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By NASA
More than 100 interns supported operations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston this summer, each making an important impact on the agency’s mission success. Get to know seven stellar interns nominated by their mentors for their hard work and outstanding contributions.
Stella Alcorn stands inside the Orion mockup within Johnson Space Center’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. Stella Alcorn
Assignment: Engineering Directorate, Guidance, Navigation, and Control Autonomous Flight Systems Branch, Orion Program
Education: Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Purdue University; graduating May 2026
Proudest internship accomplishment: Learning a new software program and applying topics I learned in school to develop a dynamic overlay display prototype for Orion Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking. My eagerness to learn and support from my mentor and colleagues has allowed me to make great progress on writing code to enable new display prototyping capabilities to support future Artemis missions.
Important lesson learned: Ask questions and engage with coworkers because you don’t gain valuable skills or experience without putting yourself out there. It can be nerve-wracking to collaborate with new people, but I have learned that taking initiative opens a gateway of opportunities.
Advice for incoming interns: Get to know other interns, go to NASA events, don’t be afraid to reach out or ask questions to your mentor, peers, or superiors (even if they’re not in your office or branch). This internship is a privilege, and you should take advantage of all available opportunities. Make connections and learn, but also have fun!
Laila Deshotel meets NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Jessica Watkins. Laila Deshotel
Assignment: Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, Space Habitation Systems Division, Computer Safety and Software Assurance Branch
Education: Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio; graduating 2026
Proudest internship accomplishment: Being of service to the International Space Station and Gateway Programs. I contributed to JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) unmanned cargo vehicle, the HTV-X, as a Computer-Based Control Systems (CBCS) safety reviewer. This involves understanding CBCS requirements, reviewing hazard reports in the given safety data package, and attending safety review panels. I am also assisting with the software safety and assurance for Gateway.
Important lesson learned: This term allowed me to see the results of taking initiative and networking with others for professional development outlets. When you aren’t stepping outside of your comfort, you don’t allow any room for further improvement.
Advice for incoming interns: Channel your passion for space into productive work by taking initiative and staying organized. Network actively, seek feedback, embrace learning opportunities, be adaptable, and maintain a positive attitude to make the most of your internship and pave the way for a successful career.
Hunter Kindt during a tour of the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center. Hunter Kindt
Assignment: Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, Space Habitation Systems Division, Computer Safety and Software Assurance Branch
Education: Mechanical Engineering, University of Wyoming; graduating December 2024
Proudest internship accomplishment: I am performing a hazard analysis on a spacesuit for armadillos for my exit presentation project. This was inspired by my “Texas to-do list” for the summer, which included seeing an armadillo. I also love iced coffee, and, for fun, I created a cartoon of an armadillo in a spacesuit drinking iced coffee. All of us at the safety review panel I was supporting had a good laugh about it, and it led to a conversation about the logistics of an armadillo in a spacesuit. This project demonstrates my ability to apply the knowledge I have learned during my internship, specifically in safety, to any situation accurately.
Favorite Johnson experience: On a professional level, it was the ability to work with JAXA personnel during the safety review panel for their new HTV-X. Working and building connections with international partners is an experience I will never forget! On a personal level, it was touring the Mission Control Center and seeing the sun rise and set live from the International Space Station!
Advice for incoming interns: Say yes to any opportunity you are presented with.
Mia Garza speaks to Johnson Space Center employees and their family members during a launch viewing event for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. Mia Garza
Assignment: Office of Communications
Education: Marketing, University of Houston’s Bauer School of Business; graduating December 2024
Proudest internship achievement: My intern project of creating and executing an employee engagement plan for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT). I worked with two other interns to create a unique plan to get the Johnson workforce excited about the CFT launch. We created custom crew drinks with RoyalTEA & Coffee Co., held a crew sendoff event which also included a poster decorating party for employees, hosted CFT booths at center-wide events, and hung ‘Godspeed, Suni and Butch’ banners around campus. We ended the project with a fun viewing event for employees and their families.
Favorite Johnson experience: Planning the building 12 dedication that happened on July 19. The tasks have varied between planning the seating chart, writing scripts, and helping create the run of show for the event. But getting to experience the planning process of this event and seeing it come to life has been a surreal experience.
Important lesson learned: The true power of teamwork. It takes a village to accomplish all of the great things that happen here.
Yosefine Santiago-Hernandez poses for a photo with two spacesuits. Yosefine Santiago-Hernandez
Assignment: Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, Space Habitation Systems Division, Computer Safety and Software Assurance Branch
Education: Mechanical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez; graduating May 2027
Proudest internship accomplishment: Serving as lead representative for CBCS in a safety review panel of an International Space Station payload.
Favorite Johnson experience: Working while surrounded by space history. There is always something going on, and something to see. It has been incredible to tour places like the Mission Control Center, Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, and vacuum chambers. Also, it was pretty cool to meet an astronaut from my home country, Puerto Rico.
Important lesson learned: To persevere and step out of my comfort zone. I am working on concepts I have not worked on previously and are not taught in the classroom, therefore it has been a challenge to learn about them and contribute to the work. I took this challenge with a positive attitude and have been able to gain further understanding of systems engineering and CBCS and complete my tasks.
Courtney Thompson during a tour of Johnson Space Center’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. Courtney Thompson
Assignment: Center Operations Directorate, Logistics Division and Director’s Office
Education: Supply Chain Management, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; graduated December 2023
Proudest internship achievement: Getting here! Working at NASA was always the dream, though it didn’t seem like that was going to happen for me. I went back to school as a nontraditional business student a few years ago. I thought that would work against me but rolled the dice and here I am. Both my spring and summer internship mentors have been incredibly supportive during my time here. Temporary or not, this has been one of the best experiences of my life.
Important lesson learned: Remember what we are a part of. There are so many amazing things humanity has accomplished; many of those things are right here at NASA. Tour the facilities, ask questions, watch the launches, and celebrate and share with your friends. We are so lucky to get to witness these things up close and be a part of that history.
Advice for incoming interns: Always ask questions. Someone else probably has that question, too, or has never thought of things that way. It also helps show initiative and gets people to learn your name. Have a crazy new idea for something? Ask if it’s been done before or if it’s even feasible. And if they love the idea, you might just find more people to help make it happen.
Luis Valdez during a tour of Johnson Space Center’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. Luis Valdez
Assignment: Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning – Software Development for Decision Intelligence Capability, Office of the Chief Information Officer’s Information, Data, and Analytics Services Team
Education: Computer Science, Texas A&M University; graduating May 2026
Proudest internship achievement: I’m proud of how much I’ve been able to learn and get done as the only intern on my project. It was pretty daunting at first, but I also saw it as an opportunity to show what I have to offer. Also, networking with other interns, civil servants, and even other companies like Google has been a dream come true.
Important lesson learned: Everything always changes. At the beginning of my internship, there was no clear path for me to take to achieve our objective, so it was all up to me to make the vision come to life. If something wasn’t working out, or if the customer wanted something different that wasn’t possible, I changed my methods to make it possible.
Advice for incoming interns: Get involved. Let yourself integrate fully into this internship. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and working at NASA has been the dream of millions of people so make sure you take it all in. Also, connect with your mentor! They have so much to offer, and they truly want the best for you.
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By NASA
Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions The Solar System The Sun Mercury Venus Earth The Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets Asteroids, Comets & Meteors The Kuiper Belt The Oort Cloud 3 min read
Sols 4250-4252: So Many Rocks, So Little Time
This image was taken by Right Navigation Camera onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4248 – Martian day 4,248 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission – on July 19, 2024, at 02:34:33 UTC. Earth planning date: Friday, July 19, 2024
As usual with our weekend plans, we are packing a lot of science into today’s three-sol plan. I had the fun of planning a complex and large set of arm activities as the Arm Rover Planner today. Since we did not drive in Wednesday’s plan, we still are looking at targets in the same workspace – shown in the image with the arm down on a contact science target. We are finishing up the observations at our current location on “Fairview Dome.”
In our first set of imaging, we begin with a Navcam dust devil movie. Then, ChemCam is taking a LIBS observation on “Koip Peak” (a nodular bedrock) and an RMI mosaic on Texoli butte. We also have Mastcam imaging on Koip Peak, “Amphitheater Dome” (Wednesday’s contact science target), the channel wall, and the AEGIS target from sol 4247. After a nap, we’re ready for the arm. The arm work was challenging today, as we had a lot to do. We start by taking MAHLI images of a target named “Saddlebag Lake,” a bumpy, rough part of the bedrock. We then brush and take MAHLI images of “Eagle Scout Peak,” which is a dusty portion of the same bedrock. We are also running an experiment today to see if we can run the DRT brush in parallel with using our UHF antenna, to downlink data without impacting the data. After integrating with APXS on Eagle Scout Peak, we take nighttime MALHI imaging (using the LEDs) of the CheMin inlet to look for any signs of stuck sample and stow the arm. We are also cleaning out the sample from the CheMin instrument, by “dumping” it out and then running an analysis on the empty cell.
The second sol begins with more atmospheric observations. We have another ChemCam LIBS observation of the “Smith Peak” target, which is a dark and dusty spot on the bedrock, and Mastcam mosaics of “Virginia Peak” (the gray edge of the rock), the summit of “Milestone Peak”, and “McDonald Pass” (a nearby piece of bedrock that looks similar to our recent drill target, “Whitebark Pass”). We’re then ready to drive. Today’s drive is taking us about 30 meters south (about 98 feet). We’re driving cross-slope, which is always a challenge because we have to account for sliding sideways, away from the planned path. Fortunately there are no major hazards in the area, so we can tolerate some deviation from our path. This drive should take us close to our next potential drill location! We’re also testing, for the first time on Mars, a new capability that helps the rover make more precise arc turns, which can reduce the amount of steering we need to do, and help preserve our wheels. After taking our normal post-drive imaging, our final activity on this sol is an APXS atmospheric observation.
On our third sol, around noon, we are taking a ChemCam AEGIS observation and a lot of atmospheric observations, including another dust devil survey and Mastcam solar tau. Finally, just before handing things over to Monday’s plan, we take additional atmospheric observations in the early morning.
Written by Ashley Stroupe, Mission Operations Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Last Updated Jul 23, 2024 Related Terms
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Perseverance Perseverance Mission Overview Rover Components Mars Rock Samples Where is Perseverance? Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Mission Updates Science Overview Objectives Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Perseverance Raw Images Mars Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions All Planets Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets 2 min read
Interesting Rock Textures Galore at Bright Angel
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its Right Mastcam-Z camera. Mastcam-Z is a pair of cameras located high on the rover’s mast. This image was acquired on June 10, 2024 (Sol 1175, or Martian day 1,175 of the Mars 2020 mission) at the local mean solar time of 14:04:57. Upon the rover’s arrival at Bright Angel, it was so exciting to see all the interesting features in the rocks of this interval! In particular, these rocks contain an abundance of veins and nodules. Veins are linear features containing mineral crystals that often form thin plates or sheets that cut through the rocks and across other veins. Veins are often more resistant to erosion than the rocks they are found in so they stand out in raised relief. Nodules are small, rounded protrusions in the rocks. Nodules are often sites of mineral formation distinct from the surrounding rock.
Veins and nodules form when water flows through a rock, and minerals crystallize from this water in cracks and empty spaces within the rock. Features like this were previously observed by Perseverance during its exploration of the sedimentary rocks of the western fan, particularly during the “Fan Front Campaign” at Hogwallow Flats. However, these features have been sparse in the margin unit. The omnipresence of veins and nodules in the rocks of Bright Angel is truly striking. We hope to get more data on these interesting features over the next few weeks because they may signify intense water-rock interaction at this site!
Written by Hemani Kalucha, Ph.D. student at Caltech
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Last Updated Jun 27, 2024 Related Terms
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A Bright New Abrasion
This image was acquired by the Front Right Hazard Avoidance Camera A on June 16, 2024 (Sol 1181) at the local mean solar time of 14:20:10. The image shows the area in front of the rover at Bright Angel with the arm extended as the PIXL instrument investigates the surface. NASA/JPL-Caltech Last week, Perseverance arrived at the long-awaited site of Bright Angel, named for being a light-toned rock that stands out in orbital data. The unique color here, as well as the surface characteristics and location on the edge of the ancient river channel Neretva Vallis, made Bright Angel a location of interest for the Mars 2020 Science Team.
After capturing some stunning long-distance images of Bright Angel, Perseverance made the approach to the rocks. Closer camera images, Mastcam-Z, and SuperCam data showed intriguing surface textures on these light-toned rocks that the Science Team is actively working to understand.
After a few days to process the beautiful images and exciting location, Perseverance executed a planned abrasion on the rocks in front of the rover, which can be seen in the above image if you look closely underneath the rover’s arm. This abrasion patch is named “Walhalla Glades” after an ancient archeological site in the Grand Canyon along the Colorado River, a tribute to Bright Angel’s location on the edge of the ancient Neretva Vallis river channel.
Proximity science instruments were deployed to look at the abrasion patch in detail and provide high-resolution geochemical data of these rocks. In the Hazard Avoidance Camera image above, the PIXL instrument is pointed down at the abrasion patch on the rock surface as it performs a scan.
The Science Team will take time to understand all the new data obtained at Bright Angel, comparing it to the past rocks Perseverance has investigated and determining if the area should be included in the sample cache onboard Perseverance. Characterizing the rocks of Bright Angel, connecting them to the surrounding rocks and sediment of Neretva Vallis, and placing them in context with the Crater Rim and Margin units should write an exciting chapter of the history of Jezero crater!
Written by Eleanor Moreland, Ph.D. Student Collaborator at Rice University
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By European Space Agency
Photographing faint objects close to bright stars is incredibly difficult. Yet, by combining data from ESA's Gaia space telescope with ESO’s GRAVITY instrument on the ground, scientists managed just that. They took the first pictures of so far unseen dim companions of eight luminous stars. The technique unlocks the tantalising possibility to capture images of planets orbiting close to their host stars.
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