Name: Bridget Cavanaugh

Birthplace: Cedar Lake, IN

AAE Major/Minor Concentration: Design/Propulsion

Student Classification: Junior

Name and location of company/organization where you are a co-op student/intern: NASA- Johnson Space Center located in Houston, TX.

Tell me about your job duties: During my first Co-op tour (Spring 2017), I worked in the Flight Operations Directorate, in a branch called ETHOS- Environmental and Thermal Operating Systems. This is a group that sits on console in the Mission Control Center and ensures that the crew has a breathable, pressurized atmosphere and clean, purified drinking water. I was fortunate enough to train to see what it would be like to be a flight controller, and I often assisted ETHOS instructors in training crew for emergencies that could take place on the ISS.

This summer (my second rotation) I am in the Engineering Directorate in the Propulsion branch. I am working in a team with other engineers on an autonomous free-flyer called Seeker, which will eventually fly around Station and take pictures to inspect the ISS. I am specifically working on the prop system, doing a lot of design work and will soon be testing a thruster I designed!

Why did you want to do this co-op/internship? I have wanted a Co-op with Johnson Space Center since high school. I was always a huge fan of NASA; my interest in NASA and space is why I initially pursued aerospace engineering. JSC (Johnson Space Center) has always captivated my attention because this is the center that the Mission Control Center and the astronaut corps are housed in.

What do you hope to gain from the experience? I hope to gain deeper understanding of how to concepts taught in class directly/indirectly apply to functions of aerospace careers.

What are your ultimate career goals? Post-undergrad I plan to go to grad school and get my masters in aerospace engineering, and then work for Johnson Space Center full time. Although I am uncertain of the division I will be in, I know that I want to be working on anything interesting and exciting that will eventually leave Earth’s atmosphere. One day, I would also like to be one of those things that leaves the atmosphere, as it has always been my dream to become an astronaut. Throughout life, regardless of where I end up, I always want to continue in outreach and help get more girls interested in space, and boost their confidence to pursue whatever life dreams they have, no matter who they are or where they come from.