Name: Michael Wolfe

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Position Title: Attitude Control Systems Engineer

Major(s)/Minor(s): Physics, Math  

Expected Graduation Year: 2017

Briefly describe your internship, co-op,  or research opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

I worked on the mission called NICER (Nuetron Star Interior Composition ExploreR). NICER is an x-ray timing and spectroscopy instrument that will launch to the International Space Station in 2016. NICER will resolve the nature of ultra-dense matter as well as demonstrate pulsar navigation by studying the dynamics of neutron stars. I'm on a team of attitude control engineers that develop and characterize the pointing system. Pointing the instrument within arcsecond accuracy is a challenge due to the vibrations of the ISS, stepper motor reaction torque, and thermal fluctuations in space. We run tests on the instrument that simulate a space like environment so we can tune its mechanical properties and software so it can perform properly despite the noisy environment. 

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

I applied at NASA because of it’s groundbreaking developments in science and engineering. My faculty adviser told me that UMBC has a good reputation with the local Greenbelt campus. I also talked with people I knew in the field and they suggested this as one of the internships I should apply for. 

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

I enjoyed the opportunity to grow outside of my academic comfort zone. As a physics/math major, much of my time is spent on theory and calculating with ideal conditions. When working in an engineering field such as attitude control systems, you really have to learn how to work around the electro-mechanical limitations and imperfections of your spacecraft in order to optimize its performance. 

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

Calibrating and optimizing the optics and pointing system of the NICER instrument will allow it to properly collect x-rays emitted from neutron stars. This scientific data will help us understand and resolve ultra dense gravitation and lead to future pulsar navigation. 

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

Challenge yourself. Be determined. Get outside your comfort zone.

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