Technology - Blog Posts

"Building Ana De Armas from Blade Runner : r/LocalLLaMA - Reddit"

Once I have enough VRAM, I'll do it and never leave my basement again.

MarCO Media Reel

I’m sorry friends, but “just google it” is no longer viable advice. What are we even telling people to do anymore, go try to google useful info and the first three pages are just ads for products that might be the exact opposite of what the person is trying to find but The Algorithm thinks the words are related enough? And if it’s not ads it’s just sponsored websites filled with listicles, just pages and pages of “TOP FIFTEEN [thing you googled] IMAGINED AS DISNEY PRINCESSES” like… what are we even doing anymore, google? I can no longer use you as shorthand for people doing real and actual helpful research on their own.

Elevated Bus That Drives Above Traffic Jams

Hello Worlds: NASA Co-Op #3 Week 15

This year launched the inaugural dual FIRST Robotics Championships in Houston and St. Louis. Before, only one Championship dubbed "Worlds" was hosted where teams around the world competed for one title. Due to the growth of the teams involved in robotics, FIRST has decided to split Worlds into a North and South Championships with the intent to bring the winning alliance form each championship to battle it out during a live televised event. Unfortunately this means a Northern team will never be able to compete against a Southern team unless they win championships or pay to attend an out of state regional earlier in the season. There was ~700 teams, 15k students and 30k attendees!

My time volunteering was fantastically frantic! Resetting the Steamworks play field after each match for the robotics teams was a challenge requiring over 400 wiffle balls be picked up and dozens of yellow gears to be stacked.

Worked on the "Newton" FRC field. Winners from this field competed in the finals held in Houston's Minute Maid Park where their Astros baseball team plays. Logistics of getting 700 robotics teams into Minute Maid was a challenge that took longer than expected. There will be time for improvement as the southern robotics championship will be held in Houston for at least three more years.

The field had to be cleared within seven minutes to keep matches on schedule.

Robotics Houston Championship concluded with the announcement of he highest award, Chairman's, earned by team Thunder Down Under from Australia and fireworks!

Even the VIP seats did not have a good view of the final matches! Growing pains but lots of opportunity to improve over the next couple of years.

It is rumored the winners of the St.Louis and Houston Championships will go head to head at the FIRST Festival of Champions July Friday 28th - Saturday 29th, 2017. WAYS TO GET INVOLVED What is FIRST Robotics? Volunteer at a FIRST Robotics event or with a local team. Donate to FIRST Robotics. Read about my "Robo" Mater, Daredevils Robotics. Theme of the 2018 FIRST Tech Challenge, 18inx18inx18in robots.

Space Device User Test: NASA Co-Op #3 Week 13

Feels like a day back in high school robotics. Staying late Friday to work out the last software bug. If there is a team member in the lab, you are in the lab. Instead a team of high school robo-prodigies, I lead a team of developers and flight controllers in preparation for a space device user test. The goal is to test a stowage app may make unloading and loading cargo ships easier astronauts to perform on the International Space Station. The app runs on a device that makes these operations more hands free. Additionally the app may make stowage operations more error free. I have coordinated the Stowage App's debut - a user test performed by experienced Mission Control flight controllers in NASA Johnson's Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF). The SVMF is filled with exact replicas where astronauts train and devices are tested.

During the space device user test participants were asked to go on a sort of extraterrestrial Easter egg hunt. Users were asked to unpack stowage items from a visiting vehicle mockup and stow them in the International Space Station mockup. While participants learn how to use the app and pick up items non-biased data takers record results and record reactions. Unapologetically, we threw the users under the bus without giving a tutorial on how to use the app. This way data takers could assess how intuitive (or not) the app is.

Valuable data was collected about app usability. Developers shared they already had ideas to make the app more user friendly. For the remainder of my Co-Op tour I will be engaged with data analysis, brainstorming with the dev team how to improve the app and a pitch to management about continuing app development.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

"This week at NASA" video highlights John H Glenn's interment and Cassini the Saturn orbiter's final days prep.

If you missed NASA's Snapchat story featuring interns their Tumblr page shares how you can land a PAID NASA internship.

Become a US Government Civil Servant and get on track to becoming a full-time NASA employee by participating in the NASA Pathways Internship Program (Co-Op).

Details about Cassini's last shot to take data on Saturn.

SCIENCE PACKED WEEK: NASA Co-Op #3 Week 7

The amount of science that occurred this week was so overwhelming that I had to make the title all caps. Five major science related events occurred this week... I was a Judge at the FIRST Robotics Tech Challenge SE Texas Championship, assisted in astronaut user testing, watched a briefing about seven new Earth-like planets found, watched SpaceX Dragon cargo ship dock to the International Space Station, and trained on the job in Mission Control during the Dragon cargo ship unstow.

1. FIRST Robotics Tech Challenge Judging

FTC is like FRC (that I was in back in high school) except FTC robots are 18in x 18in x 18in, rather than 120lb robots we built, and play a different game. This year's game is Velocity Vortex which required students to build a robot in only six weeks that could lift large medicine balls and shoot Whiffle balls at a target. I had a great time at the FIRST Tech Challenge's SE Texas Regional Champs judging teams. It was a challenge to judge teams when there was so much talent to sift through! Unlike Minnesota FRC's one regional these TX FTC folks have to go through three levels of competition to get to the World Championship. Worlds will be held in Houston this year April 19-22.

Volunteer with at a FIRST Robotics event.

2. SpaceX Dragon Launch to Space Station

Launch of Falcon9 carrying dragon cargo to Space Station went wonderfully. Additionally, a stage of Flacon 9 successfully landed ON LAND back in Florida to be refurbished and reused. This private space industry/ US Government/ International effort demonstrates Scott Kelly's quote: "Spaceflight is the biggest team sport there is, and it's incredibly important that we all work together to make what is seemingly impossible possible." Kelly said this when he handed over command of the ISS to fellow NASA astronaut Tim Kopra during his Year In Space Mission in 2016. Despite public belief, spaceflight is a team collaboration (not competition) between government, private and international groups.

3. Astronaut User Testing

In parallel to hands free stowage app development I am "Project Manager-ing" for, I am helping with a similar app on an iPad. This iPad app is going through user testing to get approved and sent up to Space Station. I assisted with user testing including participants from ISO and participants from the astronaut crew office who have flown. The test participants were asked to gather items in the ISS mock-ups and pack them into the SpaceX Dragon cargo ship mock up. I was available for test participants to ask about space station locations. Additionally I made the “play” stowage items that participants gathered and packed.

4. New Earth-like Planets Found

First known system of seven Earth-sized planets has been found! This solar system is called TRAPPIST-1 and the planets are named letters "a" through "g" from closest to furthest from the Star. These planets are one hundred times closer to their star and closer to each other than the planets in our solar system. This means that on the surface of one planet you can see other planets clearly like our moon. Since this star is significantly cooler than ours which leaves three of these planets habitable despite close proximity to the star. At light speed it would take 39yrs to reach this solar system. In 2016 in Chile, researchers used the TRAPPIST telescope to find two of the planets in TRAPPIST-1. In part of a global effort NASA's Spitzer telescope found total of seven reported this week. In the future NASA's James Webb telescope, set to launch in 2018, will take a closer look at TRAPPIST-1.

Check out what the surface of planet TRAPPIST-1d looks like. Find the other six planets in the sky.

Take a 3D tour of TRAPPIST solar system.

NASA's press release about the new found exoplanets.

Full breif/ exoplanet discovery announcement video here, it's only 30mins long with press questions.

5. Dragon Cargo Ship Unstow

Conducted on the job training with DISO (Dragon Inventory Stowage Officer) in a Mission Control support room. DISOs are in charge of monitoring the astronaut’s cargo unstow of SpaceX’s dragon cargo ship docked to the International Space Station. Dragon delivered many scientific experiments, food and temperature sensitive items. During unstow astronauts Peggy Whitson and Thomas Pesquet were about an hour ahead of schedule. This crew is extremely efficient and is ahead of schedule for every task, even spacewalks. Pesquet unpacked cold bags where temperature sensitive science is stored and should be unpacked quickly. Whitson retrieved CTBs (Cargo Transfer Bags) from Dragon which included science that needed kept at a particular temperature and pressure. CTBs are White, rectangular, cushiony, sewn bags sealed with a zipper and are used on every flight to contain items.

Unloading items from dragon in an elegant organized fashion is critical because SpaceX must always know its center of gravity. If there is a Dragon emergency in which case dragon cannot stay on ISS and needs to return to Earth the center of gravity is available for accurate trajectory calculations. During my on the job training I followed the procedures sent to crew and recorded changes astronauts made to the procedure. I listened to the voice loops of each of the flight control consoles communicating to each other about the astronaut’s tasks. I was able to confirm “words”, what was spoken over the loop, to the official DISO flight controller as a second check. Sometimes DISO are asked to confirm that an unstow procedure is being completed correctly and sometimes DISO needs to call the Flight Director to point out a stowage item concern.

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

Space Walks & Garbage: NASA Co-Op #3 Week One

Space Garbage

Familiarized myself with the Inventory and Stowage Officer (ISO) team this week. They are a console position Mission Control that is in charge of managing the inventory and stowage of all US items on board the International Space Station (ISS). ISO prepares products for upcoming real-time operations and coordinates with other consoles regarding stowage plans. ISO is responsible for directing the crew to consolidate, relocate, audit, and unload a visiting vehicle. ISO as well as the Mission Control consoles’ mantra is to distill all information and procedures to make astronaut’s life easier. This is critical because astronauts have to navigate a lot of factors folks on ground don’t have to like; CO2 clustering around their face due to lack of gravity causing drowsiness, homesickness, isolation and general aggregations of communication challenges.

This week we focused on double checking the list of garbage that will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere in Japanese JAXA’s HTV6 cargo ship. Tediously we reviewed each item so nothing got thrown away that shouldn’t and items that would stink up the station were not missed.

Spacewalk

Conducted on the job training in Mission Control's support room called MPSR  (Multi-Purpose Support Room, pronounced "mipser") during the Friday the Thirteenth spacewalk. With an official Mission Control headset I followed along the astronauts tasks. Astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Thomas Pesquet spacewalked outside of ISS to update power systems. Upgrading power system of ISS was the overall goal of this month’s suite of Extra Vehicular Activities. Three 428lb Lithium-Ion batteries replaced nickel hydrogen batteries to store power for ISS during this spacewalk. Before the conclusion of the spacewalk engineers in mission control confirmed the batteries’ integration and initial power storage operations.

MPSRs usually use multi-view video with six images of ISS’ exterior and the crew to observe tasks being completed. They listen in on live loops to the Flight Director’s final calls, CAPCOM’s instructions and astronaut’s questions. If necessary MPSR operators can relay to their counterparts in front room Mission Control (FCR-1) information that can be filtered and relayed to Flight.

During the spacewalk there are many glove checks to check for leaks and anomalies. These gloves are impressively engineered to be thick enough to pressurize protect you from space yet gentle enough to allow you to feel space station through them. Astronauts could confirm with Mission Control that batteries were correctly mounted into place by describing drill rotations, torque and light sensor reading on the hand tool.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

Intern at NASA, year round, summer, spring or fall semesters.

Co-Op at NASA (Pathways Internship) and get sworn in as a Civil Servant.

Full-time employment at NASA opportunities!

This week's NASA achievements.

Everything about Mission Control from a Flight Director

Falcon 9 Sticks the Landing

Game changing launch of Iridium Next mission, Land of Falcon 9 first stage landing and deployment of 10 satellites in low earth orbit by SpaceX. These satellites will provide important data to first responders on Earth. The first stage landing was captured entirely by the Falcon 9's point of view. First launch following SpaceX's 2016 explosion. SpaceX worked with NASA, Airforce and other groups to identify the cause and find a solution. The 2016 was caused by carbon dioxide build up between stage 2's layer of aluminum and carbon fiber wrap.

Stage one successfully lands on barge named “Just Read the Instructions”.

Stage carrying the Iridium Next satellites glows red.

Liftoff with critical small one minute launch window.

Falcon 9′s fins adjust for landing on sea barge. 

Watch astronauts Peggy Whitson and Thomas Pesquet spacewalk LIVE tomorrow (Friday The 13th) from 6amCT to ~11amCT! It is Peggy's 8th spacewalk. This is NASA's picture of the day from January 11th showing Peggy performing her 7th spacewalk not too long ago. I'm observing from Mission Control's MPSR (Multi-Purpose Support Room, pronounced "mipser")! http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv

Cargo Ship Choreography: NASA Co-Op #3 Day One

Today I returned to Mission Control to support the ISO (Inventory Stowage Officers) console. This team is in charge of packing cargo ships, choreographing the unloading of cargo ships and letting astronauts know where they misplaced their socks. Basically, ISO knows where everything is in the bird's nest that is the International Space Station.

My task is to choreograph the unloading of a cargo ship docked to space station. This is no ordinary choreography however, I will be using a device I created training for with another Mission Control in an earlier Co-Op. In the Fall of 2015 I produced a training video for a device that has the potential to make difficult procedures easier for astronauts. Astronaut Scott Kelly and Tim Peake ended up using this training in space. This week I will be familiarizing myself with standard unloading procedures, watching videos of astronauts testing this new device and questioning what is the hardest part of unloading that could be made easier with this device.

In layman's terms - I am choreographing the unloading of a cargo ship onto space station that the astronauts will perform by using a helpful device.

My battle station.

Saturn V stage.

Guess what day it is?! Have to post this video every year: https://youtu.be/G_bOA3qrC-c Link to FIRST Robotics Kick Off webcast starting 9amCT with preshow and 9:30amCT with new game info: http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/2017-broadcast

FIRST Robotics Kick Off is THIS SATURDAY Jan7 at 9amCT! 

3,400 teams made up of over 85,000 students will learn what game their robot will be playing. Within a six week build season students will have to fabricate, wire and program that robot. The game's name, "STEAMworks", has been revealed along with some vague hints. Here is a post with some of my theories and the link to watch the unveiling of the game live.

Soon I will be returning to mission control for my fourth Co-Op tour at NASA Johnson Space Center. I will be joining Inventory Stowage Officers (ISO) team in mission control. ISO ensures supplies and experiments are delivered to the International Space Station, completed experiments return to Earth in one piece and space garbage successfully burns up in the atmosphere and does not land in someone's backyard. Last  mission control Co-Op I sat console with ISO and watched Kjell Lindgren load the Japanese HTV-5 cargo ship with garbage playfully floating through station with the bags of garbage. I have a feeling ISO will be busy after a long pattern of cargo ship failures and the most recent Russian Progress 65 cargo failure (as SpaceX calls it, rapid unscheduled disassembly) transporting a space toilet, updated space suits and Christmas presents for the astronauts from their families. I expect work I will be doing with ISO will include logistics work on what has priority to be sent up to space station and collaborating with scientists about how their experiment with be stored. Additionally, Super Bowl LI in Houston and the Hidden Figures premiere are NASA related events I am looking forward to.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

* Often a live feed of Houston's Mission Control is streamed on NASA TV. My colleagues enjoy trying to catch me picking my nose when sitting console.

* Learn about the programmers behind the Apollo mission in the new movie Hidden Figures.

* Check out everything NASA accomplished in 2016 jam packed in a 3.5 minute video.

* Learn programming with Code.org, Elementary, Middle School, High School and Beyond.

‪STEM is uniquely comprised of careers for every person with every desired lifestyle.

It's Small Business Saturday folks! Did you know that NASA collaborates with SmallBiz on extraterrestrial projects? This summer I worked on a NASA small business project, innovating ways to create energy on Mars! I have also sat in on two SmallBiz design proposals and was blown away by the ideas for deep space travel, energy creation and resource utilization. Despite my Black Friday all-nighter I have kicked off today having breakfast at a local joint. Take time today to support SmallBiz and learn about SmallBiz projects with NASA... SmallBiz Mars Humidity Sensor Project: http://kirsikuutti.blogspot.com/2016/08/sensing-mars-nasa-co-op-2-week-nine.html NASA SmallBiz success story: http://www.spacenewsmag.com/feature/bridging-the-valley-of-death/ SmallBiz on Space Station: http://www.spacenewsmag.com/feature/starting-small-to-develop-big-ideas/ SmallBiz deals in Duluth,MN: http://downtownduluth.com/df-data/files/SBS-2016.pdf Find NASA SmallBiz Partners:https://ehb8.gsfc.nasa.gov/sbir/public/technologySearch/searchAction.do?requestFrom=NASASBIRHome

Nothing, you can't do anything with an electrical engineering major. Jk folks, EE is one of the most flexible degrees:

https://umdcareers.wordpress.com/2016/11/22/what-can-you-do-with-an-electrical-engineering-major/

Game plan for “Hour Of Code” 2nd Grader Lesson

Hour of code was started to get kids engaged with programming and computer science. Even an hour of dragging and dropping code can open up a new interest and career for kids. This December I will be introducing 2nd Graders to the world of code.

1st we will talk about what they think code is and how it is used. This is a neat video were coders talk about what they have created and how computer science has impacted them.

2nd we will do my favorite group programming activity ever, programming a yeti to dance on MadeWithCode. Students love to take turns dragging and dropping blocks of code, customizing the yeti and choreographing a dance.

3rd we will travel to the computer lab where kids will have free range on coding Minecraft Characters, Flappy Bird Games and Disney movies. Websites I will suggest are...

MadeWithCode, Code.org and Disney

STEAMworks: Robotics Game Theories

Teaser trailer for the 2017 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition for Science and Technology) Robotics Competition was released late September revealing a Steampunk theme. Now is the time for my annual game conspiracy post about what I think teams can expect based on nuanced clues and veteran FIRST experience.

FLYING MINI BOTS - "Prepare to take flight!" was the closing statement of the 2017 FIRST STEAMworks Teaser video. Could minibots be coming back with quadcopter features? Minibots was a successful and entertaining aspect of the 2011 FIRST challenge Logo Motion. At the end of the Logo Motion teams' primary 120lb robot deployed smaller minibots to climb a tower. A FIRST inspired robotics competition, Collegiate Aerial Robotics Demonstration (CARD), launched at the 2011 World Championship with the hope to start a College-Level FIRST competition. According to CARD's Wikipedia page the competitions were held between 2011 and 2013. In the teaser video the flying contraptions illustrated have circular quadcopter like rioters. With the growing interest in quadcopters, drones and other flying robots it would be easier FIRST to suppliers for teams' Kit Of Parts and easier to find mentoring help from college students and companies than years prior.  

STEAM (Science Technology Engineering ART and Math) - Within the past decade educators and professionals have realized that the arts do indeed belong in STEM education. FIRST appears to be adopting the trend by imagining STEAMworks. Even a paint brush is visible in the STEAMworks game logo. What would life be without music and art? (My father is a high school art teacher and both of my parents and myself play stringed instruments). The Beautility factor or engineering, when something is aesthetic while serving a purpose, is due to the blend of STEAM disciplines. FIRST could include arts in the 2017 season by adding a Beautility award, challenging teams to combine their brand with the game's theme, continue the team website competition and add scholarships to their ~200 already offered that include students in the arts.

PNEUMATICS - It would be disappointing if STEAMworks did not emphasize the use of pneumatic devices. Although water is a component that makes steam happen a water game does not seem feasible... I'm imagining teams trying to isolate electronics from water reservoirs... don't get your hopes up. Likely, FIRST will require teams to have at least one pneumatic device. In past seasons pneumatics have been used for championship winning actuators but primarily underutilized. In the teaser trailer a gauge showing 40psi was visible, a possible operating pressure for Kit of Parts pneumatics parts (that est. 1989 is the year Dean Kamen Founded FIRST).

Hopefully these theories get you excited about the upcoming season!

Kick Off Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 9:00 amCT, will update with broadcast link before 1/9/17.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

Find a local team to help.

Mentor a team.

Check out my past robotics team.

High School Women - Aspirations In Computing Award

Due November 7th!

High school women, check out the questions for the NCWIT Aspirations In Computing award, your qualification may surprise you! Seriously gals, apply. You will get internships/ job shadowing opportunities, access to college $$$ and most importantly meet peers with similar interests. This award made me look at computer science as a serious major, awarded me a new iPad and CAD software, gave me the opportunity to visit the white house to advocate for project based learning during a Champions of Change Event and encouraged me to attend Grace Hopper Computing Conference. At least look at the questions because you qualify more than you think, I promise. I talked on WDIO's Good Morning Northland about NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award for high school women which may provide some insight. Teachers, relatives and friends of HS women, please encourage them to apply.

PATHWAYS INTERNSHIP (Co-Op) postings for NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX to open September 12th-16th, 2016! Get your USAJobs.gov resume builder resumes ready because the have changed the website layout! Mine was 20,000 characters and 7 pages long so don't wait until the night before. They are looking for business and technical Co-Ops. It looks like they are accepting COMPUTER SCIENCE students now as long as your college's curriculum meets their new criteria! What is the Pathways Intern Program? The NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Pathways Intern Program (formerly known as co-op program) follows a cooperative education model where current undergraduate and graduate students gain valuable work experience on an alternating school/work basis, and serves as a pipeline for our future full-time employees. Each work tour you will rotate into a different functional area at JSC, this allows you to try out different career paths while you are still in school and decide what you want to do after graduation. Each time you come for a work rotation you'll be assigned a mentor who will work side-by-side with you to make sure that you have a meaningful project and the tools/knowledge to complete it. Additionally, Interns are able to receive the same benefits as full-time employees such as bi-weekly pay, insurance, and paid time-off. Will be posted here on the 12th: http://nasajobs.nasa.gov/studentopps/employment/opportunities.htm

A thing I helped is in space!

I randomly took this screenshot during the spacewalk yesterday because I thought the reflection of the astronaut looked cool. Past NASA mentor pointed out that the lower reflective device is actually a HD camera @astronomicalwonders and I monitored during testing! We took the graveyard shifts monitoring data during cold thermo-cycling (checking if it could really handle chilly space temperatures). We recorded time and temperatures and the test lead performed operational testing to see if the cameras still give back an image. In honor of our enthusiasm for late night testing our division, the Avionic Systems Division, awarded us with certificates in Team Excellence for "reinforcing the weary EHDC project team during overnight thermo testing." Our assistance was not particularly technical but it was neat to see the path a device takes to get to space and see the final result post spacewalk insulation. The astronauts will use these cameras to show ground what they are working on in space and zoom in on fine details to show damages.

More details about the spacewalk via NASA here.

Spacewalk itinerary walk-through here.

Jupiter gets his first close-ups by NASA's Juno Space craft! Read about the successful flyby here: http://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasas-juno-to-soar-closest-to-jupiter-this-saturday/ More pictures here: https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam/processing

Comfortably Inconclusive: NASA Co-Op #2 Week 10 & 11

This is the first internship I have completed without a definite finished product to hand over and it truly bothers me. Trials were performed with the small business made humidity sensor with three levels of humidity in order to gather different data points. From these trials a >10% difference between the humidity sensor and NASA known sensors was found. This was primarily because the sensors available to me were not calibrated so errors in the thermodynamic equations could propagate. In conclusion the trials were inconclusive. However, I left a trial rig that can be used with calibrated sensors and known humidity levels, explanation of equations used to gather data and ample documentation on how to run trials with my fluid system and data collection program. My exit presentation pictured above went really well, I was so glad the Director of Engineering Propulsion could attend my presentation!

Before my departure International Space Station astronauts gave a debrief on missions 46 and 47. British astronaut Tim Kopra and American astronaut Tim Peake narrated a video showing images from the missions and scientific experiments they performed. Kopra explained astronauts are experiments themselves and they draw blood, perform ultrasound and exercises to help advance medical science and understand how humans are affected by space travel.

I really enjoyed the multi-disipline challenges I faced this summer running trials on the humidity sensor. Right before I left my Dad and I caught Kate Rubins and Jeff Williams installing the Commercial Crew Docking Adapter outside of Space Station live! This fall I am back at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) continuing my studies in electrical engineering and computer science. While at UMD I work in the career center editing resumes, giving presentations and writing career tip posts like this: https://umdcareers.wordpress.com/2016/08/17/internships-beyond-your-project/

In the spring I will return to Johnson to Co-Op in Mission Control's ISO (Inventory and Stowage Officer) group.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

See what NASA was up to this week.

Read about the astronauts on space station right now!

Apply for a NASA Co-Op

Apply for a NASA Internship

Fellow Co-Op shared her experience testing Curiosity Rover's drill, Morpheous tested thrusters and students toured space structure labs.

Jackelynne Silva-Martinez  presented "Behind the Scenes on the Verification and Validation (V&V) Tests of the Curiosity Rover's Robotic Arm." The Curiosity rover has been gathering data on Mars since August 2012. Jacky is a mechanical engineer who was a test operator for the MSL robotic arm during its V&V surface tests for sample acquisition, processing and handling. She tested with equipment which are a replica of the drill and the Collection and Handling for In situ Martian Rock Analysis (CHIMRA).

Engineering Structures (ES) students hosted a presentation and tour of labs that they work in for fellow Co-Ops and interns. These ES students are working on testing materials that cover Orion, untangling vibrations the Space Launch System experiences during tests and analyzing samples after the first Orion test.  

ES had lab with electron microscopes, impact test tools and a 3D printing lab. From the outside the ES building looks like a bunch of office spaces but nested in the inside are many we equipped labs.

July 20th was the Moon Landing's 47th anniversary. In celebration Johnson Space hosted an ice-cream party!

Morpheus is a planetary lander capable of taking off vertically. This week Morpheus' positioning thrusters were tested to capture footage for Engineering Propulsion. The test happened outside and we had to stay in the lab to remotely operate the test. Co-Op Michael O'Donnell is working on Morpheus preparing it's fuel chambers for thermo testing.

Watch Juno Spacecraft Arrive at Jupiter July 4th 9:30pmCT

Click here to watch live

Juno spacecraft media briefing screenshots from today! This basketball sized craft will insert into Jupiter’s orbit exposing itself to the radiation equivalent to a human receiving 100 million X-Rays in a year. Jupiter’s is still cooling down since its creation like taking a cake out of the oven. The famous red spot reveals how that heat is coming out. Goals of this mission include: learning how Jupiter was formed, how does its storms differ from our storms, what is the magnitude of its magnetic field, more accurately determine what is Jupiter composed of.

Pictures of Jupiter Revealed July 4th

Spend 2016’s Fourth of July in a most patriotic way - see new pictures of Jupiter sent back to Earth by NASA’s Juno space craft. Below is a schedule of when you can join the interstellar festivities on NASA TV CT (on either media or public channel): http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv

5am - 10am Scientist Interviews 11am - Noon Media Brief 3pm - 4pm Media Brief Replay 7pm - 8pm Media Brief Replay 9:30pm - 11:30pm Jupiter Insertion!

Space Launch System (SLS) booster test screen shots from today. This booster uses 5.5 tons of propellent a second! The booster will help sling shot an unmanned Orion Space Craft around the Moon in late 2018. In mid July I will going to a SLS engine test in person.

How to Work for NASA: Tips from a NASA Intern

Working for NASA is a life long dream for those who grew up building LEGO space stations, watching Space Shuttle launches and admiring Apollo Era heroes. Transforming this childhood dream into reality is more complicated than handing your resume to the right person but more straightforward than receiving a classified invite from an intelligence agent. I will share the many avenues of becoming a part of interstellar exploration discovered during my time interning at NASA. Ramen to Rockets NASA has two primary avenues for current college students to get involved - OSSI Internships and thePathways Internship program (Co-Op). OSSI (One Stop Shopping Initiative) is the main source for internships, fellowships and scholarship opportunities at various NASA centers. An internship is a semester long program where you work alongside professionals in your discipline, get paid in a stipend and do meaningful work that advances NASA’s mission. Some interns have been invited to join NASA full-time but is not common. A Pathways Internship (Co-Op) is similar to an OSSI Internship except a Co-Op is sworn in as a US Government Civil Servant, paid bi-weekly, receive benefits of a Civil Servant, and flip-flops between semesters studying at college and working at NASA. Some Co-Ops extend their flip-flopping into grad school. NASA’s primary pipelines for full-time Civil Servants is the Pathways Intern (Co-Op) program. I shared in great detail what the Co-Op program is and how to apply in this three part blog series. The phrase “college student” may spur images of a microwavable ramen zapping Millennial but NASA’s college programs are great for every kind of college student! OSSI and Co-Op students are parents, veterans, Millennials, experienced in industry and more. Cold Call Nothing can stop you from simply applying to a full-time position at a NASA center. I call it a “Cold Call” because this isn’t a pipeline program driven process. Go on USAJobs and search “NASA” and pages of positions will appear. Applying in this manner may feel like tossing your resume into a black hole. With stellar related experience in aerospace industry, research, military or start up work this method of applying may just work! I share how to use the USAJobs resume builder in this post. Alternatively, an extreme way to join NASA is to become an astronaut. I shared tips on the astronaut application processhere. Note that becoming an astronaut is the least probable way to work at NASA. Space Contract The majority of individuals working onsite at NASA centers are actually contractors. This means they are employed by private companies that NASA collaborates with on projects. Some of many contractors are Lockheed, Boeing, Jacobs, and System Technologies Group (STG). Projects that contractors work on include Orion, Space Launch System, propulsion testing, and International Space Station maintenance. A private company may have a contract to build a part or system and do so offsite at their respective facility. Contractors that produce a part offsite often come onsite to perform integration tests and are an important part of the NASA team and mission. Keep in mind, if you apply to a private (possibly aerospace related) company you may not have much control over if you are a part of a NASA related project.  More recently NASA has been reaching out to small businesses for parts, services and solutions via Small Business Innovation Research. Small businesses can propose projects that can advance NASA’s mission. From Civil Servant on site to a small business working in a small town you can work with NASA and advance space exploration.