Studying For Introduction To Java Final

NASA Co-Op Week 12: Makers & 3D Printers

Well-being of a generation can be measured by the number of children who attend a Maker Faire. Houston's George R Brown Convention Center was filled with programmers, 3D printers,hand made creations, geeky gear and folks passionate about their ability to create. Houston Maker Faire featured 150 booths, soap makers, FIRST/ VEX robotics teams, LEGO builders and cosplay costume makers. Us NASA interns and Co-Ops set up a booth sharing about career opportunities, letting students share ideas with NASA and coloring pages with kids. Folks tried on an Apollo 11 helmet and space walk glove.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

Apply for a NASA internship open now, login to apply. Sooner the better. There are also fellowships and scholarships available: https://intern.nasa.gov/ossi/web/students/login/

Mentor a FIRST Robotics team. Teams with students age K-12:

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/coachesmentors

Apply to be a NASA Community College Aerospace Scholar open now: https://nas.okstate.edu/ncas/

Activity sheets for students: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/about/resources/jscfacts/activity_coloring_sheets.html

Co-Op for NASA. What does this mean? Flip-flop between working at NASA and studying in college. This is how NASA hires a majority of their Civil Servants. Job openings are updated every week or so: http://nasajobs.nasa.gov/studentopps/employment/opportunities.htm

Accomplishments this week at NASA: https://youtu.be/4iaScOqvI64

Full-time positions at NASA. Use this website and simply search "NASA": https://www.usajobs.gov/

Intern Week 4: The Red Phone

Mouse clicks resonate throughout the lab mimicking an orchestra of League of Legend players. At work I was certainly not partaking in an online battle arena but programming in LabVIEW. The constant clicking is a byproduct of a visual programming language and my toll for simplicity.

My current task is to imagineer methods of navigating touch screen interfaces for a space habitat. Ideas have ranged from a touch of a finger to immerse you in the data of a solar power regulator, to a home button that will transport you back to home with an interactive schematic of the habitat's devices. While it's easy to brainstorm how an interface will be navigated on the white board getting the compiled program to act as expected is another story.

While taking a break from wires and code blocks our mentor took me and my fellow interns on a tour of the current Mission Control center and historic Apollo Mission Control room. In the current Mission Control we saw a live feed from the International Space Station (ISS) zooming above Australia. In only 92 minutes ISS orbits Earth and sees the sun rise. The astronauts were currently sleeping when we stopped by but we saw one of them float out of their quarters into a hallway before loss of signal (a normal occurrence).

Defined by the walls decorated in mission patches, green control stations, and a soft smell of cigars we entered into the historic Apollo Mission Control center. Shouts of joy once echoed in this room when The Eagle landed as well as unsettling silence of held breath during Apollo 13. The Red Telephone was Mission Control's life line to the Department of Defense and could be contacted immediately about issues. the It was an honor to be in the same room as history's heroes.  

Pictures - Top: The Red Phone, Middle Left: American flag that flew to the Moon, Middle Right: Live feed from the ISS, Bottom Left: Current Mission Control, Bottom Right: At a historic Apollo Mission Control center station.

Scott Kelly, the astronaut on a one year mission, in his extra vehicular activity (EVA) suit and the International Space Station (ISS). NASA is holding a pumpkin carving contest for its employees. The crew aboard ISS will judges them as they are missing Halloween.

Accidentally met NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden! (Barely pictured far left.) I was watching the Space Station cargo ship launch (which unfortunately didn't) from the viewing room and all these important people walked in. After the scrub Bolden came up to me and asked who I was. I responded that I was just an intern and we talked about astronaut training and what was on board the ship.

Saturn V - the rocket built to fly is now a grounded beast. #techisbeautiful #NASAIntern #jsc

NASA Super Bowl Wrap Up: NASA Co-Op #3 Week 3 & 4

Houston, we have ourselves a ball game! A byproduct of a Houston based Super Bowl is the media's fascination with NASA and desire to team up with NASA to make some awesome football space crossover clips. Fox Sports descended upon Johnson Space Center last week to shoot a promo in a trainer Mission Control room called the White Front Control Room. Flight Controllers were invited to sit on NFL themed consoles and take orders from Jimmy Johnson, announcer for Fox Sports, posing as the Flight Director. Other Mission Control employees were invited to the viewing room, a fellow Co-Op and I got to watch the promo filming. Jimmy was a natural Flight Director, passionately and powerfully presenting the script. Here is a clip with Jimmy's Mission Control segment. Fox Sports announcers also had the opportunity to film in orange flight suits and on top of a Space Shuttle mock-up.

Over the past few years NASA's media presence has been increasing due to human exploration themed movies and now the Super Bowl. Love the public's interest in space from those in lab coats who studies ripples in time space to view gravity to those who think watching a rocket launches are cool. Science literacy is for everyone!

Work wise, user testing was conducted for a stowage app that can assist astronauts with (un/re)loading cargo ships. We performed tests in the Space Vehicle Mock-Up Facility inside International Space Station nodes.

Photos by NASA and Fox Sports

Gaze upon this multistage monster that humans built #techisbeautiful #NASAIntern #jsc

For #GivingTuesday I am sharing my top 9 favorite organizations, foundations and groups to give to today (not in any particular order). If I forgot any or if you have feels about any listed let me know! 1) Team Rubicon USA - "international non-profit disaster response organization that unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy disaster response teams, free of charge to communities affected by disasters across the country. Team Rubicon currently maintains a roster of 35,000+ volunteers able to deploy throughout the United States." Bethany Watson first told me about this group, how they have positively impacted communities, how it has transformed her and her fellow Rubicon responders: https://teamrubiconusa.org/

2) FIRST ROBOTICS FIRST - For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology - Programs from preK to 12th grade engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math challenges. PreK to 8th graders participate in a form of Lego Robotics. 9th to 12th grade can participate in FIRST Tech Challenge building a 12inx 12inx 12in robots that compete tasks. Alternatively 9th to 12th grade can participate in FIRST Robotics Competition building 120lb robots that play games like soccer, basketball and frisbee. Dozens of NASA interns/ Co-Ops I have meet have been a part of this career changing program: https://give.firstinspires.org/checkout/donation If you want to give to a local team look them up here: http://www.firstinspires.org/team-event-search#type=teams&sort=name&programs=FLLJR,FLL,FTC,FRC&year=2016 They will likely have a team webpage that can route you to donation instructions.

3) World Wildlife Fund - "WWF’s work has evolved from saving species and landscapes to addressing the larger global threats and forces that impact them. Recognizing that the problems facing our planet are increasingly more complex and urgent...puts people at the center and organizes our work around six key areas: forests, marine, freshwater, wildlife, food and climate." This group doesn't just care about saving the cute endangered animals but the ugly helpful ones too. You can symbolically donate a critical animal here: https://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions.aspx

4) Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) - "A Ronald McDonald House is that “home-away-from-home” for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost... At every House, families can enjoy: Home-cooked meals, Private bedrooms and Playrooms for children." Personal friends have stayed at these houses during cancer treatment.http://support.rmhc.org/site/PageNavigator/pw/Donation_Landing.html

5) The Mars Generation - Send students to space camp and get youth hooked on Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM)! These are the folks that put out the challenge to only eat potatoes for 24 hours.   https://themarsgeneration.org/donate/

6) CHUM - "CHUM provides Emergency Shelter services for Duluth residents. The Congregate Shelter provides dormitory-style shelter for single adults. The Family Shelter offers small apartments to a maximum of 6 families at a time.Length of stay in either shelter is dependent upon the needs and cooperation of the guest. Each shelter resident is required to meet regularly with a Housing Advocate to work toward a resolution of their housing situation." Powerfull and local organization in Duluth, Minnesota: https://www.givemn.org/organization/Churches-United-In-Ministry

7) YWCA GirlPower Duluth - "After school, lunch, and summer day camp program dedicated to cultivating future leaders. YWCA Duluth uses nationally accredited Girls Inc. leadership curriculum, STEM (science technology engineering math) activities and experiments, race and gender justice activities, economic and media literacy education, field trips, academic support." What makes this program stands out is that it's 100% free so all sorts of girls can learn and grow: http://www.ywcaduluth.org/donate/

8) National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) - "working to increase girls' and women's participation in technology and computing. NCWIT helps organizations recruit, retain, and advance women from K-12 and higher education through industry and entrepreneurial careers by providing support, evidence, and action. NCWIT is the only national organization focused on women's participation in computing across the entire ecosystem: K-12 through college education, and academic to corporate and entrepreneurial careers." Being an NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award recipent has impacted my career trajectory continuing interests in computer science: https://www.ncwit.org/donate

9) UMD's Women's Resource & Action Center - WRAC - "provide all women support and encouragement on the University of Minnesota-Duluth campus. The Center works to empower women, both individually and collectively, through the provision of a wide variety of services and resources... Drop-in center- Campus outreach and educational services for classes or student groups, Library with extensive subject files for academic or personal purposes, Events and programs and events including: Take Back the Night, Clothesline Project, Women's History Month, Mock Rape Trial, International Women's Day, Nursing Parents Room, KSC 260 and Library 143" http://www.d.umn.edu/mlrc/ocd/donate/ https://makingagift.umn.edu/onlinegiving/enterArea.do?ownerCode=O_UMD&areaCode=A_UMD164

What are the most important skills an astronaut should have m?

First of all, the basic requirement is a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field, and 3 years of experience (which can also be substituted for by an advanced degree). Other than that, operational experience (things with a technical/active/hands on nature like flying airplanes, SCUBA diving, taking things apart and putting them back together, basic fix-it skills, etc. etc.) is very important, as this is an integral aspect of every day of a space mission.  What we call “expeditionary skills” are also essential, basically the types of things you try to instill in your children, like how to play nicely with others, self care, team care, etc.  I like to think about this on the lines of a camping trip and who you would like to have along with you …someone that is competent and can take good care of themselves and their equipment, someone that contributes to the team and helps with group tasks, someone that is good natured and pleasant to be around, etc., someone fun!  These things are increasingly important now that we are regularly doing long duration missions (typical International Space Station mission is 6 months).  Experience living in extreme/remote/isolated environments with small teams is also useful, as it is similar to what we experience as astronauts.     

NASA Co-Op Week 2: Beyond Low Earth Orbit

Industrial drive advancing space exploration is juxtaposed by the nature around NASA’s campus. I can stroll past trees, ponds, deer, cranes, turtles on meandering sidewalks which connect Johnson Space Center’s buildings. A couple blocks down I can visit a caged beast that never flew, Saturn V.

Termination of Apollo halted production of many projects and future Moon missions. The Saturn V Rocket was in full functional condition eager to launch and fulfill its duty to send the capsule beyond low earth orbit. Now it’s Houston’s most expensive tourist attraction. During my Co-Op I work towards sending us back beyond low earth orbit again. 

My technical work continues with PLUTO (Plug-in Port Utilization Officer) on of the teams in current mission control. Currently I am orchestrating training for crew members. This training will teach astronauts how to use a device that will assist them in conducting labs and procedures in space. I am scheduled to OJT (On the Job Training) at a number of console positions with mission control in the next few weeks. In addition to technical work I have been appointed leader of the PAXC (Pathways Agency Cross-center Connections) committee where Co-Ops and interns communicate with peers at other centers and the Lectures and Tours Committee tasked with exploring the coolest places onsite and arranging lectures with some of NASA’s legends.