Presenting work from Goddard Space Flight Center

Author: Jade Thomas | Majors: Mechanical Engineering, Physics | Semester: Fall 2023

For this conference, I presented work related to my internship at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center this previous summer. I was the project lead with a team of 15 other interns. We designed, built, and tested three 1U (approximately 4 cubic inches) CubeSats, or small satellites, to support the OSAM-1 (On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1) mission that is planned to launch in 2027. OSAM-1 will autonomously dock and refuel Landsat 7, a Earthimaging satellite in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).

I traveled to Melbourne/Brevard County, Florida to attend the SmallSat Education Conference, which was hosted at NASA Kennedy Space Center. I went to present this work, as not only was it significant small satellite work, during the summer I also helped train 9 high school interns to build CubeSats as well, relating to the educational focus of the conference.

During the trip, I was able to connect with several students from different universities that were in leadership positions of their respective school’s space club, of which I am the Director of Rocketry for University of Arkansas’ STAAR (Space Technology, Astronomy, Astronautics, and Rocketry). Through these connections, we were able to exchange information and advice, which will certainly assist me in my role. I was also able to connect with several professionals from different aerospace companies, exchange information, and discuss potential internship and career opportunities. One such company was Planet Lab, which conducts a variety of aerospace work, but notably, also launches a large number of small satellites.

I was also able to connect with different presenters about a specific small satellite related project. I was able to discuss and get advice from these experts about how to implement such a project at the University of Arkansas, as, as far as I am aware, it has not ever been pursued here. Through this, I created a network of individuals that, assuming STAAR gets funding to pursue the project, would allow us to set a new first for the university this spring.

In terms of advice, I would say if you are attending a conference, make the most of your time there by attending as many sessions and presentations as possible. Do not be afraid to approach a presenter once they are finished if you have further questions or you are interested in connecting, as most people are there to network and give and receive advice from others. Conferences are a great opportunity to see what is going on in your field at other companies and universities, and a great way to get further ideas for your own work. Also, have business cards printed and ready to hand out for easy networking.

For me, I am now focused on finishing my honors thesis research, applying to graduate schools, and acquiring funding for the potential project in the spring. Should I get funding, the project and another research project will most likely take up the majority of my time, but I am very excited to begin working on it.