Marshall Space Flight Center
June 1 – August 6, 2021
Goals of your project/s:
This summer I got the opportunity to work with a team on a mass mitigation project. Our team conducted research and development that investigated the dynamic properties of aluminum alloys (AL 6061) under variable loading frequencies. The goal of this research is to understand the effect of loading frequency on material properties and fatigue life in order to reduce the mass of spaceflight hardware and vehicles induced by loading frequencies. This research will contribute to several NASA programs, such as the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD).
Describe what you did during the internship:
My first task was to find research on welded aluminum and how its fatigue life and strength change under dynamic loading at different frequencies. I was able to use the databases that NASA has provided me to search for related papers on my topic. As well as, contacting materials labs and research universities for any data on welded aluminum, that can be shared with the public. Any data or information that is related to my topic is put into an organized spreadsheet on the NASA shared One Drive. The shared database allows my mentor and other future employees to refer to previous data and research articles for their projects and technical reports.
My second task involved making a testing procedure for my mentor and future employees/interns to use for creating their own data on welded aluminum. This will be an experiment to see what happens to the fatigue life of welded aluminum 6061 at various frequencies under dynamic loading. The testing plan will go through the different operation procedures that need to be performed before, during, and after the experiment. This will also include CAD drawing and dimensions of the testing articles (TA), connectors, and the test support setup.
During the end of the internship my team and I created a presentation on the progress of the mass mitigation project. This presentation included details of each person’s contributions this summer, the next steps that need to be completed, and potential ways for our project to get funded by outside organizations. All of this information was presented to the Marshall Space Flight Center ES-61 organization.
Did you achieve your goals? What were the results and conclusions?
The summer project goals were completed, which will help the future progress of the mass mitigation project. At the end of our internships we compiled all of our data and research into a shared OneDrive, which my mentor and future employees have access to, so they can add or make changes as they see fit. Another completed goal was the testing procedure, which includes diagrams, dimensions, CAD assemblies, and testing guidelines. The testing plan and database will be used by future interns and employees to gather our own data and aid in the progress of the project.
Describe positive lessons learned from this experience:
Even in the remote work environment the NASA internship was an excellent experience to be a part of. I was able to meet a lot of new people in the workforce, especially my mentor and co-workers that gave each other support throughout the whole internship. This experience built upon my technical and communication skills, which I can bring back to my education and future career. Due to the remote work environment, I learned how valuable communication is for a project and how everyone needs to be on the same page for a project or task to be completed.
Describe negative lessons learned from this experience:
My only negative experience with the NASA internship is having to be remote. I would have liked to be in person and meet everyone at Marshall Space Flight Center, but unfortunately that couldn’t happen. The virtual environment created problems with co-workers being in different time zones and technology problems. Overall, I enjoyed my time as a NASA intern and would be glad to do it all over again.