Lexi Ohringer – The Science Center of Iowa

What are the current goals of your project?

I will be helping with the implementation of two other week-long camps: “Exhibit Exploration,” which is about the planning of museum implementation, and “Culture of the Cedar Valley,” which is about local history and culture. In the second half of my internship, I plan to finalize the preparations for both the space and engineering camp. Both camps are scheduled for August, so I will be running both the space and engineering camps towards the end of my internship.

What accomplishments has your project made so far?

So far, I have been running planetarium shows and science demonstrations which are meant to generate an interest in STEM for both children and adults. I also help run the Grout’s summer camps, which are each themed and oriented for children from ages 6 to 13. So far, we have finished two camps, which each lasted a week: “Paleo Discoveries,” which was dinosaur themed, and “The Art of History,” which was about how art has changed throughout history. When not running shows or helping with camps, I have been working on planning the programming for our final week-long camps of the summer which are “I Need Space,” a space themed camp primarily focused on NASA and it’s missions and “Rockets, Cars, and Planes, Oh My,” which has a focus on engineering and physics. So far, I have finished most of the planning for the space camp, and just need to work on camp prep (pitching the plan to the rest of the team, buying supplies, and physical set-up).

To learn more about Lexi’s internship, click here to view her website.

Emma Jackovin – Putnam Museum and Science Center

Describe what you did during your internship:

Most of my programming involved space-themed summer camps, both full-day and half-day. Each week covered different topics: planets, stars, meteors, and space travel challenges. Activities included building a to-scale solar system, creating water filters, simulating a Mars mission with a budget, and engineering spacecraft like balloon-powered rockets and lunar landers. I tailored the level of detail depending on the group’s interest.

I also ran a one-day Space Career Workshop, where I introduced kids to various space-related careers beyond being an astronaut, such as physics, engineering, computer science, and more. I emphasized the wide range of opportunities in space exploration.

Additionally, I compiled research on three main topics: the similarities between Antarctica and Mars/Lunar surfaces, meteorites found in Antarctica (including those with potential evidence of past life on Mars), and the Gateway, Artemis, and Orion missions, which represent the future of space exploration.

Did you achieve your goals?

My goals mainly consisted of successfully leading NASA-related programming and learning more about STEM education. As previously stated I lead many programs successfully. When it comes to STEM education, there were many parts of STEM education that I was previously unaware of. I had to learn how to plan developmentally appropriate lessons and activities depending on the age group. I also had to adapt and change activities based on what I felt was appropriate for each group of students. I also had to learn to manage a classroom with up to 20 kids. I got better at answering their questions in simple ways, even when the question had an extremely complex answer. Overall, I got much better at teaching and managing kids in a STEM education setting.

Describe positive lessons learned:

I most importantly learned more about myself during this internship. Upon personal reflection, I learned that working in this setting is exhausting for me, which in turn helped me realize my future should not consist of this same environment. I now know that I adore teaching, yet I do not love teaching young children. I also learned how to effectively manage classrooms and teach in engaging ways. Additionally, I got better at time management and professional communication with peers.

Describe negative lessons learned:

Overall, I had a wonderful experience like I have described. Despite this, I got overwhelmed easily during camps with many difficult students. Although it wasn’t noticeable, by the end of the day I was mentally exhausted. I struggled to send kids home who had behaved in a way more than warranting a call home. I had a lot of empathy for all of the kids and hoped they would behave with time; this wasn’t the case. Regardless, this internship was still very enjoyable for me.

What was the impact of this internship?

This internship affected both my knowledge of STEM education, but also clarified my path. Sometimes you need to experience things outside of your comfort zone to understand the path you are meant to follow. Originally, I believed I would like to be a professor at a university. This experience clarified for me how much joy I find in teaching. Looking back, my favorite part of this internship was answering all of the obscure questions kids had, and watching their curiosity grow. However, I do not see myself teaching groups of kids in the future. I would much prefer being in an environment of only teaching instead of managing a classroom as well. I have thought about starting to tutor, as I thoroughly enjoy helping students learn. While I was compiling research for the Putnam, I also realized that I love research, and working in research is a very viable path for me as well.

Sophia Schmitz – Grout Museum District

Describe what you did during your internship:

During my internship I planned and led half of the Grout Museum’s “I Need Space!” camp as well as the entirety of the “Rockets, Cars, and Planes, Oh My!” camp. I assisted in supervising the other week-long and day-long camps of the summer. I also helped run the planetarium as well as presented science demonstrations. Most of my work involved supervising children and encouraging them to engage in the material we were presenting. I also worked to teach children and adults about what engineering is.

Did you achieve your goals?

I believe I achieved my goals, both tangible and personal. I fulfilled the tangible goals of planning and leading our “I Need Space!” and “Rockets, Cars, and Planes, Oh My!” camps as well as helping with other camps, running the planetarium, and helping with science demonstrations. I also met my own personal goals, which were to be a positive role model for young girls interested in STEM, generate an interest in STEM, and reinforce skills that are important in STEM. I believe my presence at the Grout Museum was a positive representation for women interested in STEM, but I also did my best to encourage young women to pursue the field. I helped to generate an interest in STEM by creating and presenting engaging science demonstrations and planetarium shows. Finally, I helped reinforce skills that are integral to STEM, such as teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking by building activities that require these skills into my planned camps.

Describe positive lessons learned:

One of the big lessons I learned during this internship was to consider why a person might be acting the way that they are. As adults, we often don’t consider this. However, after working with children, my thinking often shifts away from thoughts that blame the person toward thoughts that are more understanding of why the person is acting the way that they are. For example, when the children are being more rambunctious than normal, my initial thought is now to consider how hands on and engaging the activities have been rather than to blame the children for their own energy.

Describe negative lessons learned:

Some challenges I had during this internship was the space we hosted our camps in. Because we did not have a dedicated space for our camps, it could be a challenge to move supplies and be constantly thinking about what things we could and couldn’t do in the space we were in. For example, some of our camps were hosted in a conference room in the Grout Museum, so we had to be extremely careful to make sure the campers didn’t spill paint or anything else that could stain. The space issue was especially difficult for our bigger camps that needed to be split into to different groups as one group had to be outside for the other to be inside. This was difficult to pull off with variable weather conditions.

What was the impact of this internship?

Throughout the internship I gained experience in public speaking by presenting science demonstrations and planetarium shows. I improved my ability to be flexible under stress by leading the “I Need Space!” and “Rockets, Cars, and Planes, Oh My!” camps, where we were constantly adapting to the needs and energy levels of our campers. Finally, I improved my own problem solving skills by intentionally working through the steps of solving a problems with campers. This was intended to help them understand how to solve a problem, but by practicing it so much it actually improved my own ability to problem solve. All of these skills are things that are directly beneficial to my time as a student of engineering as well as in my future career.

Sydney Shultz – National Mississippi River Museum Camp; Aquarium

Describe what you did during your internship:

My role as an intern at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium this summer was to create and deliver NASA related educational programming for the museum’s “MakerSpace”, an area for all ages to learn and explore various STEM related topics. The MakerSpace includes more “self-guided” stations that are meant to inspire curiosity and innovation. During my internship, I created multiple stations aligning with the many aspects of NASA and the museum. One of these stations was a “wind tunnel” that teaches guests about the Mars Helicopter “Ingenuity.” Guests educate themselves by reading posters with facts about Ingenuity and then attempt to make their own helicopter out of paper. These helicopters are then placed into this make-shift wind tunnel and fly up and out the top. I found that this attracted visitors of all ages and used the opportunity to talk about the use of wind tunnels in aerospace engineering.

Did you achieve your goals?

I believe I achieved both given and personal goals. I was able to inspire and connect with a number of visitors through the developed programming and had a really positive experience doing so. I was able to create a number of successful activities for the MakerSpace that increased the popularity of the area and helped define what the space could be. I also learned a lot of communication and education skills, plus a whole lot about NASA. I was even able to practice some technical skills which aligned with my major such as improving my CAD abilities. All in all, I learned a lot about technical communication and was able to connect with so many types of people which was a success in itself.

Describe positive lessons learned:

This internship has provided me with a lot of positive lessons. Of course, I learned how to communicate complex topics to those with less background knowledge, but I also learned how important working with others is. All of my co-workers were so nice, and it was when we put our heads together that we came up with some of the most successful activities for the museum. I also learned the importance of learning from your failures. Not every activity was a huge success, but it provided me the opportunity to look at what guests liked and what guests didn’t to fully tweak the station into something enjoyable yet still educational.

Describe negative lessons learned:

I think the hardest part of this experience was figuring out the system for the area. The museum’s MakerSpace is relatively new and has had quite a few changes in leadership so no one really knew what the space could be. I challenged myself to make things more in depth, interesting, and eye-catching through more involved activities. When I came to the museum, some unhopeful museum employees called the MakerSpace some not so nice names but by the end, we would get multiple compliments a day on how the area was improving, looked great, and was just so much more engaging than it had been before.

What was the impact of this internship?

As an aerospace engineer, I was always very interested in STEM, but because of my internship, I am so much more enamored with the space aspect of the field. I also feel much more prepared to achieve my goals of being a leader in my field as I feel I can work with others and communicate the scientific topics that I will need to so much better than I could before.

Samuel Whitlock – Johnson Space Center

Final Goals of your project/s:

– Create a force-sensing controller for the Joint AR prototype.
– Document development and testing of the force sensing in a controls trade study to give to xEVA vendors (axiom, collins).
– Perform testing in the B7 glovebox to determine usability in a pressurized environment.

Describe what you did during the internship:

I created the Joint AR force sensing controls are in development for use in the Joint AR system as a way of UI manipulation. The force-sensing controls use force-sensitive resistors that measure the force a user outputs as a voltage through the resistor. This setup allows for variable force control that can be used completely internal to the suit and is versatile to the point where it can be used freehand or on various places around the suit, such as the opposite forearm or the same side thigh.

The force sensing controls utilized 3 force sensing resistors with 3D printed “pucks” on top of them. These pucks make it, so pressure doesn’t just deform the sensor into the finger of the subject. They also help to provide more accurate data on the force outputs.

Input commands for the short press and the short hold are relatively fast commands. In terms of versatility, the controller can be activated at any point and can be operated with only one hand. This means you have one hand to carry tools or tethers, while the other is used to cycle through procedures, while the physical hand controller requires both arms to be in use. Lastly, the ease of use. As stated earlier this control method can be activated anywhere using discrete finger movements. The control method is also flexible and offers multiple different methods of control. As of now short presses and long presses are the main 2 methods of control, however, something such as scrolling could be added if necessary.

The uncertainty of command activation stems from the lack of haptic feedback in the system. This leaves the user feeling unsure of whether the commands are actually reading or not. This has a simple solution of either integrating the piezo board, or a small vibration motor. This small fix would give the user much more confidence while using the system.

Sensor placement is the second notable problem for the controller. On this fabric, the sensors tend to shift around on the glove since they aren’t fixed by anything but hot glue or electric tape. This leads to the user having sensors slide down to the middle of the finger, which is much more uncomfortable. Two solutions exist that we have thought of so far. The first would be adding holes in the puck on the outer shell, meaning that we could sew the puck into the glove and have the sensors adhered to the surface of the puck. The other would be using something similar to EKG sensor adhesion strips, that way the sensors are adhered directly to the skin and fixed before getting into the suit.

Lastly, the activation sequence speed is another, fixable problem. Ideas for fixing the activation/deactivation speed would be decreasing the number of commands to input to activate the system. This could be done through repeated HITL testing, attempting to find a unique set of 2-3 commands while still minimizing false activations. Other ideas would be RFID/NFC activation or lighthouse activation on different body parts.

Moving forward with the force sensing controls, the next logical step would be integrating haptic feedback into a higher fidelity prototype. After that, likely full stack testing, ARGOS testing, and potentially NBL testing would help validate the system and show us more of the problems that won’t be seen unless that testing is done.

Did you achieve your goals? What were the results?

All goals were achieved. The result was an alternative control system that could be used to control the prototype. The team also learned a lot about potential variables that could affect other control methods, and we gathered good testing data and testing procedures that can be used for every test to form a comparative set of data.

Describe positive lessons learned:

– Minimize design variables to test other design variables
– Prototype quickly and learn as much as you can from each iteration
– Success isn’t cut and dry, sometimes success criteria can change.

Describe negative lessons learned:

– Remote work can be a bit tough, you have to find the right hours.

Matthew McDonnell – Johnson Space Center

Final Goals of your project/s:

Our lab works on flight software for exercise equipment on ISS and upcoming Artemis missions. We worked on modernizing the ISS treadmill user interface, developing new markerless motion capture recording suites, and certifying a new agility device for flight to the ISS. Some other projects in the lab worked with the ARGOS team, the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device, and the Artemis Flywheel project.

Describe what you did during the internship:

MARKERLESS MOTION CAPTURE
 – Developed new system to analyze human motion without markers
– Connect to, record, pull data, and process GoPro camera footage
– Use Stanford’s OpenCap system to analyze inverse kinematics

T2 REDESIGN
– Assist in new storyboards for user interface
– Provide feedback and suggest new UI elements
– Work with T2 team to develop project plans and timelines

WOBBLEBOARD
– Assisted a VR game to help practice agility
– Worked with the ISS program to establish a flight plan.

Did you achieve your goals? What were the results?

We worked hard to make advancements on the projects we have open. This semester, there were no firm deadlines on our projects, so we focused on preparing for the new team to pick up in the summer when we finally hit some deliverables. We achieved the goal of advancing our projects and preparing for the future.

Describe positive lessons learned:

I learned a lot about project management, procedures for certifying for flight, and all the subsystems that work together to make human spaceflight possible. Before my experience here, I knew that spaceflight was difficult, but now I have a massive appreciation for every individual’s unique and important positions here and how the puzzle pieces all fit together for a successful mission.

Describe negative lessons learned:

As part of learning the procedures of sending things to space, I now understand the hurdles people regularly face with regard to strict requirements, timelines, and insufficient funding from the government.

Conrad Ernst – Johnson Space Center

Final Goals of your Project/s:

The primary objective of the markerless motion capture environment was to precisely assess individuals’ physical performance during exercise routines. Through the acquisition of a 3-dimensional representation of the human body’s joint angles and force outputs, it becomes possible to track movements with greater accuracy, thereby facilitating the identification and rectification of improper movement patterns.

The central aim of the PSION database restructuring initiative was to enhance the user interface, resulting in a more efficient and self-directed system. This would enable individuals to optimize their workout routines and enjoy a more seamless and gratifying experience overall.

Describe what you did during your internship:

During my internship, I had the opportunity to work on two significant projects. The first project was centered around the development of a cutting-edge markerless motion capture environment, specifically designed to cater to the physical exercise requirements of astronauts. This innovative system enables the collection and analysis of multiple biofeedback data streams, which are then utilized to model the individual, thereby facilitating the enhancement of workout techniques. Our team accomplished a remarkable feat by devising a pipeline that harnessed the wifi capabilities of multiple GoPro cameras. This resulted in the automatic downloading of videos, synchronization of time codes, and integration of joint angles and limb placement into the videos, courtesy of a motion capture system.

The second project, PSION, was primarily focused on the revamping of the frontend software system for all IoT data streams. My role in this project involved mastering the React programming language and utilizing my newfound knowledge to redevelop the Graphical User Interface (GUI). The objective of this initiative was to streamline and optimize the user experience, and I was thrilled to be a part of this transformational undertaking.

Did you achieve your goals? What were the results?:

The objectives of each project were merely incremental steps in the larger plan for these initiatives. Despite making significant progress on both projects and achieving some of our primary goals, there are still numerous additional objectives that need to be met before the projects can be deemed fully completed.

In essence, the markerless motion capture environment and the PSION database restructuring projects served as crucial tools for deepening our understanding of individuals’ needs and challenges, and further stimulating innovative thinking for potential future applications. While there is still much work to be done, the foundation has been laid for the achievement of even greater strides in these areas.

Describe positive lessons learned:

Firstly, I learned the importance of effective communication and teamwork in achieving organizational goals. Working collaboratively with a diverse team of individuals with varying skill sets and backgrounds, I gained invaluable insights into the art of constructive dialogue, the benefits of active listening, and the importance of maintaining a positive attitude even when faced with challenges.

Secondly, I learned to embrace new challenges and take calculated risks in the pursuit of growth and development. My exposure to cutting-edge technologies, such as motion capture and IoT systems, was a steep learning curve, but I was able to rise to the challenge and expand my knowledge base through persistence and hard work.

Lastly, I learned to appreciate the value of time management and organization. Balancing multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities was no mean feat, but with careful planning and efficient use of time, I was able to remain focused and productive throughout my internship.

Overall, my internship experience has been incredibly rewarding, providing me with practical skills and knowledge that I can carry forward into my future endeavors.

Describe negative lessons learned:

One of the main negative lessons was the need to manage expectations effectively. While it is important to set ambitious goals, it is equally important to ensure that these goals are achievable within the given time frame and resources. On certain occasions, I found myself struggling to meet unrealistic expectations and timelines, leading to feelings of frustration and disappointment.

Another negative lesson that I learned was the need to be resilient in the face of failure or setbacks. Despite my best efforts, there were instances where things did not go as planned, or I made mistakes that resulted in unfavorable outcomes. However, through these experiences, I learned to accept failure as a natural part of the learning process, and to view setbacks as opportunities for growth and improvement.

Overall, the negative lessons I learned during my internship have provided me with valuable insights into the importance of effective expectation management, resilience, and self-care in achieving success and maintaining well-being.

Hunter Underwood – Johnson Space Center

Final Goals of your Project/s:

Going into this summer, I wanted to get as much exposure to Johnson Space Center as I could. I also wanted the opportunity to work directly with hardware by designing and testing components. I have had two major focuses in this summer’s internship: testing of the PLSS Auxiliary Feedwater Supply Assembly (AFSA) and test data analysis. My goals for AFSA testing included completion of water pressure testing and post-testing analysis. For the test data analysis, my goal was to successfully verify all requirements from the PLSS specification document relevant to the testing and then document my analysis in a report.

Describe what you did during your internship:

During the internship, I got the opportunity to work directly with hardware. I formed my own test schematic and procedures. Then retrieved the parts and built the test circuit. After the test was set up, I conducted several test series while collecting data and drawing conclusions based on anomalies that occurred. These kinds of experiences increased my confidence with the hardware and how the system works as a whole. In addition to working with the hardware, I conducted data analysis on full space suit portable life support system (PLSS) tests. I built a good understanding of how the PLSS works by creating plots in MATLAB and analyzing the trends in the data to draw conclusions on what they mean. Outside of my projects, I participated in multiple lectures and tours. This helped me network as well as gain knowledge about NASA and my career.

Did you achieve your goals? What were the results?:

I achieved several of my goals during my internship this summer. I cannot say that I was disappointed at all about the work I put in or the things I was involved in. As a result of the hard work, I learned a lot about space suits, hardware, and collecting/interpreting data. I also learned a lot about the other branches at Johnson Space Center. It was important that I took the initiative to reach out to others and get involved because there was a lot to learn outside of my project team.

Describe positive lessons learned:

I learned throughout the internship just how much there is to be involved in through NASA. There are a lot of different exciting technologies I could work with, and I could almost certainly find the right place for me. I also found that I love working with hardware and new product development.

Describe negative lessons learned:

One thing I found is that you get back what you put in. In most cases, there aren’t projects set aside for you already and there isn’t clear direction on what to get involved in. If you’re interested in getting involved whether it’s socially, informationally, or with projects you need to take the initiative early on or the summer will pass by, and you may miss your chance.

Matthew McDonnell – Johnson Space Center

Final Goals of your Project/s:

ARED DATA TROUBLESHOOTING
– Determine issues with resistive exercise device sensor data collection system
– Create a procedure to troubleshoot
– Use ground test units to mimic on-orbit conditions for issue-sourcing

MARKERLESS MOTION CAPTURE
– Integrate system with OpenSim and SWRI data processing pipelines
– Test system inside the ISS mockups
– Look into more advanced data processing systems ASCR DATABASE
– Create a database for Astronaut Strength, Conditioning, and Rehabilitation teams
– Frontend system for data input and visualization
– Add AI models to study data to find trends that humans can’t see

ZERO-G CALORIE BURN
– Determine a method of how to measure calorie burn in space
– Develop a new algorithm to live-calculate based on the systems already in orbit
– Understand crew member exertion to inform the nutrition team about calorie needs

Describe what you did during your internship:

I did a lot this summer with my team! There were a lot of interns in our group this session which allowed us to expand our reach and pick up the pace at the same time. I worked on a good number of projects – some of which I also started working on in the spring, but others were new to me this session. I learned a few new programming languages, got exposure to database/website development workflows, and got more exposure to the nitty gritty mechanics of flying things to space. I also met a lot of scientists, physiologists, cardiologists, kinesiologists, and more. In my PAXC employee resource group, I also continued building my network with high-level NASA administrators and got an intern trip planned for off-site interns from across the country to come to JSC.

Did you achieve your goals? What were the results?:

I’ve made a lot of progress on my goals this summer. Our projects gained a lot of momentum this summer and we did a good job of setting the fall intern class up for success. The calorie-burning project was a later addition to my project portfolio, and it’s going to take a long time to complete, so I’ll be working on it with school partners at UI this coming year as part of a senior design/honors thesis project as well.

Describe positive lessons learned:

I continued to build upon my spring internship with regard to my networking, socialization, and performance goals. I benefit everyday from the extra effort I put into making new friends and discovering new opportunities. Most of the time, people say “no” to things not because it’s actually against the rules but because they don’t know (and they’re almost always not the right person to ask in the first place). You just have to keep pushing!

Describe negative lessons learned:

I learned so much about how people fly things to space and what to do when things don’t work the way we want them to. Patience, resilience, negotiation – all skills I didn’t know I needed as much as I really do.

Impact: This internship session has allowed me to work with new people in new roles. Since I’ve had some experience in the spring with this team already, I was able to step into new shoes and explore more of what our branch does with Flight Operations. It’s a super unique opportunity that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I’m also meeting new people both inside and outside of NASA that I can connect with for masters programs or other opportunities after my undergraduate time.

Sean Frett – Collins Aerospace (Industry)

Final Goals of your Project/s:

The Water Processing Assembly (WPA) is one of the many complex systems on the International Space Station. It is responsible for recycling sweat and urine into potable water, reducing the amount of water needed to supply the station. Leto is an ongoing Collins Aerospace project to predict failures in life support systems with the purpose of creating remaining useful life models for various components. My main role was to develop a machine-learning model for general-purpose anomaly detection, which if successful, could be included as a feature in Leto to analyze any life support system for potential upcoming failures.

In addition to Leto, I also contributed to the Haughton-Mars Project (HMP). This is a long-running project to determine how humans would live and work on Mars, and its scope extends far beyond this report. My task was to help develop and improve a piece of software known as Hodos, a voice-and-motion-operated user interface displayed on a pair of augmented reality glasses. This technology reveals vital statistics and allows the user to view their position and objectives on an interactive, 3-dimensional map. My tasks were to improve the user interface layout, add new information to the heads-up display, and improve the motion controls for navigating the map. I worked on this project in parallel with Leto throughout the Summer.

Describe what you did during your internship:

For the Leto project, my original task was to create a remaining useful life model for a filter in the WPA. Unfortunately, the lack of sensors around this filter proved prohibitive. After a week of trying and failing to work around this restriction, my supervisor instead directed me to flesh out a concept for anomaly detection in the WPA using machine learning. The ML technique is designed to analyze a set of relevant sensor data for any given day and to determine whether it is unusual. To find the most effective parameters for the algorithm, I wrote a set of algorithms dubbed the “anomaly pipeline” in Jupyter Notebook, which would access a database of WPA data, train hundreds of ML algorithms, score them based on some criteria that I modified over the summer, and return the model with the best score.

I designed a new layout for Hodos as shown in my report. This interface is displayed on a set of augmented reality glasses and a small screen external to the analog spacesuit, both with the same layout. To improve the testing experience, I also added indicators for the device’s battery percentage and CPU temperature. Hodos is mainly operated using voice commands, but the user may also navigate the map using a proprietary smart glove. The glove’s motion controls were originally far too sensitive, but after I turned the sensitivity down and extended the dead zones on the more sensitive axes, the other project members found the glove easier and even fun to use.

Did you achieve your goals? What were the results?:

For the Leto project, although I cannot reveal the precise set of metrics gathered in the data access phase or the most successful scoring methods used, I can say that most attempts resulted in models with poor adaptability or too little sensitivity. Some phases of the WPA’s history seem harder to generalize than others; many models performed well when testing on recent data but seemed incapable of getting coherent results on data deeper into the WPA’s history.

More effective methods to score the models could be developed, but by the end of the internship, I was beginning to opine that our current machine-learning algorithm might have limited utility. On the positive, we found useful techniques for visualizing the data. Hodos is a prototype and is still very much a work in progress, and it is still missing many useful features that would be useful on real missions, such as displays for oxygen and water levels. If the external display proves more intuitive to use than the AR glasses, a special interface layout for the screen would be a welcome addition.

The number of other hardware components makes setting up Hodos a lengthy endeavor even before adding vital sensor connections, but it should be possible to streamline the process somewhat with better software automation and clear error messages when a device is connected incorrectly. Despite our efforts earlier in the Summer, Hodos still cannot download and save a map from ArcGIS for offline use, but our testers can work around it for now by starting Hodos while connected to the internet and moving the map camera along the desired route.

Describe positive lessons learned:

Trying and failing is an important part of research and development. In many cases, finding a method that won’t work is just as important as finding one that does. Who you work with is just as important as how passionate you are about the work itself. Luckily, this job scored well in both metrics.

Describe negative lessons learned:

The aerospace industry is highly bureaucratic. As an example, it took me the better part of a month to install the software necessary to make my contributions to the Haughton-Mars Project. As another example, I had my report done by August 10, but it only got approved for export yesterday. When budgets are tight due to a fellow subsidiary having to fix faulty engines, internal research and development is among the first things to get its funding cut. Collins Aerospace is a large company, and although I had a good time overall, experiences can vary among individuals.

Impact: Having an internship in a part of the country I’ve never been to before was a fun experience, and this may be a good career path for me. The next step is to decide whether I want to continue this project next summer or strike off on a new adventure. In the former case, my qualifications would be obvious, and if I do the latter, the experience will enable me to get into almost any related job. This internship was important regardless of which path I take.