Welcome to Lab 347
I have been assigned to a project in team 347, Mobility and Robotics Systems! You can read more about their work at JPL Robotics: Home (nasa.gov).
I had my first presentation this week on presenting Equations of Motion and define inputs and outputs for a simulator I am building. My deliverables are tight and fast paced due to a process known as the NIAC program. This Program seeks innovations from diverse and non-traditional sources and involves preparing innovative, technically credible, advanced concepts that could one day “change the possible” in aerospace.
My project is a NIAC project which means we need to move fast in order to meet the eligibility requirements for our concept to progress! My supervisors received approval to work on our concept on the August 21st and our next submission is due on September 11th to transition from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 1 to TRL 2.
Outside of project work, I have had the pleasure of sitting in on two summer internship final presentations; the expectation is that I will do one in nine weeks also. The interns who presented have achieved a significant amount in the time that they were here, which was incredible to see. I get the feeling my supervisors have high expectations but provide an incredible experience to the interns during their time here. I have seen the interns walk away from their experience at NASA JPL with a huge amount of support and accomplishment, which is so exciting. I am up for the challenge too!
The interns across NASA JPL are in the order of 500-700 per year and they are from all over the world. I share my lab with four other interns from Amercia, Switzerland, France, and Germany! We are all working on different autonomous systems and learning from each other.
Over lunch, we typically head to canteen 303 to pick up some coffee, fresh air and chat about our plans for the weekend. We get every second Friday off at JPL in return for working 9-hour days, so that means plenty of time for trips to explore what California has to offer outside of work!
Over the weekend the NISA interns from Australia visited Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park. It was phenomenal to see the Sequioa’s in person - the oldest living trees in the world and the largest by volume also!