INTERNSHIP Spotlight - NASA Johnson Space Center

At CASSMAR, we are committed to advancing the safety and reliability of human spaceflight while fostering the development of the next generation of competent, diverse, and enthusiastic space scientists and engineers. Through our partnership with Jacobs, we support interns working at NASA's Johnson Space Center under the JETS II contract, providing them with invaluable hands-on experience. This effort aligns with UTEP's mission of "access to excellence," equipping students with the skills, confidence, and experience they need to become effective leaders and positively impact their communities.

JULIO AGUILAR

Program: Environmental Science
Level: Undergraduate

The focal point of my work was particle analysis of lunar regolith simulants. Lunar simulant is geological material that is designed to replicate the physical, mineralogical, or chemical properties of planetary lunar regolith. It is composed of various terrestrial rocks, minerals, glass, and pseudo agglutinates. Scientist and engineers use simulants in the research and testing for dust mitigation, astronaut training, sample and return mission planning, hardware testing, soft good testing, human health research, and environmental testing. By working and experimenting with lunar simulants, we can learn how to safely land, work, and live on the moon.

ALAN ESPINO

Program: Geological Sciences
Level: Graduate – Ph.D.

I have been working with the Exploration Training Team as part of the E-Resources for Artemis Team. This team has been tasked with taking lessons on lunar geology used for the training of astronauts, engineers, flight operators, and anyone directly involved in the Artemis missions and creating online informative and quiz style modules. The most surprising thing I learned during my internship has been realizing the sheer amount of manpower it takes to support the upcoming Artemis missions. From the GIS team to Exploration Training to the Simulant Development lab, there are many amazing individuals who play a crucial role in getting us back to the moon!

DOUGLAS FRANK

Program: MS in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering
Level: Graduate - MS

The most fascinating thing I have seen during my internship in the Hypervelocity Impact Technology group has been the responses of Whipple shields in comparison to monolithic metallic shields. If similar projectile sizes are compared at speeds of 3 and 7 km/s, a monolithic shield will have a higher probability of failure at higher velocities whereas Whipple shields perform better at the higher projectile speeds. The project I am working on involves supporting comparisons of material responses to hypervelocity impacts of similarly dimensioned fibers in different weave designs.

RANDALL WALKER

Program: Geological Sciences
Level: Graduate – Ph.D.

I created a digital elevation model of the Connecting Ridge landing site located in the south pole of the moon, which is one of the possible landing sites for the Artemis 3 mission. I used an open source stereogrammetry tool that is used to process images of the Moon and Earth. This internship required me to use skills associated with remote sensing, photogrammetry, geographic information systems (GIS) and a cluster of machine learning program skills. The most fascinating thing I experienced was the amount of data NASA has, historical images of the moon and watching the progression of data taking procedures over NASA’s timeline.