Rocket Man

A passion for aerospace engineering

By Shaun Guernsey

Iwas recently an intern for the summer and fall semesters for NASA at Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), under the NASA Sounding Rocket Contract (NSROC). Specifically, I was an engineering intern with Launch Vehicle Engineering.

My primary responsibilities included developing the launch vehicles for each payload that NSROC launches both domestically and internationally. I also performed post-flight performance analysis of each rocket booster for each mission flown. These duties aid NSROC in providing the highest quality service in the sounding rocket industry for researchers from scientific disciplines such as astronomy, space physics, and planetary science.

The courses and experiences I’ve gained from being a member of the BHC have prepared me to be successful in this internship in many ways. These experiences instilled in me the tools and soft skills to problem-solve many of the daily tasks associated with aerospace engineering. These tasks often seem simple on the surface but quickly become more intricate as a solution is developed. It also gave me the ability to work cohesively with the multitude of different groups involved in developing sounding rockets.

Ultimately, I have gained the coveted wisdom to reflect on problems from a variety of perspectives, granting me solutions to complex problems that would have otherwise been wildly more difficult to solve without the knowledge granted by being a BHC student. These skills all represent a sound foundation for a successful career as an engineer, a career that is often tasked with solving some of the world’s most perplexing problems.

There were many lessons learned during my tenure as an intern with NSROC. Overall, I have a better understanding of the difficult but highly valued job an aerospace engineer plays in our society’s quest to further our scientific knowledge. I also gained a large amount of first-hand experience in the aerospace industry which will aid me in life post-graduation as I transition into the workforce and strive to become a professional engineer.

A cherished takeaway from my experience as an intern was working on real-world aerospace problems ranging from launch configuration and rocket design to data analysis. I also enjoyed working with the wide variety of engineering disciplines needed to make a mission successful. There is never a dull day when building rockets is your profession. In conclusion, this opportunity only further cemented my love for engineering and reinvigorated my interest in the aerospace engineering field, of which I will be pursuing a graduate degree at ODU starting this summer.