Transcript JPL Internship Funded by the ESMD Program

JPL Internship Funded by the
ESMD Program
Chris Wyatt
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Internship Details
• Classification: Senior in Systems
Engineering
• 10 Week Research Internship
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Pasadena, California
• Funded by the ESMD program
• Project was selected based on a
submitted proposal
Over 300 students interned at
Caltech and JPL
Project Details
• Project Title: The Advancement of Electrostatic Dust
Mitigation Technologies by Improved Manufacturing
Methods
• Advisor: Nick Mardesich
• Accomplishments:
– Found new manufacturing methods using sputtering vapor
deposition, electroplating, and conductive paste screen
printing
– Manufactured stainless steel sputtering masks
– Designed and refitted a vacuum chamber test setup for a
synergetic dust mitigation process
Other Interesting Activities at JPL
• Observed testing of the Athlete rovers
• Learned about numerous advanced
research projects including hydrogen
storage, advanced RTG (radioisotopic
thermoelectric generator) semiconductors,
nanolithography, vapor sputter deposition,
and ATK flexible solar arrays
More Activities
• Weekly seminars on topics such as the
Dawn project, Mars Science Laboratory,
the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and
universe expansion
• Attended Mars Exploration Rover planning
sessions
Suggestions for Other Students
• Summer internships with NASA centers
usually lead to future NASA or affiliate
careers
• Choose an ESMD funded group project at
a preferred NASA center (group projects
appeared to be better defined at the
beginning of the internship term)
• Take part in aerospace oriented
undergraduate research to get ahead
So what do you do with 10
weekends in southern California?
Special thanks to the ESMD
program, the Arkansas Space
Grant Consortium, my advisor
Nick Mardesich, and the JPL
education office.