Sara Roman, junior mechatronics engineering major, took part in an internship with NASA at the John Glenn Research Center in Cleveland as a High Data Rate Architecture (HiDRA) thermal and mechanical design intern.
The program allowed Roman to perform hands-on training with real mission scenarios, analyze powerful space communication systems, utilize networks software tools and effectively communicate their findings in a final presentation to NASA management.
“My internship allowed me to gain experience in the field of my studies,” Roman said, “as well as expand my knowledge on other STEM topics.”
This summer, Roman worked on a High-Speed Delay-Tolerant Network Heat Sink and Packaging plan that will be sent up to the International Space Station and is a subset of the HiDRA project.
HiDRA serves as a space networking node that will provide a buffering and routing flight data interface servicing an array of scientific instruments at 100 billion bits per second.
“My internship helped me discover a new found passion for learning, as I can now see how the processes taught in class are applied to real-life problems,” Roman said.
Roman explains that without the help and support of her professors, she wouldn’t have the confidence or proper skill set to apply to her internship with NASA.
“College always felt like the last steps of education, just one more to go,” Roman said. “But now I realize it’s my first step into a larger world.”