space

NASA launches research programs for students

October 7, 2019 by theCrimson 1 Comment

NASA announced new resources and funding available to students as the program will be increasing its prevalence of small satellites, and has opened new lines of research for both graduate and undergraduate students.

Last Wednesday, a crowd of students gathered in the Hartley room to enjoy pizza and drinks before embarking on an insightful space exploration lecture led by top leading experts in the field.

Jose Nunez, the former chief of flight technologies branch at Kennedy Space Center, and the current Florida Tech liaison to KSC, presented to hundreds of young space enthusiasts.

Nunez began by describing NASA’s new objective: return to the moon by 2024. After a thorough overview of the mission phases of the Artemis program, Nunez segued to the core of his speech—research opportunities.

According to Nunez, NASA selects research through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, NSPIRES.

With this system, NASA posts requests for research proposals to which anyone can make submissions. NSPIRES also includes Research Opportunities in Earth and Space Science, ROSES, which is a broad research request for anything not specifically requested elsewhere.

Furthermore, NASA is looking to use some of the ROSES funding for the CubeSat Launch Initiative.

Through this initiative, students and research organizations can work with NASA to develop cubesats or small satellites, which will conduct astrophysical science research.

The Cubesat Launch Initiative is a much larger program for the development and launch of cubesats on current NASA rockets.

It includes the NASA 2020 small satellite technology partnership.

This program specifically requires the development teams to work directly with NASA and have access to a block of funds set aside for this project.

During his presentation, Nunez outlined the NASA internships.

“Internships have two different flavors,” Nunez said. “One is called a NIFs, a NASA internship fellowship. That is just a one-shot deal. The other is called a pathway. That is the path to become a civil servant.”

Nunez highlighted the value in looking for students that are involved in extracurriculars that boost their skill base in reliance to a career field in aerospace.

Some students, such as Ajeé Watson, attended mostly for the internship information.

“My major is aerospace engineering, and I wanted to hear about good opportunities,” Watson said.

Other students, such as Wesley Howell, attended more for project information.

“We have been in contact with Nunez for senior design,” Howell said. “We wanted to see how we could continue. There are a lot of opportunities for students.” Howell echoed Nunez. “My whole goal is to make you aware of the opportunities. What you do with them is up to you guys.”

Ad Astra review: The space movie that could not

October 4, 2019 by David Thompson Leave a Comment

Coming in with the hopes of another futuristic space epic similar to 2014’s “Interstellar,” “Ad Astra” did little to advance the genre.

This movie focuses too strongly on all the glitz and glam while missing the soul of any well-regarded movie.

This is a slow, treacherous and beautiful film that was at times a spectacle you rarely see in the theater but mostly had me wanting more from the plot.

I’d argue this is an all-time carry by Brad Pitt, similar to LeBron James in the 2018 NBA Finals.

Like James, Pitt was putting on one of his best performances but ultimately lost in the end.

“Ad Astra” sees Roy McBride (Pitt) being sent on a top-secret mission to look for his famous astronaut father, H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones).

I honestly can’t remember a scene that Pitt isn’t in, keeping consistent with the movies handsome over heart strategy.

I did however really enjoy Pitt in this film.

He did a great job of playing a cool, calm and collected space-veteran who has a deep-rooted conflict that he chooses to bury.

Outside of Pitt, no one else’s performances really stuck out to me, but I don’t think it is the actors’ faults. Jones and Liv Tyler’s character, Eve, were inexplicably underused when it seemed like their relationships with Roy were going to be the heart of the movie.

The director, James Gray, and his team were lazy when it came to the plot of the movie and put too much effort into the special effects and fantastical moments.

It felt as though they thought just haphazardly throwing in some classic relationship problem tropes would be good enough to keep our interest.

However, spoiler warning, it wasn’t. If you’re expecting a movie similar to “Interstellar” or 2015’s “The Martian,” you’re going to have to keep looking.

While the visual effects and artistry are top notch and may be worth the price of admission for some people, this movie lacks the creative story lines and emotion that made the two previously mentioned films successful space adventures.

Student space program opens for the summer

April 23, 2019 by Christian Martinez Leave a Comment

Florida Tech and the International Space University – Center for Space Entrepreneurship (ISU-CSE) have partnered together to make a summer program for students to learn about the commercial space industry.

The Commercial Space Studies graduate certificate program will be led by Florida Tech’s Aldrin Space Institute (ASI) from June 3 through July 12, with classes located at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Shawn Shirshekar, project coordinator at the ASI, said that the institute is trying to encourage students toward space research and flight.

“We want to give students rigorous training and policy training so they become well-rounded to enter the space industry,” Shirshekbar said. “We’re trying to build a multi-disciplined field of graduates.”

Shirshekar described the course activities as an intensive program with lectures, outside traveling in the area and other classroom situations.

The program’s website at isucse.fit.edu lists a 12-credit course of four classes:

BUS 5027: Global Commercial Space Program
ENM 5201: Space Technology and Systems
HUM 5131: Global Space Policy and Law
BUS 5025: Technological Entrepreneurship in Space

“This is the first time the program is being offered here [at Florida Tech]”, said Natalie Buczek, an administrative assistant with the ASI. “So we are trying to get the word out to as many people as possible.”

Buczek said this program is directed more towards graduate students, although any student is “welcome to join as long as they put in the effort.”

She also described the program as a mix of space and business classes with entrepreneurship and flight management.

Buczek said that housing will not be offered, but options are being explored.

Shirshekar and Buczek confirmed that the director of the ASI, Andy Aldrin, will be teaching students at the program through lectures.

There is a $20 application fee and complete instructions are on the program’s website.

The cost of tuition for the program will be $14,000.

A $5,000 scholarship application is available with the requirement of sending a statement of qualifications to registration@aldrinspace.institute.

“We want to give everyone a chance to get into the space industry,” Shirshekbar said.

Only 50 students will be admitted into the program with applications due April 30.

Buczek said that about 20-30 spots are still available for applications.