intern Contributes to Laser Welding in Space Advancements

A technician performs welding on the KAMAG spacecraft transporter, inside a facility at the crawler yard at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Welding is being performed on the attach points that will hold the Orion transportation pallet in place (NASA/Ben Smegelsky).
A technician performs welding on the KAMAG spacecraft transporter, inside a facility at the crawler yard at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Welding is being performed on the attach points that will hold the Orion transportation pallet in place (NASA/Ben Smegelsky).

Trying out something can lead to a new passion. Rama Diop was encouraged by her chemistry teacher during her junior year of high school to apply for a welding engineering internship at Ohio State University. At the time, Diop wasn’t sure what welding engineering entailed, but she decided to apply anyway. During her internship, Diop did hands-on work including sample preparation, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and developed etching procedures. The internship she was once unfamiliar with led to her majoring in welding engineering at Ohio State University.

Welding Engineering Experiences

Diop went on to be involved with several research projects with applications to nuclear, biomedical, and automotive industries. In one project, she examined the correlation between fracture toughness and impact toughness of several grades of steel. She’s also studied the reduction of solidification cracking in aluminum alloys. Recently, she worked on a joint program with the biomedical engineering department to mimic aspects of the bone remodeling process.

Currently, Diop is an intern in the Metal Processes and Manufacturing Branch at the Marshall Space Flight Center supporting the Laser Welding in Space project. Welding in space allows for repairing, manufacturing, and assembling parts. Diop’s project aims to revisit and further the exploration of technologies in space, as an in-space welding experiment has not been conducted since 1973 on Skylab, the first United States space station.

“It means a lot to have been able to come here and participate in this internship. I have always wanted to come here and participate in this internship, so when the opportunity presented itself, I was ecstatic. I have been able to network with a lot of people and learn more about NASA’s mission,” Diop said.

Internship Takeaways

Diop says an internship with NASA is a great way to see what her role could look like in the welding engineering industry, and she is excited to apply the skills she’s gained in her previous research projects. This session, Diop hopes to explore different applications of welding, experience research on a larger scale, expand her coding ability, and branch into more computational modeling.

“I’m disappointed that my time here is coming to an end, but I have thoroughly enjoyed working here and am happy knowing that the work I have done will be used to help further the aims of this project,” Diop said.

If you’re looking to gain hands-on experience and valuable mentorship, check out our website for opportunities. Or continue reading inspiring stories such as Alex Suh, an intern researching the effects of spaceflight on the human body.

Carolina Rodriguez, STEM Engagement Communications Intern
Claire O’Shea, STEM Engagement Communications Intern, Editor
NASA Johnson Space Center

 

Get Involved with NASA Days

 

‘NASA Days is one of the coolest events I’ve seen that’s open to the general public,’ Marco Guidino, an intern at NASA, said. ‘They give students the opportunity to interact with scientists, discuss resumes, and network.’ NASA is supporting the dreams of students from traditionally underrepresented and underserved communities to enter careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (NASA HQ).
‘NASA Days is one of the coolest events I’ve seen that’s open to the general public,’ Marco Guidino, an intern at NASA, said. ‘They give students the opportunity to interact with scientists, discuss resumes, and network.’ NASA is supporting the dreams of students from traditionally underrepresented and underserved communities to enter careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (NASA HQ).

NASA Days, a Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) activity, was created to increase awareness and opportunity among students at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The program is designed to give an overview of NASA’s OSTEM internship program, NASA Pathways Intern Employment Program (IEP), and NASA Fellows activities. 

What is NASA Days?

The activity consists of four sessions. The sessions cover steps detailing the Gateway and OSTEM internship application process, an overview of NASA organizations from their subject matter experts, interview skills, resume reviews, interview strategies, best practices, and collaboration efforts among researchers, professors, and scientists. 

During Marco Guidino’s NASA internship, he wanted to pass on knowledge and help students get connected, so he decided to help run a joint NASA Days event featuring Kennedy Space Center, Langley Research Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center. 

“NASA Days is one of the coolest events I’ve seen that’s open to the general public,” Guidino says. “They give students the opportunity to interact with scientists, discuss resumes, and network.” 

Retired NASA Employee Joann Morgan briefing students at Montana State University for NASA Days. Jose Nunez briefing students at Morehouse School of Medicine during NASA Days (NASA/Priscilla Moore).
Retired NASA Employee Joann Morgan briefing students at Montana State University for NASA Days. Jose Nunez briefing students at Morehouse School of Medicine during NASA Days (NASA/Priscilla Moore).

One thing Guidino has learned from his attendance at NASA Days events is to put yourself out there and ask specific questions for the role you are interested in. 

Networking

During the networking mixer portion of the event, NASA managers present an overview of their divisions to attendees. Following this presentation, students separate into small groups where managers rotate answering questions and engaging in conversation with the students.  

Resume Review

In the resume review session, managers divide students for interviews dependent on the project they would be best suited for or for a general interview. In this process, several students are usually selected or referred for internship opportunities. 

If attending a NASA Days event is something you are interested in, NASA Days will be supporting the in-person and virtual career fair at The Annual National Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Week Conference.  

Additionally, Texas Southern University in Houston will be hosting the NASA Days and NASA HBCU Tech Infusion Road Tour which will also be a hybrid event. 

Want to intern with NASA? Check out our website for details on available opportunities. 

Carolina Rodriguez, STEM Engagement Communications Intern 
Claire O’Shea, STEM Engagement Communications Intern, Editor 
NASA Johnson Space Center 

 

 

Medical Student + NASA Intern hopes to research the physiological effects of spaceflight on astronauts

'Every day this summer, I’m excited to get out of bed and learn more about the effects of spaceflight on the human body. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be a flight surgeon one day,’ Alex Suh, Cardiovascular and Vision Intern at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, said. (NASA/Alex Suh).
‘Every day this summer, I’m excited to get out of bed and learn more about the effects of spaceflight on the human body. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be a flight surgeon one day,’ Alex Suh, Cardiovascular and Vision Intern at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, said. (NASA/Alex Suh).

If it’s meant to be, it will come back. Alex Suh’s opportunity at an internship was taken away due to the pandemic, but he didn’t give up on his dreams. Now, he is researching the effects of spaceflight on the human body as an intern at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Read about his second chance at following both of his career passions: medicine and space.

His Opportunity Vanishes

Suh applied for a NASA internship during his last year being an undergrad. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, he was unable to continue the process of becoming an intern. Suh felt he had lost his chance to fulfill his childhood dream of working in the space industry since he would soon get busy with his strict academic path toward medical school. Suh had never even heard of a medical student interning at NASA.

Almost two years later, Suh learned that he would receive ten weeks off for summer vacation between his first and second year of medical school and thought this would be the ideal time to try again for an internship opportunity.

A Second Chance

Suh decided to apply and jumped up and down in excitement when he received an acceptance letter to research the physiological effects of spaceflight on the human body at the Johnson Space Center. He loved his initial experience as an intern and decided to extend his internship part-time into the fall while also taking preclinical courses at Tulane University School of Medicine as a Cardiovascular and Vision Intern.

(NASA/Alex Suh)
(NASA/Alex Suh)

“This internship has given me an opportunity of a lifetime to explore the field of aerospace medicine at a place where it is most applicable and exciting — Johnson Space Center. Every day this summer, I’m excited to get out of bed and learn more about the effects of spaceflight on the human body. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be a flight surgeon one day,” Suh said.

If you’re interested in interning at NASA, visit the website for information on opportunities and requirements. Read about more interns on the intern blog, such as Susie Bennett’s story on her path to an Exploration Research and Technology Programs internship.

Carolina Rodriguez, STEM Engagement Communications Intern
Claire O’Shea, STEM Engagement Communications Intern, Editor
NASA Johnson Space Center

Touchdown! Intern Works on Safe Parachute Landings

An image of Andrew Hoang
Credit: Andrew Hoang

One choice can open many doors and provide the experience of a lifetime. For Andrew Hoang, it was his decision to join a research lab, eventually leading to his internship at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.

“An experience like no other, I have enjoyed every moment of my time as a NASA intern. I hope to use what I have learned to inspire others to pursue their goals, whether it’s applying for an internship at NASA or a dream job,” Hoang said.

Discovery

Hoang joined a research lab while studying at UNC Chapel Hill in order to gain experience outside of the classroom. His time in the lab led to a fascination with the effects of the undersea environment on human physiology.

Hoang learned about existing clinical problems such as decompression sickness (DCS), which occurs when dissolved gases form bubbles inside the body. He felt called to find potential solutions.

Hoang’s research experience introduced him to medical problems in space. The pressurized environment is one of the causes of DCS. While searching for more information on the space and DCS connection, Hoang stumbled upon NASA internships and decided to apply.

“I believed that obtaining an internship would give me the rare opportunity to connect with world-class field experts to gain invaluable insight in aerospace as well as be at the forefront of research development projects. Therefore, I decided to pursue the NASA internship and make the best of every moment here,” Hoang said.

NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program is back in Wanaka, New Zealand, for another flight test of its super pressure balloon, or SPB, technology to support science missions for longer flight durations, with flights running up to 100 days. (NASA/Wallops Flight Facility).
NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program is back in Wanaka, New Zealand, for another flight test of its super pressure balloon, or SPB, technology to support science missions for longer flight durations, with flights running up to 100 days. (NASA/Wallops Flight Facility).

Balloon Research and Development

Currently, Hoang interns at the Balloon Research and Development Laboratory and studies the service life of gondola parachutes used in recovering equipment from high-altitude balloon campaigns.

Hoang determines how much strength in the gondola parachute material is lost following each flight and explores possible solutions to reduce the loss. Reusing the parachute is vital to reduce costs for flight materials, explore other cost-effective avenues for conducting investigations on planetary sciences, and encourage the development and improvement of reusable parachutes.

NASA completed the final test to qualify Orion’s parachute system for flights with astronauts, checking off an important milestone on the path to send humans on missions to the Moon and beyond in September 2018. (NASA/Wallops Flight Facility).
NASA completed the final test to qualify Orion’s parachute system for flights with astronauts, checking off an important milestone on the path to send humans on missions to the Moon and beyond in September 2018. (NASA/Wallops Flight Facility).

“Attaining this internship proved that all the meticulous efforts and extra hours I put in to create a holistic application were worth it. I learned a lot about myself as I filled out the application. I have been grateful for the immense support and dedication that my mentors and fellow staff members have given me during my time as an intern,” Hoang said.

Mentorship

Mentors, Dr. Sarah Roth and Dr. Christopher Yoder, taught Hoang how to improve his networking skills, connected him with professionals in his future career field, and gave him tips on creating an effective experimental plan for future implementation.

“NASA is a place for everyone of any major and background. If you want to make a positive impact on the world, NASA provides the available resources and opportunities to help you accomplish that goal. Never stop asking questions. Dream big and aim high. Everyone has the capability of making a huge contribution towards the advancement of humankind,” Hoang said.

Continue learning about inspiring NASA interns and read about a fellow intern’s journey. If you want to be part of the advancement of NASA missions, visit our website to learn about qualifications and opportunities.

Carolina Rodriguez, STEM Engagement Communications Intern
Claire O’Shea, STEM Engagement Communications Intern, Editor
NASA Johnson Space Center