NASA Langley Research Center Internship
Amanda
Experience Information
Employer: NASA Langley Research Center
Job Title: Contamination Control Engineer Intern
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was started at Langley Memorial Aeronautics Laboratory as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1917. The Laboratory became the NASA Langley Research Center in 1958, the beginning of the Space Age. The research performed at Langley became the foundation for the nation's future in aerospace and then progressed to include the research into space travel and training the astronauts bound for space. Currently, the center still continues research into both space travel and advances in aeronautic but has also included studying Earth.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
Over the course of my internship I worked in the Systems Integration and Test Branch (SITB). I worked with both technicians and engineers in day-to-day operations and both preparations and running of thermal vacuum tests. I was also given the opportunity to complete and present a project that took the full semester. During thermal testing contaminants are collected on cryogenic surfaces. This is included in the test because the hardware will be operating in space where there is high fluctuations in temperature depending on which side of Earth the equipment is on. When the equipment moves from the hot side to the cold side there is a possibility of a condensation-like film that can occur on the surfaces. The purpose of the cryogenic surface is to collect the partials that will cause the film and remove them from the hardware. It also allows for the particles to be evaluated to determine the degree of danger they possess to the hardware. My project was to write a procedure about how to evaluate the rinse from the cryogenic surface using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
During my time at NASA I learned about space simulation test procedures. How to work in a cleanroom environment and handle space flight hardware. I learned a lot about liquid and gaseous nitrogen systems and the care that needs to exists around them. While helping with thermal vacuum tests I learned about the physics that exist in a vacuum environment and the potential dangers that could exist to the hardware if specific conditions are met. By working in cleanroom environments I learned about the cause and dangers of contaminants.
Favorite Part of the Experience
The best part about this experiences is the fact that everyone I worked we wanted to help me learn. They let me get involved as much as I wanted to. The program is setup so that you learn about not only what is going on in your branch but also what is going on around the center.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
I could easily stay working in a test environment. This experience has assured me that testing, quality, and verification (all things that I was interested in prior to my internship) are truly the route I want to take in my career.