2017 NASA International Internship Project
1. Project Title
Advanced Life Support Internship Opportunity
Mentor Name Michael Flynn
Organization Code
Code SC, Bioengineering
Research Area/Field Water Recycling
Project Description
Advanced life support systems include all systems and technologies required to keep
astronauts alive in space: water recycling, air recycling and waste treatment. This
Internship is primarily focused on water recycling but is cognizant that an optimized
system will include integration with air and waste systems. Our research areas include:
Systems that can recover energy from waste.
In situ resource utilization in spacecraft and on planetary surfaces
Application of space flight systems technologies to sustainable terrestrial development.
Requirements
Innovation a required skill. Our group focuses on training the next generation of NASA
scientists on how to innovate and to develop the next generation of water recycling space
flight systems that will enable the human exploration and colonization of the Solar
System.
The ideal candidate is an undergraduate or graduate student in the fields of: Engineering
(Chemical, Environmental, Electrical, Industrial, Civil, Computer), Mathematics,
Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Environmental Science and must have at least completed
their freshman year of college and a GPA of 3.00 (out of 4). Professional Working
Proficiency (ILR level 3) of the English language is the minimum level required. The
participant must be a team player and comfortable working with professionals of different
cultural and scientific background. At the end of the internship the participant will be
required to submit a white paper.
Dates TBD
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
2. Project Title
Bio-mimetic Optical Sensor for Real-time Measurement of
Aircraft Wing Deflection
Participating NASA Center Ames Research Center
Project Description
We are characterizing and developing a new bio-mimetic optical sensor, based on the
physiological aspects of the eye (and vision-related neural layers) of the common housefly
(Musca domestica). We call the sensor the "FlyEye." We are excited about the potential
applications for this innovative sensor.
During the internship experience the student will carry out experiments with the sensor,
assist in the development of a robust target tracking algorithm, and participate in the
development of the next generation of the sensor.
Experimentation would involve testing new targets, collecting data, varying things like
light level, target motion, and distance from target.
Target tracking algorithm development will occur simultaneously with experimentation in
the lab. The students will be able to dictate what types of experiments should be
performed to determine individual aspects of the sensor's performance. No prior
experience is required. This part of the project most closely resembles pattern
recognition, the student will have to look through the produced data to find features and
draw conclusions.
For the development of the next generation of the FlyEye sensor the student will have the
opportunity to study optics and produce a new solid model of the sensor body. This model
can be 3D printed and tested. Solid modeling skills would be beneficial but are not
required.
Expected Opportunity Outcome:
We would like the student to produce contributions to the hardware or software
associated with the project. The student should also produce a final report and poster
based on their individual experience with the project. Technical paper publication
potential will be based on the extent of research done during the internship period.
Requirements Matlab, Python, LabVIEW, Circuit Analysis, Arduino, Solidworks,
Autodesk Inventor, 3D Printing, Optics.
Hours 40 hrs/week
Mentor
George Gorospe
Approved by Export Control Yes
3. Project Title
Biosensor Development
Mentor Name Jessica Koehne
Participating NASA Center Ames Research Center
Research Area/Field Nanotechnology
Project Description Development of biosensors is an active field due to a wide range of
applications in lab-on-a-chip, diagnostics of infectious diseases, cancer diagnostics,
environment monitoring, biodetection and others. One of the strategies used for selective
identification of a target is to /preselect/ a probe that has a unique affinity for the target or
can uniquely interact or hybridize with the target: sort of a "lock and key" approach. In
this approach, one then needs a platform to support the probe and a recognizing element
that can recognize the said interaction between the probe and the target. The interaction
result can manifest optically (by using dyes, quantum dots for example) or electrically. The
platform design and configuration may vary depending on whether optical or electrical
readout is used and what environment the sensor will be utilized. Electrical readout
biosensors have gained much attention because, in principle, they can be made more
compact than optical technologies. Advances in microfabrication and related technologies
have been aiding the electrical readout based biosensor development to the forefront. A
previous NASA Ames innovation involves a nanoelectrode array consisting of an array of
carbon nanofibers as individual nanoelectrodes. Each nanofiber, which is a solid
nanocylinder, has a probe attached to it. The array size, chip size and wafer size can be
controlled. In order to maintain that this device is stable over a wide range of testing
conditions, the sensor will placed in various chemical and electrical environments. The
project involves pursuing the above or closely related avenues to demonstrate the sensor
functionality in a variety of testing conditions. Intended NASA applications include water
quality monitoring for ISS and lab-on-a-chip for point of care diagnostics for astronaut
health monitoring.
Requirements Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Dates TBD
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
4. Project Title
Computer Science Programmer
Participating NASA Center Ames Research Center
Project Description
Develop 3D virtual globe technology and applications in Java, C++, iOS and Android
We are delighted at the prospect of Inzamam Rahaman working for NASA this summer as
part of the Intern Program. We have a lot of challenging things to accomplish with NASA
World Wind technology, http://goworldwind.org/ as we port it from Java to JavaScript.
http://worldwindserver.net/webworldwind/examples/BasicExample.html
http://worldwindserver.net/webworldwind/examples/BingLayers.html
http://worldwindserver.net/webworldwind/examples/Shapefiles.html
http://worldwindserver.net/webworldwind/examples/MultiWindow.html
Source Code:
http://worldwind31.arc.nasa.gov/svn/trunk/WebWorldWind/
API documentation:
http://worldwindserver.net/webworldwind/api-doc/
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
Mentor
Patrick Hogan
Approved by Export Control Yes
5. Project Title
CubeSat Cluster Test-Bed
Mentor Name BJ Jaroux
Participating NASA Center Ames Research Center
Research Area/Field Small Sats
Project Description
Team members will use available off-the-shelf or spare laboratory hardware to develop
laboratory test bed of at least two "Cubesats" and one ground station that will be used for
on-going software and communications architecture development. The "Cubesats" may
be complete units with all subsystems, flat-sats, or development units consisting of just a
processor and RF subsystem. The team will develop ground software as necessary to
demonstrate operation of the units including simulated intersatellite communications and
simulated downlink.
Requirements Student should have an Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
or Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering or other related
engineering major.
Dates TBD
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
6. Project Title
Data Mining and Analysis for Sustainability Base
Mentor Name Rodney Martin
Participating NASA Center Ames Research Center
Research Area/Field Data Mining
Project Description
The Intelligent Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center will be integrating
advanced technologies into a new "Green" building known as "Sustainability Base" at the
Ames campus. Sustainability Base is high-performance, LEED Platinum certified building
that will incorporate NASA innovations and technologies to improve energy efficiency,
reduce carbon footprint, and lower operating and maintenance expenses compared to
traditional buildings. It will function as a living experimental platform, integrating the
latest technologies as they evolve.
This internship opportunity will assist in defining and implementing demonstrations of
NASA technology in Sustainability Base. In particular, the intern will employ advanced
data mining algorithms on data acquired from Sustainability Base to learn how the
building operates and then monitor how it is performing over time. This could include
measurements of energy use, mechanical system performance, environmental
parameters, and other key performance indicators. For example, correlations between
environmental control system settings and temperature ranges in workspaces can be
established and then monitored to give early indication of performance degradation or
unexpected changes to the building configuration. However, basic data analysis and
gaining an intuitive understanding of data from various building systems (BACnet data,
lighting, shade, photovoltaic sensor data, etc.) will also be an important precursor to any
application of the advanced data mining algorithms. In addition to global building
performance, the algorithms can also be used to detect changes in individual energy use
as well. In either case, the algorithms will provide early indications of off-nominal
performance to building operators or occupants, enabling corrective actions to maximize
building performance and efficiency.
Additional information on Sustainability Base can be found at
http://www.nasa.gov/sustainability-base/.
Additional information on data mining algorithms can be found at
http://ti.arc.nasa.gov/tech/dash/intelligent-data-understanding/.
Requirements The focus of this effort may relate more to automated tracking and
consolidation of energy data and plug load management and analysis, so the ideal
candidate will have experience in scripting or application development to extract real-
time data from APIs and websites for logging into a PostgreSQL database. Experience
with MATLAB; Familiarity with Linux OS is preferred; Strong analytical and
organizational skills; Interest in sustainability; Interest in data mining algorithms for
health management. Senior undergraduate at junior/senior level or higher preferred.
Dates TBD
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
7. Project Title
Explore Impact of Network Delays on Distributed
Spacecraft Testing
Participating NASA Center Ames Research Center
Research Area/Field Small Sats
Project Description
Team members will use available off-the-shelf or spare laboratory hardware to explore the
possibility of using standard network systems and protocols to run mission simulation and
closed-loop hardware-in-the-loop tests remotely where significant parts of the system are
connected over the internet. For example, a spacecraft bus could be at one location, a
payload at a second location and a dynamic simulation environment could be at a third
location, all connected over the internet. The team would identify the problems associated
with such an arrangement (e.g. latency) and suggest approaches to mitigate them.
Requirements
Student should have an Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or
Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering or other related engineering
major.
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
Mentor
BJ Jaroux
Approved by Export Control Yes
8. Project Title
Human Nutrient Production in Space
Participating NASA Center Ames Research Center
Project Description
Future long-duration missions face significant challenges maintaining crew health. A
critical area is supplying adequate nutrition, as certain vitamins and nutrients in supplied
foods will degrade during extended storage. Likewise, certain nutrients are more
effectively utilized when supplied in fresh form as opposed to a preserved format (pills).
We are therefore developing a platform technology that demonstrates in situ microbial
production of targeted nutrients which currently pose challenges in long duration
missions (e.g., lutein, zeaxanthin). The concept is similar to making familiar fermented
foods (e.g., yogurt, bread) but in this case with dramatically less processing time and
infrastructure.
A candidate is sought to participate in the research and development of advanced
microbial strategies for the production of nutrients within crewed spacecraft and
habitats. Of special interest is creating a lightweight, reliable, safe and rapid system that
minimizes crew time and launch costs. Tasks will include microbial growth experiments,
genetic engineering of yeast to produce target nutrient compounds, and system
integration. The candidate will be working in the laboratory conducting experiments,
compiling and analyzing data, writing reports, and participate in general laboratory
duties.
This project will be conducted at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA in the
Bioengineering Branch.
Educational Requirements: Applicant must either possess or be pursuing a degree in an
appropriate discipline, such as biotechnology, bioengineering, molecular biology or
similar program.
Requirements
This project will be conducted at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA in the
Bioengineering Branch.
Educational Requirements: Applicant must either possess or be pursuing a degree in an
appropriate discipline, such as biotechnology, bioengineering, molecular biology or
similar program.
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
Mentor
John Hogan
Approved by Export Control Yes
9. Project Title
Human System Integration in the National Airspace (NAS)
Participating NASA Center Ames Research Center
Project Description The project within the SMART NAS program consists of building
and analyzing models related to human and system integration with respect to the current
as well NextGen procedures and concepts in the NAS. The goal of the project is to
evaluate new procedures for NextGen systems that will be integrated within NAS in the
next 5 to 10 years. The intern on this project will work with research from Intelligent
System Division as well as the Human Factors Division at NASA Ames to study current as
well NextGen air traffic management (ATM) procedures, develop models , and develop
analyzes to validate as well as verify the models. The candidate should have good
communication skills, some programming experience, and an ability to work in a team.
The goal of the project is to propose new procedures to the FAA such that the procedures
can reduce the delays in the New York metroplex.
Hours 40 hrs/week
Mentor
Neha Rungta
Approved by Export Control Yes
10.Project Title
Laboratory Research in Microbial Ecology and Space
Biology
Participating NASA Center Ames Research Center
Project Description Our laboratory is studying the ecology of complex microbial
ecosystems. We are conducting research on naturally occurring communities of algae and
cyanobacteria known as microbial mats. We are interested in these communities for a
number of reasons including: 1) they are modern analogs of some of the earliest
ecosystems on Earth, 2) they are informing our search for life elsewhere, and 3) they may
be useful microbial ecosystems to study the effects of spaceflight on microbes. We are also
conducting a number of projects in our laboratory which are directed at utilizing
cyanobacteria and microalgae from extreme environments for NASA applications
(bioregenerative life support and biological in situ resource utilization) as well as for
"Greentech" applications on Earth (e.g., microalgae for biofuels and higher value co-
products). The successful applicant will have the opportunity to participate in a number of
these projects and to conduct original research in collaboration with investigators in our
lab. We use a variety of experimental techniques in our research including:
photophysiological and biogeochemical measurements as well as molecular ecological
tools.
Requirements General familiarity with Mac and PC computers and Microsoft Office
products. We expect to generate data that will result in peer-reviewed publications as well
as reports and posters required by internship programs.
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
Mentor
Brad Bebout, brad.m.bebout@nasa.gov
Approved by Export Control Yes
11.Project Title
Lunar Topographic Products from Orbital Images
Participating NASA Center Ames Research Center
Research Area/Field Computer Science
Project Description
Digital terrain models are essential for cartography, science analysis, mission planning
and operations. The NASA Ames Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG) has developed software
to automatically generate high-quality topographic and albedo models from satellite
images. Our software, the Ames Stereo Pipeline (ASP), uses stereo vision and
photoclinometric techniques to produce 3D models of the Earth, Moon, and Mars with
very high accuracy and resolution. The intern will assist IRG to improve the quality of
topographic products from lunar orbital images. In particular, the intern will help develop
multi-stage stereogrammetric methods to exploit the full potential of multiple,
overlapping views of a planetary surface. The intern will work closely with NASA
researchers and engineers throughout the internship. Very strong emphasis is placed on
incorporating and integrating the intern's research into IRG's on-going projects. Research
results may be published in one (or more) technical forums: as a NASA technical report, a
conference paper, or journal article.
Requirements
The intern must have a background in Computer Science or Mathematics. Practical
experience with computer programming, Linux-based software development and open-
source tools (gcc, git, etc) is required. Experience with C++ is strongly encouraged.
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
Mentor
Terrence Fong
Approved by Export Control Yes
12.Project Title
Metabolic control for adaptation to spaceflight
environment
Mentor Name Yuri Griko
Organization Code
Code SC, Division of Space Biosciences
Research Area/Field Space Biology/Metabolism
Project Description
With the growing interest in long haul flights and the colonization of the solar system, it is
becoming important to develop organism self-regulatory control systems which would be
able to meet the requirements of extraterrestrial environments rather than requiring an
Earthly environment in space. A better mechanistic understanding of metabolism offers a
means for sustaining astronauts in long-duration missions beyond the low Earth orbit.
Recent data obtained from several research reports have shown that metabolic
suppression could protect biological organisms from damaging effects of space radiation
and microgravity. The ability to drastically reduce and suspend metabolism appears to be
closely tied to the unique survival of bacteria and some invertebrates (e.g., tardigrades)
after a prolonged exposure to cosmic vacuum and radiation. It is possible that there is a
monophyletic origin for this adaptation at the molecular level among a variety of different
organisms. Our ultimate goals are to demonstrate proof-of-principle for metabolic
suppression as means to reduce the negative effects of spaceflight environmental issues
such as radiation and microgravity.
In order to demonstrate the potential application of the metabolic control technology the
PI's laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center has engineered a hypo-metabolic chamber
with a range of life-monitoring equipment for high-throughput testing of hypo-metabolic
parameters and conditions that enable reversible induction of a state of suspended
animation in non-hibernating animals.
This internship opportunity will assist in defining and implementing demonstrations of the
metabolic control technology using different animal models.
Objectives of this research are:
To characterize the hypometabolic state
To develop methodology for real time monitoring of respiratory and other physiological
parameters and conditions associated with the hypometabolic stasis.
In the proposed experiments, the intern will work in collaboration with molecular
biologists and engineers to (1) reproduce induction of the reversible suspended
animation-like state in selected animal models, and to (2) establish a comprehensive life
support system for monitoring physiological parameters of the hypometabolic state.
Requirements
Student should be willing to work with animals. He/she should have basic knowledge of
life support systems (respiratory parameters, ventilation, and core body temperature
control), have basic laboratory skills and technical knowledge for monitoring physical
parameter from telemetric devises, and have software management skills.
Strong analytical and organizational skills; interest in biology; interest in data analysis.
Senior undergraduate at junior/senior level or higher preferred.
Dates TBD
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
13.Project Title
Monitoring Changes in ASRS Reports using Python and Text
Mining
Participating NASA Center Ames Research Center
Research Area/Field Computer Science
Project Description
Students applying for fellowship opportunities will be required to submit a proposal to the
mentor. Prior to submitting a proposal, students will create a proposal summary with a
description of their idea, and they will submit it to the mentor for their approval. The
mentor has 10 business days to respond to each proposal summary. It is anticipated that
mentors will only approve a couple proposal summaries, and they will work with those
students to create their proposals and to make sure the topic is mutually beneficial to both
the mentor and student.
Requirements
We aim to develop tools that can be used to monitor the changes in the aviations safety
reports submitted to NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) program. ASRS
collects and analysis the voluntarily submitted aviation safety incidents reports in order to
reduce the ikelihood of aviation accidents. We need tools that can help ASRS to monitor
changes in the narratives of the reports over time and can summarize these reports.
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
Mentor
Hamed Valizadegan
Approved by Export Control Yes
14.Project Title
Nanotechnology in electronics and sensor development
Mentor Name Meyya Meyyappan
Organization Code
Code T; co-mentors: Code-TSN
Research Area/Field Nanotechnology
Project Description
Nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene and a variety of inorganic
nanowires offer tremendous potential for future nanoelectronics, nanosensors and
related devices. We have active ongoing programs in these areas. Several examples are
given below. Chemical sensors to detect trace amounts of gases and vapors are needed in
planetary exploration, crew cabin air quality monitoring and leak detection; there are
numerous societal applications as well. We have been working on CNT based sensors
amenable for various platforms including smartphones.
Flexible electronics on substrates such as textile and paper is of great deal of interest to
us. We have fabricated gas/vapor sensors on cotton textile as well as cellulose paper.
Other interests in paper electronics and flexible substrates include memory devices,
energy storage devices, displays and detectors. Finally, we have also been revisiting
vacuum tubes although in the nanoscale, using entirely silicon based technology. These
radiation resistant devices offer exceptionally high frequency performance. Our interest
here extends to exploring the nano vacuum tubes for THz electronics applications.
In all the areas, the projects include material growth, characterization, device fabrication,
device testing and evaluation, reliability and lifetime assessment.
Requirements
For device related aspects, majoring in electrical engineering or physics is preferred. For
the remaining aspects of the project, majors in material science, chemistry and other
engineering disciplines are welcome. PhD candidates and talented undergraduates will
get preference.
Dates TBD
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
15.Project Title
Prognostics and Health Management
Participating NASA Center Ames Research Center
Project Description Explore prognostic and forecasting concepts in the context of
aeronautics vehicles and airspace operations. The task involves literature review,
algorithm development (likely in matlab) and realization of some of the concepts in
relevant aeronautics simulations. It may also involve some lab experiments during which
the candidate would age components relevant in an aeronautics context.
Requirements
The outcome would be one or more of:
algorithms
experimental data
report or publication
poster presentation
Matlab required, labview desired.
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
Mentor
Kai Goebel
Approved by Export Control Yes
16.Project Title
Studies of the aqueous history of Mars
Participating NASA Center Ames Research Center
Research Area/Field Computer Science
Project Description Student will analyze data from a variety of spacecraft to
understand the geologic history of sites of interest, in order to better understand the role
of water in the history of Mars. This opportunity may include computer modeling, data
analysis, and laboratory work. If times allows, preparation of a manuscript. Potentially,
the sites will be proposed as landing sites for the 2020 Mars Rover. Student will also
develop software for the analysis of CRISM data.
Requirements Experience in Unix or equivalent fluency in IDL preferred.
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
Mentor
Eldar Noe
Approved by Export Control Yes
17.Project Title
The Effects of Mechanical Unloading on Biological Function
Mentor Name Elizabeth Blaber
Dates TBD
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
18.Project Title
Upgrading a Space Debris Simulation Software for
planetary defense assessments
Mentor Name Chad Frost
Organization Code
RD, Mission Design Division
Research Area/Field Space Debris Mitigation / Planetary Defense
Project Description
NASA Ames Research Center has developed a simulation software that models the space
debris environment in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The goal of the current software is to assess
the efficiency of a concept for collision avoidance between debris and active satellites.
The investigated system would use photon pressure from ground based lasers to slightly
change orbits to avoid collisions on warning.
For the internship, the main task will be to upgrade the simulation software to include the
near earth object (NEO) environment (asteroids) and enable the assessment of cubesat
based asteroid detection systems. You will change the main body of the previous
simulation from the sun to the earth, introduce a population of asteroids into the model
and investigate the utility of cubesats to detect those asteroids as they come close to
Earth. In addition, you also will help to maintain the original software for space debris
modeling.
Requirements
The intern should have a background in the sciences or engineering, and ideally
Aerospace Engineering or Physics. The project requires programming skills in C and
Matlab and an understanding of orbital dynamics.
Dates TBD
Hours 40 hours per week (standard)
