Name: Emily Zimovan

 

Hometown: Chapin, South Carolina

 

AAE Major/Minor Concentration: Graduated from Undergrad with BSAAE in 2015 (Major: Dynamics and Control, Minor: Aerodynamics), now I am working on my Master's degree with Prof Howell in Astrodynamics and Space Applications

 

Student Classification:  Master's student

 

Name and location of company/organization where you are an intern: NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas

 

What are your job duties? This summer, I am working on flight software for NASA's new spacecraft, Orion, in the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Autonomous Flight Systems Branch at NASA Johnson.  Essentially, my work creates an interface between sections of the code that will fly the spacecraft on its upcoming mission.  The spacecraft has to figure out where it is, where it needs to go, and how to execute maneuvers to get there (all without input from astronauts or mission control).  My code helps make this possible!

 

Why did you want to do this internship?  Working at NASA has always been a goal of mine, so this opportunity helped me make that happen.  More specifically, though, this internship is in line with what I research for my Master's thesis.  The topic (GNC) is something that I find exciting and there are a lot of new ideas developing in this field.

 

What do you hope to gain from the experience? I am excited to gain a better understanding of how GNC is applied in actual flight software.  Developing a code for research is very different than developing code for flight software, so there is a ton for me to learn!  I also hope to build a relationship with the people I work with here at NASA since this field is relatively small and we will likely continue to work together in the future.

 

Have you done other co-ops/internships as an AAE student? This summer is actually my fifth internship at NASA.  My first two internships were at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center working on attitude control (controlling the spacecraft's orientation in space).  After that, I spent a summer at NASA Langley Research Center working on hypersonic aerothermodynamics (studying heat transfer when things are moving VERY quickly, like in a reentry environment).  Now, I am at my second internship at NASA Johnson working in GNC!

 

What are your ultimate career goals? Ultimately, I aim to contribute to making space increasingly accessible and understood.  I enjoy working on trajectory design and GNC, so I hope to be able to continue working in these areas in my career.