A publication of the
Michigan Space Grant Consortium
Michigan in Space
Michigan
Space Grant
Consortium
Prof. Alec D. Gallimore, Director
Ms. Bonnie Bryant, Administrator
Michigan Space Grant Consortium
University of Michigan
1049 FXB
1320 Beal Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2140
734 764 9508 phone
734 763 6904 fax
www.umich.edu/~msgc
MSGC Executive Board Members
Calvin College
Prof. Deborah Haarsma
616 526 6340
Central Michigan University
Prof. Kristina Lemmer
989 774 7532
Dicken Elementary School
Mr. Michael Madison
734 994 1928
Eastern Michigan University
Prof. James Sheerin
734 487 4144
Grand Valley State University
Ms. Mary Ann Sheline
616 331 7142
Hope College
Prof. Peter Gonthier
616 395 7142
Michigan State University
Dr. Aurles Wiggins
517 353 5210
Michigan Technological University
Ms. Shalini Suryanarayana
906 487 2262
Oakland University
Prof. Bhushan Bhatt
248 370 2233
Saginaw Valley State University
Prof. Garry Johns
989 964 7145
Wayne State University
Prof. Gerald Thompkins
313 577 7520
Western Michigan University
Prof. Frank Severance
269 276 3161
October 2010 • Volume 12
Director’s Notes
Professor Alec Gallimore
University of Michigan
Greetings:
As of June 30, 2010, I completed my tenth
year as the director of the Michigan Space
Grant Consortium. During my tenure, we
have worked hard every year to increase
the funding that the Program receives
by complying with NASA requirements,
NASA requests, and visiting the Michigan
Delegation in Washington, D.C. Over
the last couple of years, we have seen a
significant rise in funding. This is especially Professor Gallimore welcomes
gratifying because the additional funding has guests to the 31st IEPC in the
made it possible for us to support students Rackham Building’s Auditorium
during summer internships and, with those at the University of Michigan
internship opportunities, develop internship on September 21, 2009.
programs that target underrepresented
minority students. We started with the development of the Space Engineering
Experience Diversity (SEED) Scholars Program. The SEED Scholars
Program was created to attract academically-gifted underrepresented minority
engineering students to aerospace engineering-related fields by giving them
practical engineering experience through hands-on space projects. The
SEED Scholars Program was extremely successful with three of the five
SEED scholars now employed at
Lockheed Martin, one at Apple,
Inc. as a software engineer,
and one going on to pursue a
career in pharmaceuticals. More
recently, we supported eight
Summer Research Opportunity
Program (SROP) students while
they interned at the University of
Michigan. SROP is a minority
student recruitment program for
graduate school that focuses on
exposing rising sophomores,
juniors, and seniors to on-campus
research activities. Opportunities
have also included internships at
NASA Centers, the Student Space
Satellite Fabrication Laboratory
SROP intern, Ryan Leon, double-checks
at the University of Michigan, and
optical systems in the main experimental
high-tech businesses within the
chamber.
state of Michigan.
Continued on next page...
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Director’s Notes.............................................. 1
NASA Center Internships Summer 2010........ 4
Student Space Systems Fabrication Laboratory
(S3FL) Internships Summer 2010..................11
Summer Research Opportunity Program
(SROP) Summer 2010.................................. 15
Calendar of Events....................................... 18
The Michigan Initiative on Student NASA
Exploration Research Program (MISNER)
Summer 2010............................................... 19
Other Internships Summer 2010................... 22
Fellowship Awards 2010............................... 23
Seed Grant Awards 2010.............................. 36
Program Awards 2010................................... 40
NASA Center Internships Summer 2009...... 45
Student Space Systems Fabrication Laboratory
(S3FL) Internships Summer 2009................. 53
The Michigan Initiative on Student NASA
Exploration Research Program (MISNER)
Summer 2009............................................... 61
Other Internships Summer 2009................... 64
Fellowship Awards 2009............................... 65
Seed Grant Awards 2009.............................. 72
Program Awards 2009.................................. 74
In September 2009, the Michigan Space Grant Consortium was one of
the sponsors of the International Electric Propulsion Conference (IEPC09).
Held at the University of Michigan, the conference was hosted by Bonnie
Bryant and myself. The conference takes place every other year, alternating
between a U.S. and a non-U.S. venue, and represents the worldwide electric
propulsion (i.e., advanced spacecraft propulsion) community. The IEPC09
brought together 300 researchers, developers, managers, and scholars from
18 countries. Providing the perfect
forum to present findings in electric
propulsion, the IEPC provides an
unequalled opportunity to learn
the latest developments, meet with
colleagues, and establish new
business contacts. The sponsorship
provided by the MSGC and others
helped us to keep registration fees
down and subsidize a large part of
the registration of graduate students,
thus giving them an opportunity to
interact with the electric propulsion
community and increase the
likelihood of joining the field as Over 25% of IEPC09 guests were students
professionals. Over 25% of our and over 25% of those students were from
guests were students, and we were the state of Michigan.
pleased that over 25% of those
students were from the state of Michigan (from the University of Michigan and
Michigan Technological University). Almost all of the students in attendance
participated with a lecture and/or poster presentation.
Because we hosted the IEPC09 last fall, we did not schedule an MSGC
Fall Conference (for the first time since the inaugural conference in 2006), and
we missed seeing those who join us every year or most years, and meeting
the newest members of the Space Grant family. We look forward to seeing
you at this year’s MSGC Conference, scheduled for Saturday, November
13, 2010. Information and registration regarding the conference can be found
by clicking from the home page of this website: www.umich.edu/~msgc.
Funding opportunities are available in the Fellowship, Precollege Education,
Public Outreach (Informal Education), Teacher Training, and Research Seed
Stephanie Roth works on a prototype of the reset system with a microcontroller and
transistor bank during her internship at NASA Ames Research Center.
•2•
Grant categories. Additional funds are
available for those proposals that target the
recruitment of women, underrepresented
minorities, and people with disabilities.
The proposal and review processes are
done online. To start the proposal process,
please click from the home page of this
website: www.umich.edu/~msgc. In 2009, we
distributed funding for 106 grants and in 2010,
136 grants, in the Fellowship and Internship,
Precollege Education, Public Outreach,
Teacher Training, Research Seed Grant,
and K-12 Educator Incentive categories.
Abstracts for fellowships, internships, and
programs that were funded for the 2009 –
2010 and the 2010 – 2011 funding intervals
appear within this newsletter. The deadline
date for proposals submitted for the 2011
– 2012 funding interval is no later than
Friday, November 19, 2010.
While Space Grant has become well
known on Capitol Hill and enjoys strong
support through the efforts of Space Grant
directors, affiliates, and staff nationwide, your
confirmation that the work we are doing is
relevant still gets the most attention from our
legislators. Thank you so much and please
continue to inform the representative for your
district about the great things Space Grant is
doing. Letting your representative know that
you support the Space Grant Program and
even explaining why the Space Grant Program has been important in your
own life just takes a moment. Visit the Write Your Representative website
at writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml. If you do not know who the
representative is for your district, the Write Your Representative website easily
answers that question, too. To show support for the Space Grant Program
to U.S. Senators from Michigan, please e-mail Senator Debbie Stabenow at
senator@stabenow.senate.gov and contact Senator Carl Levin through his
website: levin.senate.gov/contact/.
And one last reminder, to students -- if you have been awarded an MSGC
Fellowship or have been supported during an internship sponsored by the
MSGC or have received funding
while working for a professor or
research scientist who has been
funded through the MSGC Research
Seed Grant Program, please make
sure you: 1) leave your contact
information with us and your mentor
as you graduate; and 2) respond to
the survey that will be sent to you
from time-to-time (it is short and
sweet!) from the National Space
Grant Foundation. The information
you provide to us is crucial when we
are asked to document the impact
that the Space Grant Program is
making across the country.
•3•
MSGC Fellowship recipient, Brian Nord,
had the opportunity to meet Senator Debbie
Stabenow at the Michigan Business Group
Breakfast Meeting during our annual trip to
Washington, D.C.
MTU students share the results of their
research with the MSGC Conference
audience.
NASA Center Internships
Summer 2010
The following are excerpts from the reports that we received from students
that participated in NASA Center Internships during the summer of 2010.
Alex Bogatko
University of Michigan
Ames Research Center
Alex Bogatko running a sensitivity test of
the microbial fuel cell in the Department of
Biology at NASA Ames.
This summer, I was a part of the NASA Ames Academy program for space
exploration in Mountain View, California. This was an intensive program
where we each worked with a principal investigator on an individual project
as well as created a unique student team project to develop a new technology
related to space exploration. I worked with Dr. Friedemann Freund, a senior
scientist at Ames. Dr. Freund’s research has led to the discovery of certain
bonds in the Earth’s crust that break when stressed. These broken bonds
then lead to unique non-seismic signals that can help predict earthquakes.
My task was to create a model that would incorporate observational data of
these non seismic precursors to be able to provide a reliability model that could
forecast future events. Our group project was focused on the astrobiology
side of NASA and involved the creation and testing of a microbial fuel cell for
use as a life detection apparatus. Some of our team will continue to develop
this technology with the hopes that it can be used as a viable way to test for
microbe-sized life on missions to extraterrestrial bodies.
Neil Dhingra
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
This summer, I worked on improving the automatic target recognition
(ATR) system. The ATR implements a multi-stage algorithm designed
to identify and locate objects in an image. The ATR first uses a filter to
identify potential targets, or regions of interest (ROIs) and then uses
Principal Component Analysis to extract features from each ROI. I
worked on the final stage which uses Neural Networks to determine
whether or not the ROI contains a target. I improved the algorithm by
using Support Vector Machines (SVMs) instead of Neural Networks
as well as upgrading to Universum SVM methods and developing a
new algorithm which used k-means clustering with SVM classification.
Neil Dhingra in front of the JPL and NASA
signs.
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Anupinder Dulat
University of Michigan
Marshall Space Flight Center
Anup Dulat, next to the test model of the
Nozzle/Nozzle Extension Assembly.
My individual design project at Marshall Space Flight Center gave me
the opportunity to design and analyze the Ares 1 Upper Stage Pathfinder
Transportation Assembly (PTA) Nozzle and Nozzle Extension components,
which are intended to represent the size and shape of the J-2X nozzle
design on the Upper Stage. I designed and analyzed the finite element
models of both components, provided justification on boundary condition
selections, and verified geometric, material, elemental, and load adequacies
during simulation. Subsequent weld strength calculations were completed,
along with other essential engineering calculations per NASA requirements
to ensure design integrity during transportation and handling. I worked in
a cross-functional role that granted me mentorship from senior designers
and stress analysts as we prepared stress analysis reports to justify the
size and shape of the Nozzle and Nozzle Extension during ground support
transportation. Fortunately, I completed and submitted my own individual
stress report of the J-2X Nozzle and Nozzle Extension, which was approved
and used in the Critical Design Review (CDR) by Dr. Michael Tinker.
Jeffrey Duperret
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
I worked on two projects during my summer internship at NASA Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. The first project, the Axel rover system, is a robotic platform
designed to traverse extreme extraterrestrial terrain by repelling or ascending
from a base platform via a 3km long tether. The Axel team is considering
using the tether as a power and communication channel, to communicate
between Axel and the base station and charge Axel’s on-board batteries. This
summer I proposed and began testing a method of wired communication on
a 3km stretch over power.
Manual sampling of dirt in open-pit mines can be a dangerous job due to
the risks of rock slides, falling debris, and sometimes high altitude sickness.
Mining companies have expressed an interest in using robotic space
technology to autonomously sample from dirt mounds to alleviate the risk to
workers, which will require real-time identification of the dirt mounds by the
robotic system. During my second project, I proposed a computer vision
algorithm for a rover to identify such dirt mounds, then simulated it and began
testing it in an experimental environment.
Jeffrey Duperret shows a demonstration of
the Axel rover’s ability to repel from and
climb a wall for NASA chief technologist,
Bobby Braun.
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Bradley Freyberg
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Brad Freyberg’s goal during his JPL
internship was to increase the TRL of the
Virtex-5.
During my internship at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), my goal
was to increase the TRL of the Virtex-5. JPL is designing a payload named
CubeSat On-board Processing Validation Experiment (COVE). This payload
will fly on the University of Michigan’s Multipurpose Mini-satellite (M-Cubed)
CubeSat. My summer internship focused on microprocessor integration
between COVE and M-Cubed. This research included communication
protocol development and software driver development. The outcome of
this work prepares M-Cubed/COVE for the development of a full Engineering
Design Unit (EDU) by December 2010.
Kenneth Gmerek
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Dr. Richard Hofer (left) and Ken Gmerek
(right) seen here with a vacuum chamber
used to conduct tests of the Pulsed Plasma
Lubricator in a simulated Martian
atmosphere.
Vikram Ivatury probes the MCubed camera
next to a prototype 1 unit CubeSat structure.
Motivated by the challenges experienced with lubricating moving
mechanical assemblies such as Galileo’s High Gain Antenna and
Mars Science Laboratory’s Actuators, JPL has been developing
the Pulsed Plasma Lubricator, an autonomous device capable of
ablating dry lubricant in a space environment. When activated,
the Pulsed Plasma Lubricator creates a capacitively charged arc
which is struck across a dry lubricant, causing ablation. Through
the use of electrodynamic and gas dynamic forces, an optimally
charged arc will transport the ablated lubricant with sufficient
energy to achieve high adhesion and wear resistance. Tests
conducted on a working gear mechanism proved that in as short
as three minutes the Pulsed Plasma Lubricator can effectively
lubricate a working mechanism in-situ with quality comparable to
pre-applied dry lubricant.
Vikram Ivatury
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
A Multiangle Spectro-Polarimetric Imager [MSPI] is being developed at NASAJPL for the Aerosol-Cloud Ecosystem [ACE] mission. MSPI uses a Xilinx Virtex-5
FPGA and on-board processing [OBP] to calculate polarimetry data from 9
multi-angle imagers. To increase the TRL of the Virtex-5, JPL is designing a
payload named CubeSat On-board Processing Validation Experiment [COVE].
This payload will fly on the University of Michigan’s Multipurpose Mini-satellite
[M-Cubed] CubeSat. The primary mission of M-Cubed is obtaining a highresolution color image of the Earth from LEO using a 2 Megapixel CMOS image
sensor. The COVE payload will use those images to gain on-orbit validation
of the Virtex-5 OBP platform. The primary summer objective is to transfer a
1600x1200 pixel image from the image sensor to the flight computer using the
Inter-Integrated Circuit [I2C] and Image Sensor Interface [ISI] protocols. The
outcome of the work completed this summer will advance this collaborative
concept towards the development of a full Engineering Design Unit [EDU] by
December 2010.
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Anne Marinain
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(Left to right) Annie Marinan, Emily Mullis,
Dr. Charles Budney (mentor), Dr. Deborah
Bass (mentor), and Pam Dowling pose
in front of a full-scale model of the rover
Curiosity.
I worked concurrently on two different projects at JPL under the mentorship of
Drs. Deborah Bass and Charles Budney. I had a co-intern, Emily Mullis, working
with me, and we each led one of the projects. Emily was the lead for organizing
and cataloging Mars Critical Data Products (CDP - projects funded in response
to calls concerning characterizing landing sites and producing atmospheric
profiles for MER, Phoenix, and MSL) onto a JPL-internal site. The project I led
involved collecting and documenting updates to the required measurements for
each required investigation under Goal IV (Prepare for Human Exploration) in
the Mars Science Goals, Objectives, Investigations, and Priorities document.
Both projects required contacting scientists and investigators around the country
and becoming familiar with the format and interface of the JPL docushare site.
We also drafted webpages to display the results from the CDP investigations and
to provide interested engineers, scientists, and mission planners with sources
and information about the updates to Goal IV. These webpages were not fully
implemented by the end of the internship, but they will be publicly accessible
in the near future.
Gary Marx
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Gary Marx and the Student Collaboration
Project team in front of the old JPL logo
(Gary is seated, in the green shirt).
Spending a summer at JPL has been the most educational
and productive internship I have experienced over the last four
summers of internships. Among many experiences, the exposure
to pyromechanics, scientific exploration, and current developments
on the Mars Science Laboratory Rover was both exciting and eye
opening. My work on a Student Collaboration Project (SCP) provided
an experience similar to how Team X works, at a much simpler level.
It was thoroughly enjoyable and I was able to propose a unique Science
Enhancement Opportunity for a current mission proposal.
Nathan McKay
University of Michigan
Glenn Research Center
Nathan McKay places a GaAs sample on
an auto-exposure machine used for the
photolithography process.
For my individual research at Glenn Research Center’s NASA Academy, my
mentors were Drs. Sheila Bailey and David Forbes in the Material Sciences
Division. My goal was to develop an anisotropic etching process for v-groove
formation in material called gallium arsenic. This process is critical in the
formation of ultra-high efficiency quantum dot solar cells. When not working
in the labs at Glenn, we NASA Academy students were occupied with
group activities and travel to other NASA centers. We took trips to Plum
Brook Station, Goddard Space Flight Center, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Edwards Air Force Base, SpaceX, and Kennedy Space Center. I thank the
NASA Academy program for this amazing opportunity and I am grateful for
the support of the MSGC.
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Devin Miller
Eastern Michigan University
Goddard Space Flight Center
Devin Miller activates the Imageer server
from inside his space capsule.
For nine months I worked with a team of computer scientists and image
processing experts to build Imageer, a website designed to provide an
entry point for students entering into the image processing discipline. At
the beginning of his internship, the website was in very early alpha stages
with only basic framework and very little data. The first task was to locate
and collect satellite data from a small set of geographic locations. I then
spent significant time extracting metadata and processing the images which
included, among other things, manually registering each scene. During the
summer I was given a list of new satellite repositories from which to collect
data. In addition to this, I was tasked with researching and writing a set of
educative articles on a broad number of image processing related topics as
part of the instructional portion of the website. By the end of the summer
term, I had contributed to the very time-consuming compilation of a large
repository of imaging data ideal for entry-level image processing and singlehandedly written the knowledge base, the Imagepedia, for several important
image processing concepts including pre-processing techniques and remote
sensing.
Duncan Miller
University of Michigan
Langley Research Center
Duncan Miller standing in the flight volume
of a system of infrared motion tracking
cameras, used to track the real-time
position of an object with sub-millimeter
accuracy.
This summer, I interned with the NASA Langley Aerospace
Research Summer Scholars Program. As part of a multi-disciplinary
engineering team, under the mentorship of Dr. Garry Qualls, we
worked to establish an autonomous vehicle testing facility for aerial
and ground vehicles. Using a fleet of quadrotor helicopters and
wheeled ground vehicles, we investigated sense and avoid reactions
and sentinel patrol formations. My focus was on hardware-in-theloop simulations (HiL Sims) of fixed wing aircraft and RC trucks. As
unmanned aerial vehicles begin to operate regularly in the National
Airspace System, the ability to safely test the coordination and control of
multiple autonomous vehicles will be an important capability. The experience
was as motivating as it was breathtaking and only was made possible by the
contributions of the MSGC.
Christopher Rossi
University of Michigan
Johnson Space Center
The study of water vapor isotopes has been useful for learning about Earth’s
geologic history and hydrologic processes. However, this research has not
been applied to other bodies in the Solar System because the necessary
technology is too large and sample preparation too complex to be placed on
a spacecraft. A much more compact isotope analyzer, taking advantage of
laser absorption spectroscopy, is currently under development as a prototype
for potential flight hardware for use on interplanetary missions. The instrument
will be capable of extracting water vapor from exposed ice or hydrated soils,
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Chris Rossi in Historic Mission Control at
Johnson Space Center.
and providing appropriate stable isotope measurements of hydrogen
and oxygen. My project was the preliminary testing and analysis of
sample acquisition and delivery methods to these isotope analyzers.
Using a commercial water vapor isotope analyzer using similar laser
absorption technology as the unit under development, and under the
mentorship of a planetary scientist, I created and performed a series of
experiments to better understand the delivery method dynamics and
how measurements are affected by certain variables. For example,
the temperature of the ice sample, the gas used to intake the sample
into the instrument chamber, and the flow rate of the gas into the
chamber are just a few of the variables that need to be taken into
account. Through extensive research, I was able to unify as closely
as possible the experimental results with equilibrium and kinetic
theory of ice sublimation. As we learned more about the delivery
strategy, I was able to create requirements for a system that will test
the compact analyzer technology in more rugged field conditions. The
goal is to eventually fly this ground-breaking technology on a mission to the
Moon, Mars, or an asteroid to gain new knowledge about our solar system.
Fernando Saca
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The MoonRise Student Collaboration
Team and mentors with Sally Ride at
the University of California, San Diego
(Fernando is in the back to the right of the
blue door. Sally Ride is on the right of the
student in the purple shirt.)
Over the summer, a team of 12 students including myself, worked
on a student collaboration project to be included in a New Frontiers
proposed mission called MoonRise. MoonRise is a lunar sample
return mission focusing on the South Pole-Aitken Basin for being
the oldest known basin on the Moon. Our group was tasked with
utilizing the assets already in place for this mission to create ideas
of possible student payloads. We developed several ideas but focused on
one that became known as IRIS (Impact Recording and Imaging System), that
uses the communication relay satellite to place a camera and monitor the dark
side of the moon for impact flashes. Additionally, it will be purposed to return
images of the illuminated side that K-12 students have requested similar to
programs already in place like EarthKAM. My role for this project was that of
a systems and thermal engineer.
Angela Selden
Michigan Technological University
Langley Research Center
Angela Selden preparing a crimped
connection for testing.
Participating in NASA Langley’s LARSS internship program was an excellent
experience and an amazing opportunity. I got the chance to work firsthand with
NASA physicists and engineers and to experience what engineering is really
about. I worked on a new ultrasonically instrumented crimping tool that was
developed by my mentors Daniel F. Perey, K. Elliott Cramer, and William T.
Yost. I developed a laboratory system that will be used to perform the millivolt
drop test. This included a MATLAB program that would automate the millivolt
drop test. The ability of three methods to detect crimp defects was compared.
The three methods were the new ultrasonically instrumented crimp tool, the
millivolt drop test and the pull test. Both the millivolt drop test and the pull test
are SAE standards.
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Michael Starch
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Michael Starch interned with the Software
and Information Systems Engineering
Group at NASA JPL.
Over the course of this summer I interned in the Software and Information
Systems Engineering group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It was
my task to design the information architecture for the Thermal Performance
Database, which will capture arc jet test data. This will enable reuse of over
30 years of data and save considerable time and money. The information
architecture describes the relationships between all concepts in the database
and will foster further development. It was designed using a basic Systems
Engineering process and, therefore, will be usable through the entire project.
April Yazzie
University of Michigan
Goddard Space Flight Center
April Yazzie monitors the controls in the
Wallops Flight Facility Mission Control
Room, a division of Goddard Space Flight
Center.
NASA will be launching the Global Precipitation Measurement
constellation satellites to study the hydrometeorology of Earth,
scheduled to launch in 2013. The Attitude Control Systems team
needed to test failure scenarios in order to detect and correct inflight sensor/actuator failures. The purpose of my research was
to test fault detection logic from Freespace simulations of failed
Coarse Sun Sensors (CSS), Medium Sun Sensors (MSS), and
Reaction Wheels (RWA). At the close of my internship I was able
to contribute vital conclusions from my data. For example, for
the CSS the data invalid flag functioned properly. Its response
to faulty counts was as expected; data was marked as invalid
and previous data was used. For the MSS, I found that the
data invalid flag did not work and needed review because when
the data was invalid, MSS data was continually used, instead
of switching back to CSS data. Most importantly, my data on
the RWA was that GPM cannot operate on 3-RW configuration
because adding a slew to nominal state results in near-saturation of wheels.
Having just finished my freshman year at the University of Michigan, I definitely
learned a lot from this experience and I cannot wait to go back – thank you
MSGC!
• 10 •
Student Space Systems Fabrication
Laboratory (S3FL) Internships
Summer 2010
The following are excerpts from the reports that we received from students
that participated in S3FL Internships during the summer of 2010.
Iman Aboutaleb
University of Michigan
This summer, I was involved in a research project called M-Cubed.
M-Cubed is a 10cm cube satellite (10cm x 10cm x 10cm) and its
objective is to take a picture of the Earth. The satellite is in the
developmental stages and is not yet built. This project is ongoing
and is expected to continue for at least another year. M-Cubed is
similar to another satellite called RAX whose dimensions are 10cm
x 10cm x 30cm.
Iman Aboutaleb runs a battery test on RAX
(the satellite on the left). RAX is expected
to launch in October 2010 and its objective
is to monitor space weather.
Alan Baines
University of Michigan
During my summer internship with S3FL, I worked with the HAS
(High Altitude Solutions) team. This was my first time working on
an engineering team with people of different technical backgrounds.
During the internship, I helped brainstorm ideas for new loads on the
balloon. I worked on creating trade studies for different technologies
to see which would best meet the teams demand. I had a great
experience and feel like I learned a lot from the internship thanks to
the MSGC.
Alan Baines working on a sensor for the
HAS team.
Rex Brown
University of Michigan
Rex Brown is setting up the testbed and
resetting the microcontroller that runs the
system. The whole testbed communicates
wirelessly at 2.4GHz to allow for free
rotation.
While reaction and momentum wheels have been used for active
attitude control for years within the spacecraft community, their
application to small cube-satellites has been limited. Scaling down
these attitude control actuators allows them to be used on future
cube-satellite missions. Refining the control algorithms behind their
operation also facilitates a greater breadth of small satellite missions.
The momentum wheel testbed under development allows for these
refinements, and accompanying experimentation. The single-axis
attitude control that it now provides will be expanded to three-axis control,
and placed on an air bearing to fully benchmark its performance.
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Loren Bryant
Grand Valley State University
Loren Bryant coding for radio
communications in the RAX Lab at
Michigan.
The M-Cubed program allowed me tp participate in a real engineering
project. I had the opportunity to learn firsthand the intricacies of how an
engineering project is maintained and developed. I experienced how each
sub-team’s tasks were all equally vital to the common goal of the project.
My team leaders were great at guiding me through any road blocks I came
across and taught me many details involving both hardware and software
aspects of computer engineering. I was assigned two major portions of the
project within my sub-team of CD&H (Control and Data Handling). The first
involved a hardware approach in which I had to redesign a circuit board
that controlled voltage levels between our processor and camera. It was
interesting because I felt first-hand how project changes can happen in the
blink of an eye. Even though my contributions were scrapped for a better
design it was worth it for the good of the team. The second portion involved
coding in both Java and C to communicate data between our ground station
and radios. The entire summer was one I won’t forget and was definitely an
engineering intern experience to remember.
Kutessa Garnett
University of Michigan
Kutessa Garnett prepares the mill before
working on her component.
The Student Space Systems Fabrication Laboratory (S3FL) at the
University of Michigan is committed to providing undergraduate
students with hands on experience in aerospace. Several student
projects are run through S3FL, including Michigan’s CubeSat program.
A CubeSat is miniature satellite that uses easily accessible components
to allow for universities worldwide to participate in space exploration.
Michigan’s CubeSat is called MCubed. MCubed has just had a very
successful launch and is planning to launch again soon. One of the
problems that MCubed faces when preparing for a launch is integrating
the structure and the components. The components have to fit securely
to insure that they will survive the force of the launch, but they also
have to be lightweight. The MCubed team also has to be able to add
and remove components easily. With the help of the MSGC, I was
able to spend the summer designing and building CubeSat structure
that will be the prototypes for future CubeSats. In order to help be
accomplish this, I learn how to write G-Code for use on CNC (Computed
Numerically Controlled) machines and how to use a mill for creating parts
out of aluminum. The prototypes that I design could potentially shorten the
time between design and launch phases on all future missions.
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Stephanie Gowell
University of Michigan
Stephanie Gowell presenting space
communication research and simulations at
the Michigan eXploration Laboratory final
summer presentation.
This summer I was a research intern in the Michigan eXploration Laboratory
for Professor. James Cutler. My time was split between sun sensor research
and space communication. My sun sensor research will be used to develop
a standard sun sensor to be part of the Attitude Determination and Controls
system for the NanoSatellite Pipeline at the University of Michigan. I was lucky
to learn to use STK, the Satellite Toolkit, as part of my space communications
research, which was based around optimizing ground station capacity of
networks. Optimizing a ground station network, by increasing/decreasing the
number of ground stations, or spacing them out more, helps keep a satellite
in communication with ground stations longer each orbit. This research will
be helpful for future CubeSat missions’ communication for the NanoSatellite
Pipeline.
Dan Meinzer
University of Michigan
During the summer of 2010, I was able to work on the M-Cubed
nano-satellite project in Ann Arbor. It has been a great experience..
The project involves collaboration between NASA Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (JPL) and the University of Michigan to build a small
cubesat in order to test proprietary image processing algorithms
and increase the technology readiness level for a new radiationhardened FPGA. A cubesat is relatively inexpensive to launch,
making it an excellent platform for testing high-risk items. The
satellite is expected to be ready for delivery in late 2011, and an
engineering design unit must be complete by the end of this year.
Matthew Bennett and Daniel Meinzer
(right) waiting for a cubesat to acquire GPS
lock outdoors.
My task was to design the electrical power system for the satellite.
I have had experience doing so with another University of
Michigan cubesat, the Radio Aurora Explorer. You learn a lot of practical skills
that you won’t learn in the classroom. MATLAB was used to create simulations
for our orbit for power budget purposes. We were able to then simulate
different peak power tracking topologies and algorithms in order to determine
the most appropriate one. After designing the board layouts, I assembled the
boards and was able to run functionally test them with colleagues.
I attended my first conference, SmallSat. It was amazing to meet industry
developers of the same technology I was working on. The Michigan Space
Grant has allowed me to grow professionally as an engineer. I had a great time
and will continue to work with the M-Cubed nano-satellite project throughout
the school year.
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Philip Morgan
University of Michigan
Philip Morgan works on the AeroComm
DevBoard Restoration.
During the summer of 2010, I continued to lead the High Altitude Solution Team
(HAS) The experience provided me with the opportunity to gather a deeper
understanding of systems engineering principles on a minute scale. This
experience also provided me with the insight on the necessary characteristics
and qualities needed to lead a technical team, which is aligned with my
ambitions of engaging in entrepreneurship. I gained practical experience with
concocting engineering solutions with specific design specifications driven by
mission requirements. In my past involvement with the HAS Team, I managed
the power and electrical segment of the team, but due to the small size of
the team, I did what was required to ensure project completion. I gained
experience using various tracking equipment and systems, in conjunction
with acquiring my Amateur Radio License.
Anthony Smith
University of Michigan
At the start of the summer, my work with MCubed was based
around environmental testing of the satellite’s Omnivision CMOS
sensor and its development board. A few weeks in, I was given the
specific task of developing a low cost, multi-functional, vibration
test bed to be used in preliminary environmental tests of the
commercial components that current and future teams may use
for their projects. Most of the summer was spent researching
and performing trade studies on a controller (Arduino), a forcing
mechanism (latching solenoid), an accelerometer, and a mounting
device. As the summer drew to a close, the product of my work
was functional, but I felt it could easily be improved upon given
more time. My final few weeks were spent documenting my
completed work and what improvements I felt could be made in a
timely manner to be used for further testing of the system before
MCubed is launched. I wish the team the best, and look forward
to witnessing the satellite in orbit in the coming years!
Anthony Smith solders the accelerometer to
the arduino.
• 14 •
Summer Research Opportunity Program
(SROP)
Summer Undergraduate Research in
Engineering Program (SURE)
Summer 2010
The following are excerpts from the reports that we received from students
that participated in SROP Internships during the summer of 2010.
Alvin Beyerlein
University of Florida
Alvin Beyerlein with the The Flying Fish,
the plane located to his left.
For the summer of 2010, I was selected to participate in the Summer Research
Opportunities Program (SROP) at the University of Michigan. For the duration
of this program I had the privilege of working under the mentorship of Dr. Guy
Meadows of the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Department. The
main focus of our research was on the Flying Fish project, an autonomous
plane used for long-term ocean surveillance. The goals of the Flying Fish
are to develop an autonomous aircraft that can take off, cruise, and land at
various sea conditions. Being that it will be deployed in ocean conditions
for long periods of time, the Flying Fish must also be able to sustain itself
on local energy sources. The plane is equipped with eight batteries, three
motors, and an advanced array of solar panels along its wings. The Flying
Fish must sustain itself for at least a month and stay within a watch circle for
the entire time. It performs this by drifting with wind and current till it reaches
the edge of the circle, then it flies to the opposite side and continues to drift
once more. With these parameters in mind, I sought to develop more efficient
flight routines for the Flying in all weather conditions. My summer provided
me with an amazing opportunity to be involved in interesting research as well
as collaborate with a motivated cohort of researchers. After the most of my
research had been completed I was able to present my findings at the SROP
conference at the Ohio State University.
Jessandra Hough
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Jessica Hough working on the inertial
sensor on the end of the baseball bat.
The sport of baseball has been studied many times throughout the years;
however, very few experiments have focused on the measuring the dynamics
of the swing. The bat swing is a complex, three-dimensional motion which is
difficult to accurately measure and analyze using previous technologies, such
as video-based motion capture. We proposed a method for quantifying the
dynamics of the baseball bat swing enabled by a miniature wireless inertial
sensor. The purpose of this research was to use a miniature wireless inertial
measurement unit (IMU) to analyze the mechanics of a baseball bat swing.
The inertial sensor is an inexpensive, non-invasive, highly portable device that
can be placed on the end of the bat allowing the players to swing normally
while simultaneously collecting data. This technology is useful in calculating
various aspects of the swing by measuring the rigid body dynamics of the
baseball bat.
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Cameron Howard
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Cameron Howard worked on the
characterization of plume emission and
charge transfer in a Dielectric Barrier
Discharge underwater plasma jet, using
plasma for the purposes of processing and
treating water.
My internship at the University of Michigan involved work with Dr. John Foster
and graduate student Bradley Sommers on the characterization of plume
emission and charge transfer in a Dielectric Barrier Discharge underwater
plasma jet, using plasma for the purposes of processing and treating water.
My contribution to this effort was studying two modes called microdischarge
mode and jet mode, using parameters such as pH, conductivity, transmission,
absorption, concentration, and temperature of the methylene blue solution being
treated by the plasmas to help determine the most effective way to treat the
water. I would like to thank the MSGC for allowing me to participate in nuclear
engineering research for the first time because without them my summer
experiences would not have been possible.
James Lankford
Virginia Tech University
James Lankford holds a camera mount
he helped make in the machine shop of
University of Michigan’s Plasmadynamics
& Electric Propulsion Laboratory (PEPL).
My name is James Lankford and this summer I aided in research efforts at the
Plasmadynamics & Electric Propulsion Laboratory PEPL through University
of Michigan’s Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP). At PEPL,
my research was centered on improving the software used to analyze Hall
thruster spoke instabilities. My primary focus was to develop an experiment
to aid in the calibration of the high speed camera used to record the formation
of spoke instabilities as the Hall thruster is operating. The results of the
experiment show that the intensities of light captured by the camera were not
being properly portrayed using the given pixel data in the images. This required
a linear calibration of the data to be created in order to correctly display and
analysis the high speed video footage. Once the calibration was determined
and implemented into the analysis program, it was discovered that the spoke
instabilities emit a stronger intensity of light than previously thought. It is
desired that this work will someday lead to the cause behind analogous electron
movement within the Hall thruster channel.
Cameron Lee
Cornell University
Cameron Lee processing Faraday Probe
data at EDA.
In the summer of 2010, I worked as a research assistant at the University
of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I worked in the Plasmadynamics and Electric
Propulsion Laboratory (PEPL) under Professor Alec Gallimore. My job was
to assist graduate student, Ray Liang, while he conducted a performance
analysis on a nested channel hall thruster that he designed. The project
involved the operation of the thruster within the large vacuum test facility
at Michigan and offered an experience beyond anything that I had ever
known. I really enjoyed the experience of working in the lab this summer.
Spacecraft propulsion systems is a field that few get to observe, let alone work
in. My time spent in the lab was educational, as well as fascinating, seeing
phenomena that cannot be viewed in atmospheric conditions. This experience
was incredibly rewarding, and I would like to thank all of the people within
the institutions that made it possible: The University of Michigan, Rackham
Graduate School, the Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP),
and the Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering Program (SURE).
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Ryan Leon
Morehouse College
Ryan Leon shown double-checking optical
systems in the main experimental chamber.
Interaction of an intense laser pulse with near-critical density plasma makes
a channel both in electron and then in ion density. The propagation of a
laser pulse through such a channel is connected with the acceleration of
electrons in the wake of a laser pulse and generation of strong moving electric
and magnetic fields in the propagation channel. Upon exiting the plasma
the magnetic field generates a quasi-static electric field that accelerates
and collimates ions from a thin filament formed in the propagation channel.
Two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell simulations show that a 100 TW laser pulse
tightly focused on a near-critical density target is able to accelerate protons
up to an energy of 250 MeV. We presented the experimental results on
ion acceleration from 150 microns thick silica aerogel targets with density
of 40 to 100 mg/cm^3 using 100 TW, 30 fs laser pulses from HERCULES
laser at normal incidence, producing intensities of up to 1022 W/cm2. The
experimental data show protons of 1.5 MeV.
Zuleika Oquendo
Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico
Zuleika Oquendo prepares the phenol
solutions to load into the quartz reactors.
There is an increased interest in renewable energy as an alternative source
of energy. The chemical conversion of biomass into other species that retain
its chemical energy is an approach that is both sustainable and largely CO2
neutral. In the process of gasification, an energy-rich gas mixture of H2, CH4,
CO, and CO2 can be formed by subjecting biomass to high temperatures and
pressures. Conventional methods of gasification required a drying step but
supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of biomass avoids the drying step.
This is an excellent solvent, is environmentally benign and can dissolve most
organic materials. Studying model compounds can give us an insight into
the chemical behavior of biomass. Phenol is selected because it is among
the simplest chemical models for important structural features of lignin[1].
Studying the chemical transformation of phenol in SCWG will provide the
theoretical basis for developing a more efficient and economical process for
producing energy from biomass. Phenol was gasified in supercritical water
at 500˚C, 600˚C, and 700˚C at different water densities and concentrations.
By obtaining kinetic data of the formation of CO, CO2, CH4, and H2 we can
have a better understanding of the chemical behavior of phenol. At 500˚C,
10 wt. % there is almost no formation of CH4 and H2. At 600˚C the products
start to appear, but at 700˚C the water-gas shift and methanation reactions
rapidly generate H2 and CH4. The highest yield of the gas products was
obtained at 700˚C. This happened for all concentrations of phenol (5 wt. %
and 10 wt. %) and water densities (0.079 g/mL and 0.180 g/mL). To identify
the effect of initial reactant loading, 5 wt. % and 10 wt. % phenol solutions
were gasified, and the best results were obtain with the 5 wt. % solution. In
the previous analysis the trend for the data in every temperature was similar,
however the effect of water density is temperature-dependent. Different
species of the product gas were favored at different temperatures.
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Onajite Shemi
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Onajite Shemi presenting her summer
research project at the 2010 Summer
Research Opportunities Program (SROP)
Symposium at the University of Michigan.
As part of the 2010 summer research opportunities program at the University
of Michigan, I was very fortunate to work in Dr. Eniola-Adefeso’s lab. Her lab
focuses on cell adhesion and drug delivery. My project was a continuation of
the published work of one of her graduate students, Michael Heslinga. In his
paper, Michael describes his discoveries regarding the oil-in-water emulsion
solvent evaporation technique to fabricate microparticles from a biodegradable
polymer. One very important factor about his work was his goal to fabricate
spheriodal microparticles instead of traditional spheres, because there is
research that highlights the cell adhesion benefits of spheroids over spheres.
Also his work was proof of drug delivery application study done with loading
the microparticles with the drug paclitaxel. My project involved varying two
of several parameters within the oil-in-water technique that Michael had
previously varied in his fabrication of microparticles. With all my samples
loaded with paclitaxel, I varied the viscosity of the water phase and the pH.
Drug-loading studies showed that my samples had a 50% loading efficiency.
Calendar of Events
October 14 – 16, 2010
National Council of Space Grant Directors in Portland, Maine hosted
by the Maine Space Grant Consortium.
November 13, 2010
MSGC Annual Fall Conference on Michigan’s North Campus.
Registration required. For more information and to register, please
visit: www.umich.edu/~msgc.
November 19, 2010
Deadline date for proposals to the MSGC Fellowship, Precollege
Education, Public Outreach, Teacher Training, and Research Seed
Grant Programs. Programs targeted to women, underrepresented
minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged.
February/March 2010 (date TBA)
National Council of Space Grant Directors and Congressional visits
to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
• 18 •
The Michigan Initiative on Student NASA
Exploration Research Program (MISNER)
Summer 2010
The following are excerpts from the reports that we received from students
that participated in MISNER Internships during the summer of 2010.
Christopher Barch
University of Michigan
ElectroDynamic Applications, Inc. • Ann Arbor, MI
Chris working in the laboratory on the
variable amplifier box he had to design and
build.
During my internship at EDA, I was assigned to the project that focused on
communicating through plasma. When a vehicle is traveling at hypersonic speeds
it is subject to plasma and, therefore, communications are disrupted. One example
of this is the radio blackout experienced during a space shuttle’s reentry to Earth’s
atmosphere. The project was to investigate ways to reduce this plasma or match
the impedance of the plasma at the antenna to allow communications through the
plasma. Being able to communicate through the plasma would help improve the
radio blackout problem. My specific task was to help with the impedance matching
of the antenna. I was required to research and acquire the necessary devices as
well as write a program that would be the control system in order to actively tune
the antenna network. I enjoyed my internship at EDA. It gave me a lot to build
on for my future in electrical engineering. – thanks MSGC!
Jonathan Barr
University of Michigan
ElectroDynamic Applications, Inc. • Ann Arbor, MI
Jon Barr with one of the reaction cells at
ElectroDynamic Applications. The chamber
can be operated at reduced and elevated
pressures.
Heat shield technology is a critical component of any successful space
flight mission and is particularly important during both manned reentry,
and sample return missions. Future exploratory missions will require
thermal protection systems (TPSs) beyond the current state of art and
while new TPSs are under development, evaluation technology is
currently limited to review TPS performance. The FiberPlug program
seeks to solve this problem by introducing a minimally intrusive fiber
optic plug into the TPS of a given spacecraft. The fiber will enable
spectrographic measurements of the re-entry environment surrounding
an ablating TPS and may also provide an estimate of the ablation rate.
This NASA Phase I SBIR focused on the development and testing of a
ruggedized spectrometer to be used in conjuncture with this fiber optic
configuration. The spectrometer will be used to receive and process
the spectrum signal from the environment surrounding the spacecraft.
ElectroDynamic Applications (EDA) and The Pennsylvania State
University have competed vibration and environmental testing on a
Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) OceanOptics HR4000 Spectrometer
raising the status of FiberPlug to Techonlogy Readiness Level (TRL)
5. The modifications and analysis on the unit have provided EDA with
the necessary instrumentation for the FiberPlug program, and the tools necessary
to make simulated spectral measurements.
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Daniel Rebori-Carretero
Wayne State University
EMAG Technologies, Inc. • Ann Arbor, MI
Daniel Rebori-Carretero worked
with EMAG Technologies on their
electromagnetic simulation software,
EM.CUBE. Daniel was assigned two tasks:
testing and user education.
Daniel Rebori-Carretero worked with EMAG Technologies during his Michigan
Initiative on Student NASA Exploration Research (MISNER) Internship.
During his internship, he worked on EMAG’s electromagnetic simulation
software, EM.CUBE. He spent his time divided between testing and user
education. While working on testing, he was required to test for bugs in all
modules of EM.CUBE and properly report them. Major bugs were reported
using Bugzilla, while minor glitches or user interface problems were reported
directly to their respective department. He also provided insight into what
impression a user may have when first being introduced to the software
package. User education was divided into three divisions: tutorials, examples
and manuals. Due to the major improvement and upgrades in EM.CUBE,
the tutorials from the previous version needed to be updated, or in some
cases completely rewritten. Several new tutorials were written to show the
user about several new features and modules. The examples were more
complicated projects that showed the power and scope of EM.CUBE. EMAG
provides several examples for each module. Dr. Kaz Sabet wrote the manuals
for each module explaining in detail each feature and the physics behind
different methods utilized by each engine. Daniel then manually converted
each module manual from word to html to increase the availability for the user.
Michael Huang
University of Michigan
ElectroDynamic Applications, Inc. • Ann Arbor, MI
Michael Huang presents the Flight
Readiness Review of the M-1 thruster test
bed at Ellington Field, Houston, TX in June
2010.
The Nano-particle Field Extraction Thruster (NanoFET) is
an electric propulsion source developed with the intention of
providing active and controllable propulsion for future micro and
nano-satellites. As part of my internship with ElectroDynamic
Applications and MISNER, my job was to continue development
on the first generation NanoFET (M-1), first conceived in summer
of 2008 and utilize the lessons learned from the M-1 toward
development of the second generation M-2. As such, a testbed
(the Zero-G Electrostatic Thruster Testbed, or ZESTT) was
constructed and diagnostics developed for measurement of the
thruster’s performance characteristics. A Faraday Probe and
Induction Charge Detector was built and tested to measure the
emission current of the thruster and particle velocity, respectively.
These diagnostics along with the M-1 were flown and tested in a NASA
microgravity flight in June 2010. Using the data gained from the M-1, design
improvements were made to the M-2, which is currently being tested with
the previously mentioned Faraday Probe and Induction Charge Detector.
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John Krueger
Michigan Technological University
Aerophysics, Inc. • Allouez, MI
John Krueger doing final testing on
star imaging software.
I was going into my junior year at MTU, and was getting worried about my
resume. I had a few years of basic work experience, but absolutely no serious
experience in my field outside of my classes. I had no idea I would get lucky
enough to come across this opportunity, an opportunity that fit so perfectly
with my interests. For 10 weeks during the summer of 2010, I worked with
a few amazing people in a small, local company called, Aerophysics, Inc.,
developing software for a digital camera that would be taking pictures of
the stars. What nearly became an uneventful summer quickly turned into
a summer of valuable work experience in my field. The work was not only
interesting to me personally but important to the company overall. It was an
invaluable experience, and I thank the MSGC for the support.
Aaron Wendzel
Michigan Technological University
Aerophysics, Inc. • Allouez, MI
Aaron Wendzel performed a variety of work at Aerophysics
Inc. related to the development of the next generation of space
situational awareness systems (SSA). Space awareness
has been becoming more important in the last few years
with the amount of orbital debris increasing. The collision of
Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 satellites illustrates the need
for satellites to be aware of their local environment. Because
of these issues, Aerophysics, Inc. has started to develop the
Local Space Imaging System (LSIS), a device that can alert
a satellite to any potential dangers in it orbital path. Utilizing
a highly interdisciplinary background, Aaron designed and
tested several mechanical and electrical systems as well as
addressed many systems engineering tasks. “Until I started
interning at Aerophysics, it never dawned on me that the bulk
of engineering work comes down to shopping. It is easy to
design some fantastic system to do a task, but the real works
comes in finding someone to provide the bits that go in the box
on the whiteboard labeled magic. Shopping for microchips,
metal, software, fab houses, and making sure all those things
work together - that’s were you find out if you have what it
takes to be an engineer,” said Aaron.
Aaron Wendzel testing a remote control for
a triple axis rotary table to be used in the
calibration and testing of the Local Space
Imaging System (LSIS).
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Other Internships
Summer 2010
The following is an excerpt from the report that we received from Paul
Jones. Paul interned in the Autonomous Aerospace Systems Laboratory
under the guidance of Professor Ella Atkins.
Paul Jones
University of Michigan
I worked in the Autonomous Aerospace Systems Laboratory
at the University of Michigan. Under the guidance of
Professor Atkins of the Aerospace Engineering Dept., I grew
both professionally and as a person. I have vivid memories
of working around the clock to acquire wind tunnel data,
or learning abstract concepts about software to hardware
interfaces. Somewhere between the programming, the piloting
of unmanned and manned aircraft, and the personal autonomy
bestowed upon every member in the lab, it hits you; this is
awesome! This is why I study aerospace.
Paul Jones measuring pressure distributions
over the wings of an aircraft in a 5x7 wind
tunnel.
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are an integral component
for protecting the security and interests of the United States.
While rotary and flapping wing vehicles are highly versatile
in urban settings, they often lack the speed accompanied
with fixed-wing aircraft. To mediate this dilemma, this work
investigates the possibility of an autonomous fixed-wing UAS,
capable of transitioning from steady-level-flight to hover. With
knowledge of the in-flight aerodynamic forces, it is reasonable
to propose the aircraft will incur zero change in altitude while transitioning
to hover.
• 22 •
2010 Fellowship
Award Recipients
Nargis Adham
Eastern Michigan
University
Studies of Strong Plasma
Turbulence at HAARP
Using the Modular UHF Incoherent
Radar (MUIR) colocated with the
HAARP HF facility at the Gakona
Ionospheric Observatory in Alaska,
we discovered a number of
effects induced in the overdense
ionospheric plasma which require
further exploration. This proposal
is to analyze data from these
experiments to study strong Langmuir
turbulence (SLT), artificial fieldaligned irregularities, (AFAI), and
SEE within a well-defined volume of
transmitter parameter space while
monitoring ionospheric conditions.
Our experiments are performed in
coordination with ongoing NASA
missions including THEMIS, TIMED,
WIND, C/NOFS, and DEMETER
spacecraft. Our data complement
and are complemented by in situ
measurements aboard spacecraft.
In bi-static mode experiments, the
HF ground station functions as an
integral member of transceiverreceiver diagnostics.
observational data for astronomers,
since modifications to scattering
have been shown to effect dispersion
relations.
Deborah Dila
Grand Valley State
University
Genomes and Biomes:
Microbes and Carbon Flux in
a Great Lakes Watershed
Microorganisms still run the largest
ecosystems and make up the majority
of Earth’s biological diversity and
biomass. In marine and freshwater
environments they are both primary
producers and consumers of organic
carbon, and responsible for cycling
CO2 among the atmosphere,
hydrosphere and lithosphere
(sedimentation). However, the
relationship of microbes to carbon
flux in Earth’s ecosphere largely
remains a mystery. My thesis work
will examine changes in carbon flux
and microbial community composition
along a land to lake gradient in a major
West Michigan watershed because
land margin coastal ecosystems are
emerging as key hot-spots in the
global carbon cycle. I will utilize a
combination of traditional ecosystem
approaches and current molecular
tools to test hypotheses that microbial
composition varies systematically
from highly productive riverine waters
to nutrient poor coastal Great Lake
waters, and seasonal variations
in microbial populations reflect
changes in terrigenous subsidies
and temperature in this Great Lakes
Watershed.
Elizabeth Koeman
Grand Valley State
University
The impact of land-use
changes on carbon storage
in small streams
Carbon is one of the most important
elements on Earth and when humans
affect its cycle by burning fossil fuels
or disturbing soils, we are affecting
the amount that ends up in the
atmosphere. My research project
will determine how much carbon
is stored in stream sediments in
a small stream in Ottawa County,
Michigan. I will compare pre- and
Scott Bleiler
Grand Valley State
University
Effects of Minimal Length on
Quantum Systems
Quantum mechanics sets lower limits
on fundamental physical dimensions
of time and length, as well as
energy and momentum. Applying
this concept to the uncertainty
principle generalizes the traditional
form. We will solve the Schrödinger
equation, modified by minimal length,
for common problems arising in
quantum theory such as scattering
and problems in quantum statistics.
This work may have bearing on future
Elizabeth Koeman comparing different types of soils for her research project studying
carbon amounts using the Munsell Color Chart in addition to other methods.
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post-settlement sediment to see if
the amount of carbon storage has
changed since settlement. Several
methods will be used to collect
the sediment and loss on ignition
tests will be run to determine the
amount of carbon stored in sediment.
Sediment age will be determined
using radiocarbon analyses. My
research will estimate the amount of
carbon that was lost or stored in the
stream sediments since settlement,
providing insight into our impact
on Earth’s ability to store carbon in
streams.
Anthony Montoya
Grand Valley State
University
Synthesis of Phosphorous
(III) Nitride
Macroscale synthesis of phosphorous
(III) nitride is one that has not been
experimentally perfected. There
is little known about phosphorous
(III) nitride, but it is expected to
be applicable for use in electronic
materials. Synthesis of this product
will be attempted using lithium
nitride and a several electrophilic
phosphorous source with formula
PX3. Successful synthesis of this
compound could lead to further
application of phosphorous in the (III)
oxidation state.
Kurt O’Hearn
Grand Valley State
University
Utilizing Graphical Processing
Units to Accelerate the
Computation and Verification
of Molecular Collision Models
Understanding the energy transfer
rates resulting from small molecule
collisions promises to benefit
astrophysics in many ways; for
example, in the interpretation of
molecular rotational spectra obtained
from space telescope observations.
Currently, differential cross sections of
crossed-beam collision experiments
Kyle Siemer categorizing offshore islands in Puerto Rico using a GIS map of the influence of
climate, substrate, and topography.
are determined using velocity map
imaging. Analysis of the resulting
data by simulation is straightforward,
assuming the experiments are
performed with mono-velocity
beams and a fixed crossing angle.
However, most practical experiments
are less restrictive, and incur an
enormous increase in computational
complexity because many more
models must be evaluated. We
propose to address this increased
complexity via parallel processing;
specifically, by parallelizing the
image simulation and offloading it to
graphical processing units (GPUs).
The GPUs that populate today’s video
cards are effectively multiprocessors,
with their own memory hierarchy
and communication bus. Our goal
is to exploit massive multi-threading
to attain dramatic speedups in the
execution time of this important code.
Kyle Siemer
Grand Valley State
University
Assessing Land Loss Due to
Sea-Level Rise in Puerto Rico
Using Field Methods, Remote
Sensing, and Mapping Tools evaluated based on mapping and
modeling. Field work includes simple
slope determination for several
islands and real-time kinematic GPS
mapping of two islands. Remote
sensing and computing approaches
include digital terrain modeling
and analyses of historic air photo
sequences (including other remotely
sensed imagery) to map shoreline
position change and calculate
recession rates. Models then predict
land and habitat loss as controlled by
varied island settings. Grand Valley
State University’s participation in this
collaborative project, developed in
conjunction with University of Puerto
Rico’s Sea Grant Program, through
the University of West Georgia, will
focus on collecting data that will be
used to disseminate information to
coastal land-use managers, and
develop geoscience-education
workshops for teachers. This
collaborative shoreline research, with
remote sensing and GIS applications,
fosters NASA’s goals of promoting
interest and knowledge in science,
inter-institutional cooperation, and
linking academia with communities,
educators, and policymakers.
The short- to intermediate-term
impact of the sea-level rise on small
islands in Puerto Rico is being
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Hannah Tavalire
Grand Valley State
University
How do genotypes and
biochemical environments
interact to determine the
abundance and impacts of an
invasive aquatic plant?
In the proposed research, I will use
a series of field and greenhouse
experiments to compare the relative
fitness of genetically distinct invasive
lineages of the aquatic plant M.
heterophyllum to understand how
abundance and impacts depend
on interactions between different
genotypes and their biogeochemical
environments. I will then utilize
the information gained from these
experiments to develop GIS models to
predict the spread of different lineages
across the landscape. Through
identification of geographic areas of
interest and invasion mechanisms
relative to environment type, this
research will contribute to the control
of invasive plants and the preservation
of Earth’s diverse systems.
Caleb Billman
Hope College
Refining the Parameter
Space of a Population
Synthesis of Pulsars with the
Maximum Likelihood Method
Kent Walters observes the carbon content
throughout multiple sediment layers in
one of the outcrops dug in the ravines
surrounding Grand Valley State University.
Kent Walters
Grand Valley State
University
Amounts of organic carbon
stored in alluvium sediments
in West Michigan: Does
stream size matter?
The question that I am researching is
how much organic carbon is stored in
the alluvial sediments in small second
order streams in West Michigan and if
the stream size matters in the amount
of stored carbon. Comparing my data
to data collected by other researchers
in larger and smaller streams will
allow me to determine if stream size
affects the amount of carbon that is
stored in alluvial sediments. To do
this, I will be extracting sediment
cores of the alluvial sediments by
the vibracoring method. This method
will provide a long sediment core that
contains a small portion of stored
carbon within the sediment. Once
the cores are collected, I will explain
each of the cores in detail describing
the content and characteristics of the
core. Digging soil pits will be another
method that I will use to describe
the alluvial soils in the small second
order stream valleys. To determine
the amount of carbon stored within
the sediments, I will use a method
called loss of ignition.
Hannah Tavalire surveying milfoil in
Muskegon Lake. Together with Professor Gonthier, we
will develop a new diagnostic tool
that will test the parameters from our
Monte Carlo code. Professor
Gonthier has developed code that
models the birth distribution,
evolution, and spin downs of pulsars.
The program also gives radio and
gamma ray characteristics to the
pulsars and filters their fluxes through
specific telescopes and radio
surveys. Using the Maximum
Likelihood Method for our tool would
allow us to better define the
approximate regions of the
parameters found from the Monte
Carlo method by giving us confidence
intervals for the parameter regions.
James Dratz
Hope College
Design and Implementation
of an 8-TET Robot
In an attempt to develop a new breed
of rover, NASA has been exploring
the possibility of using a tetrahedral
shaped robot to improve or replace
existing Mars wheeled units. The
current project NASA is undertaking
is the implementation of a 12-TET
design. As part of this effort, Hope
College has researched for several
years not only in 12-TET modeling
but also in an attempt to model and
implement more simple designs for
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a solid fundamental understanding
of how these types of robots behave.
As of this point, Hope’s research
group, led by Dr. Miguel Abrahantes,
has modeled and built the 4-TET
prototype and have recently created
a computer model for a more
advanced 8-TET configuration which
looks to be a much more functional
design. The next step in the project
is to implement the modeled 8-TET
design to gain further information
on the nature of this exciting new
technology.
Candace Goodson
Hope College
Doping Dependent
Microwave Nonlinearity
of Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8-x
Superconductor
Superconductor thin films are of
tremendous scientific interest because
of their potentially disruptive effect
on space based communications
electronics. The carrier doping of the
Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8-x (TBCCO-2212)
superconductor is a potential tool
for modifying the nonlinearity of
the superconductor’s microwave
response. The properties that
respond to carrier doping level
include the surface resistance (RS)
and critical temperature (TC) of
the TBCCO-2212 superconductor.
The effect of nitrogen annealing on
RS and critical temperature will be
demonstrated. To do so, a sapphire/
superconducting dielectric resonator
housed in a liquid nitrogen cryostat
will be tested with a vector network
analyzer in order to determine
RS and TC. The influence of the
induced surface current on RS,
called nonlinearity, depends on
the doping level, as does the TC.
Nitrogen annealing has been shown
to provide a calibrated method to
select a nonlinearity regime of the
superconductor. This work will seek
a correlation between the anneal
protocol and the resulting carrier
doping level in the film.
Laura Petrasky
Hope College
Nanoparticle Mediated Fate
and Transport of Antibiotics
Dean Hazle working on a paleolimnology
project at Hope College. Conducting
charcoal analysis at a dissecting
microscope.
Dean Hazle
Hope College
Fire History Reconstructed
from Charcoal Abundance
in a Peat Bog from Allegan
County, Southwest Michigan
A sediment core has already been
collected and dated from a peat bog
in a dune field in Aleegan County
southeast of Holland Michigan.
An age model for sedimentation
was obtained from 10 radiocarbon
ages, indicating sedimentation
began ~14,000 yrs ago. Peaks in
sand concentrations have been
determined and indicate episodic
increase in the amount of sand
blowing into the peat bog. Peaks
may correspond to periods of growth
and mobility in surrounding dunes.
Preliminary observations showed
that charcoal level in peat samples
were variable. If charcoal samples
are extracted and counted at 0.5 cm
intervals, charcoal abundance can
be used to reconstruct the relative
intensity of fire on a decadal basis
for the last 8,000 years. Checking
for statistical correlations between
sand concentrations and charcoal
concentration will test whether fires
were responsible for dune mobility.
Also, charcoal morphotypes may be
used to identify what was burning.
Contamination of the environment
with antibiotics and proliferation
of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
is increasingly recognized as a
problem. This project will provide
information regarding the fate and
transport of beta-lactam antibiotics
when adsorbed to nanoparticles. The
mechanisms of antibiotic adsorption
to nanoparticles, degradation of
antibiotics upon adsorption and
the effect of pH on both antibiotic
adsorption and degradation, will
be investigated. Nanoparticles will
be mixed with antibiotic-containing
aqueous solutions and comparisons
between the concentrations of
post-mixed equilibrium solutions
to control solutions using liquid
chromatography/mass spectroscopy
can lead to quantitative conclusions
regarding antibiotic adsorption to
nanoparticles and/or degradation
of antibiotics following nanoparticle
exposure. Raman spectroscopy may
also be used to analyze degradation.
Adam Abraham
Michigan Technological
University
Unloaded/distracted knee
motion and its effects on the
stress/strain distribution in the
knee
The negative impact that low-gravity
environments and disuse have
on bone and muscle in the knee
has been extensively documented,
however, there remains a gap in the
understanding of the changes in softtissue (ligaments, tendons, cartilage
and meniscus) as well as how to
circumvent potential degenerative
musculoskeletal effects. A cyclic
loading frame will spatially position
the knee for flexion/extension about
the saggital plane. Pressure microsensors will then be implanted into
the soft-tissue structures within
the joint. Normal and unloaded
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walking cycles will be examined.
With a more in-depth understanding
of the dynamic loading changes
in the soft-tissue of the joint for
both physiological and low-gravity
environments novel prevention
and rehabilitation strategies could
be developed with more tissue
specificity and effectiveness.
Amalia Anderson
Michigan Technological
University
Using MODIS and CALIPSO
to study cloud glaciation level
The thermodynamic phase of water
in clouds is an important factor in
climate and atmospheric modeling,
yet it is also one of the aspects
in modeling that represents the
most uncertainty. This research will
investigate the conditions for when
the thermodynamic phase of a
cloud can be predicted with respect
to emperature/altitude/pressure,
and geographical and seasonal
location. This will be accomplished
by analyzing the data available in
NASA satellite sources, particularly
MODIS and CALIPSO. Findings will
be compared with aerosol data from
the NASA application Giovanni, a
database of remote sensing data.
Correlations between glaciation
and aerosol content and the role of
aerosols in determining the amount of
supercooled water in the atmosphere
will be studied.
Matthew Barron
Michigan Technological
University
Effects of PTH on the
Mechanosensitivity of
Osteoblasts
During space travel, astronauts can
lose 1-2% of their bone mass every
month, leading to a significantly
higher risk of developing skeletal
fractures upon their return to Earth. To reduce bone loss, astronauts
currently undergo regular routines of
exercise during missions. Parathyroid
hormone (PTH) has been shown to
increase the sensitivity of bone to
mechanical stimulation. Furthermore,
black bear PTH (bbPTH) may be
more anabolic than human PTH
(hPTH). We propose to examine
the effects of both hPTH and bbPTH
on the mechanosensitivity of bone
forming cells (osteoblasts). MC3T3
osteoblasts will be seeded onto
glass slides, pre-treated with hPTH,
bbPTH, or control media. Following
pre-treatment, samples will be either
statically incubated or subjected to
mechanical stimulation (fluid flow
induced shear stress). Apoptotic
activity will be determined through
gene expression analysis, while
osteogenic activity will be quantified
through both gene expression
analysis and protein production.
Patrick Bowen
Michigan Technological
University
Developing A Predictive
Model for Rehydroxylation
Rate Constants of
Archaeological Ceramics
A novel, and inexpensive, dating
technique for archaeological
ceramics, named Rehydroxylation
(RHX) Dating, has recently been
developed. It involves drying the
pottery at high temperature and
then monitoring its mass gain due
to water over several weeks. RHX
dating has not yet been discussed
in terms of sample composition. We
will examine the RHX behavior of
archaeological ceramics as well as
common clay minerals and determine
their characteristic RHX rates.
The fraction of “established” clay
minerals in archaeological samples
will be determined through X-ray
diffraction analysis. The primary
outcome of the proposed research
will be quantification of the effects that
specific clay minerals have on the
RHX rate constant of archaeological
samples.
Ben Gerhardt
Michigan Technological
University
Photogrammetric Small
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
(PSUAV)
During the 2009 - 2010 academic
year, Glider Team of the Aerospace
Enterprise at Michigan Technological
University will be designing and
constructing an Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle (UAV) to carry a camera for
photogrammetric research. From
clear photos, it will be possible to
produce 3-D models of terrain and
topographical maps of the area
covered by the PSUAV. These
maps can be used for surveying,
crop monitoring or surveillance,
among other applications. During
the Fall 2010 semester, students
on this research project will be
optimizing the autopilot integration
as well as testing the airframe and
camera mount system to verify image
clarity and usability. Necessary
modifications will be made to the
vehicle to ensure flight stability and
optimum image quality.
Bill Grant
Michigan Technological
University
Carbon Nanotube Laden
Polymer Composite
The applications for a carbon
nanotube/epoxy resin composite
materials are virtually endless,
especially within the aerospace and
automotive industries. This class of
materials is high strength, thermally
stable, and lightweight. When the
polymer matrix is electrospun, the
fibers produced can be collected
in arrays and laid down in various
patterns to improve properties in
all directions. The properties of
the composite produced will then
be tested using nanoindentation
and thermogravimetric analysis.
The topography and rigidity will
be analyzed using atomic force
microscopy and scanning electron
microscopy. The data gathered from
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within the local vicinity of the vehicle.
The design, fabrication, and testing
of the Oculus-ASR is performed by
undergraduate students and reviewed
by the Air Force Research Laboratory
and other aerospace organizations.
The winner of the UNP competition will
receive a guaranteed launch into orbit.
Megan Killian
Michigan Technological
University
Design of nanoparticle drug
treatment for prevention of disuse atrophy of knee structures
Bill Grant standing with the Electrospinning machine he modified to allow for nanofibers to
be spun from a polymer solution in a linear pattern.
these tests will then be used to
reformulate the composite to enhance
the desired properties.
Elisabet Head
Michigan Technological
University
Detection of Volcanic
Emissions via Satellite
Sensors: Testing the
Capability of Volcanic CO2
Retrievals from Space
Volcanic volatiles play a key role in
the timing, magnitude, and style of
volcanic eruptions, and can result
in significant climatic impacts. I am
investigating sulfur dioxide (SO2) and
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from
one of the most active volcanoes on
Earth, Nyamuragira (D.R. Congo).
Currently, SO2 is the only volcanic
volatile routinely measured via satellite
remote sensing. However, CO2 has
a lower solubility compared to other
gas species such as SO2 and water,
which allows CO2 to degas at higher
pressure. Detecting emissions of CO2,
therefore, could serve as an improved
monitoring tool, signaling magma
rising in the system. Nyamuragira may
emit prolific CO2, as emissions from
nearby volcanoes are CO2-rich. Using
novel techniques with new data from
the Japanese GOSAT satellite, I will
investigate the potential for volcanic
CO2 detection from space - the first
study of its kind. I will also investigate
Nyamuragira SO2 emissions to expand
our understanding of sulfur release
from catastrophic prehistoric eruptions
with similar magma compositions as
Nyamuragira.
Philip Hohnstadt
Michigan Technological
University
Oculus-ASR Nanosatellite
Michigan Technological University’s
Oculus-ASR Nanosatellite Team
is participating in the Air Force
Research Laboratory’s University
Nanosatellite Program (UNP). The
UNP is a two-year student satellite
competition focused on training and
educating students for future work in
the aerospace field. The mission of
the Oculus-ASR Nanosatellite is to
aid in the advancement of U.S. Space
Situational Awareness technology by
providing calibration opportunities for
ground-based observers attempting
to validate algorithms capable of
determining spacecraft attitude and
configuration using unresolved optical
imagery. The Oculus-ASR will also be
capable of acquiring, imaging, tracking,
and monitoring resident space objects
The knee is normally subjected
to dynamic and compressive
environments during ambulation.
Disuse and immobility have a
profound inhibition of anabolism and
promote knee tissue atrophy. The
implementation of localized drug
delivery may provide a therapeutic
effect for those experiencing
ambulatory disuse. It is hypothesized
that biodegradable nanospheres
containing interleukin-1 receptor
antagonist (IL-1ra) will prevent atrophic
activity by means of slow drug release
and prevent soft tissue degradation
in the knee during extended periods
of disuse. This study will involve the
design and implementation of IL-1ra
drug delivery in vitro on cultured cells to
determine its influence and efficacy on
the cytokine activity and promotion of
anabolic behavior of the meniscal cell.
Megan Killian prepares slides for
histological analysis of meniscus exposed to
different mechanical loading conditions.
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Jarod Maggio
Michigan Technological
University
Determining human climate
forcing characteristics from
black carbon emissions in
sub-Saharan Africa
Due to the combined effect of
aerosols, CO2, and other manmade
greenhouse gases which have
increased over the last century, the
threshold for dangerous climate
change could be reached within
the next forty years. Recent studies
indicate that black carbon from soot
is the second highest contributor
to global warming. Therefore, a
greater understanding of regional
anthropogenic climate forcing
sources is needed to assess global
risk and to develop management
strategies for reducing black carbon.
This project will incorporate CloudAerosol LIDAR, Infrared Pathfinder
(CALIOP) and Multi-angle Imaging
Spectro-Radiometer (MISR) satellite
observations with ground based
photo-acoustic and soot particle
deposition measurements in order
to quantify radiative forcing due to
soot particles in sub-Saharan Africa.
Andrew Ramsey
Michigan Technological
University
Investigation of Combustion
Instabilities in Lean-Premixed
Gas Turbine Combustors
In order to lower the NOx production of
gas turbine engines, a method know
as lean-premixed (LPM) combustion
has been adopted by many turbine
manufacturers. Issues arise with
LPM combustion as temperature
and pressure fluctuations may occur.
These fluctuations can cause massive
damage to the internal components
of a gas turbine engine, leading
to costly repairs and downtime.
This research intends to study and
characterize the instabilities that
occur during LPM combustion by
using a model gas turbine combustor
(MGTC). Using the MGTC, a number
of parameters thought to affect the
occurrence of combustion instabilities
will be manipulated and observed.
Christopher Schwartz
Michigan Technological
University
The Effects of Acute Caffeine
Consumption on Orthostatic
Intolerance
Orthostatic intolerance is a significant
problem that astronauts face upon
return to earth after spaceflight.
Currently, research on caffeine’s
effects during an orthostatic stress
is inconsistent. We will investigate
the effects of graded lower body
negative pressure (LBNP) after acute
consumption of caffeine. Changes in
heart rate, blood pressure, muscle
sympathetic nerve activity, and
forearm blood flow will be examined
post-consumption of 250mg caffeine
pills or placebo. Each trial will consist
of a 5 minute resting baseline pre- and
post- consumption, 3 minute stages
of LBNP at -5, -10, -15, -20, -30 and
-40 mmHg, and 5 minute recovery.
We hypothesize that acute doses of
caffeine will result in an augmented
MSNA response to graded LBNP and
that MAP responses to LBNP will be
attenuated.
Peter Solfest preparing substrates for
Nanotube growth.
Stephen Schweitzer
Michigan Technological
University
A Disposable Wireless
Sensor for Wound Healing
Monitoring
When fully developed, the proposed
sensor will not only be useful for
medical procedures on space
missions, but will also allow life support
monitoring in spacecraft and planetary
surface habitats. The proposed sensor
is made of an electrically resonant
circuit comprised of a planar inductorcapacitor pair printed on an electrically
insulating substrate. The sensor will
feature a humidity sensor and an
oxygen sensor to simultaneously
track these two parameters. Since
the same technology is being
used as the anti-theft marker, we
expect the proposed sensor will
be inexpensive, allowing use on
a disposable basis. The proposed
sensor system, upon development
and deployment, will have a large
impact on the development of NASA’s
life sciences department by enabling
an innovative perspective on wound
healing management.
Peter Solfest
Michigan Technological
University
Solar Blind Radiation
Detectors for Satellite-borne
Astronomical Detection
As exciting frontier as space is, there
are many dangers associated with
leaving the protective mother earth.
One of the most threatening factors
to life in space is the harsh radiation.
My MSGC project involves the
development of solar blind radiation
detectors under the supervision
of Professor Yoke Khin Yap in the
Department of Physics. These
detectors will have boron nitride
nanotubes (BNNTs) connected with
interdigitated finger electrodes.
Since BNNTs have a consistent
bandgap of 6eV, radiation with
photon energy >6eV will excite
electrons into the conduction band
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and produce signals. As sunlight
will not trigger the detectors, these
detectors will be low-noise and solarblind. In this project, I will involve in
growing BNNTs, and constructing
and testing the prototype devices
with the helps of graduate students
in Yap research group.
Samantha Wojda
Michigan Technological
University
Effects of Hibernation on
Bone in Marmots
Disuse osteoporosis is a problem for
astronauts exposed to microgravity.
Many animals (including humans)
suffer from disuse osteoporosis when
normal loading is removed from the
skeleton. Hibernating animals are
a natural animal model of disuse,
because they experience prolonged
annual periods of reduced physical
activity (as long as ~6-8 months per
year). Similar to humans, some small
mammalian hibernators demonstrate
an osteoporotic response during
hibernation. However, previous
research suggests that hibernating
bears respond differently to disuse
than both humans and small
hibernators. The proposed study
will look at the effects of hibernation
on bone in marmots. This will be
important for comparative analyses
on how hibernating mammals of
different size, and with different
physiological features of hibernation,
have adapted bone metabolism
to cope with prolonged periods of
physical inactivity.
Jason Clement
Oakland University
Design a cooling system for a
PEM fuel cell
One of the most popular types of
fuel cells is the Proton Exchange
Membrane (or PEM) fuel cell. Within
the cell lies a Nafion® membrane
used as an electrolyte for the
conduction of protons. The PEM fuel
cell is promising for transportation
and aerospace applications. One
Jason Clement working on an oscillating heat pipe to be implemented as a cooling method
within a fuel cell.
design problem associated with the
fuel cell is its efficiency and operating
temperature. A PEM fuel cell typical
operates at 50% efficiency, remaining
energy results in excess heat; the
optimum operating temperature of
a PEM fuel cell is below 100º C.
Therefore to prevent overheating, a
cooling system must be implemented.
The objective of the project is to design
a cooling system for a 25 cm2 PEM
fuel cell using heat pipes. The design
will remove excess heat and ideally
maintain its operating temperature at
70° C. This temperature will not only
prevent cells from overheating, but
also optimize its efficiency.
convection and gravity is not sufficient
to force the water through channels.
The main purpose of this research is
to witness and quantify how vibration
improves the performance of the
PEM fuel cell by facilitating the water
removal. A transparent fuel cell will
be made and mounted on a vibration
disk that is capable to vibrate for
a wide range of frequencies (5010000 HZ). The effects of vibration
occurring in the plane parallel and
perpendicular to the membrane will
be investigated. Further studies could
include acceleration in alternative
planes and/or combinations of such.
Elaine Petrach
Oakland University
Development of an
Elastomeric Composite
Bipolar Plate Material
for Polymer Electrolyte
Water management seriously affects Membrane Fuel Cell for
the PEM fuel cell performance. A Improved Mechanical
certain amount of water is needed to Strength
Carel Minjeur
Oakland University
The Effects of Vibration on
Proton Exchange Membrane
Fuel Cell Performance
hydrate the membrane. However, if
too much water is left on the cathode
side, it will fill the pores of the gas
diffusion and catalyst layers, thus
blocking the transport of reactants
to the reaction sites. Therefore it
is very important to remove the
excess of water in PEM fuel cell. The
conventional water removal by forced
A fuel cell is an electrochemical
device that converts chemical energy
into electricity. Polymer electrolyte
membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) have
been considered for NASA missions
instead of alkaline fuel cells (AFC) due
to rapid degradation of the electrolyte
caused by carbon dioxide in an AFC.
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the current methods to numerically
approximate a differential equation
are only accurate for a relatively
small domain. Dr. Sepanki and I will
develop an algorithm that will use
random step sizes to approximate
a differential equation. We believe
that the “Law of Large Numbers” and
the “Law of Averages” will optimize
the numerical methods for solving
differential equations. I will display
that the randomized method will be
more accurate for a larger domain
than any other method to approximate
the solution for a differential equation.
Elaine Petrach working on conductive filler
preparation for composite bipolar plates at
Oakland University.
PEMFC’s byproduct-water can be
used for the drinking supply for
astronauts. To increase power output
single cells are stacked together by
the means of bipolar plates to form
a fuel cell stack. Bipolar plates must
possess good mechanical properties
in additional to high electrical and
thermal conductivity. This project
proposes to develop an elastomeric
composite bipolar plate material. The
use of elastomeric materials expects
to lower contact resistance, improve
mechanical strength and to allow
for higher compressive pressures
to provide better sealing between
components. Extensive testing will
be performed to measure material
properties such as electrical and
thermal conductivity and mechanical
strength.
David Bell
Saginaw Valley State
University
Random Runge
There are infinitely many differential
equations in science and
mathematics which do not have a
closed-form solution. This creates
a problem because every science
field uses differential equations.
Currently differential equations
without a closed-form solution are
solved using an algorithm. However,
Jeffrey Conner
Saginaw Valley State
University
Development of an Elliptic
Curve Cryptosystem for use
in Parallel Processing
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC)
is a form of encryption using elliptic
curves to encode messages based
on the senders private key and the
receivers public key (similar to the
RSA algorithm). The overhead on
ECC can be significantly reduced
compared to the RSA algorithm
due to similar security with a much
smaller key size. Further research
will be done on the 3BC (Block Byte
Bit Cipher) algorithm to generate
a 64-bit public and private key for
each “session” between sender
and receiver. Generating keys by
the session allows us to further
increase security, without substantial
increases to key size.
Our implementation will initially
be written in the C programming
language. Time permitting we hope
to further optimize encryption by
breaking sections of code down using
the PARS (Parallel Application from
Rapid Simulation) software tool (by
Sundance Inc.). This will allow us
to break down the ECC’s message
encoding over parallel processors
(and FPGA clusters) using an entirely
software approach.
Christina Dugan
Saginaw Valley State
University
A Case Study of Planet
Jupiter
Christina Dugan Of Saginaw Valley State
University researching the great red planet,
Jupiter.
The study of our planets is always
fascinating. Among the planets,
Jupiter (the largest gas planet) is
of special interest. In this study, I
would like to analyze data collected
by satellite and ground-based
devices and find out more about this
planet. The results of this research
will be presented to the October
meeting of the Michigan Space
Grant Consortium, and later in
another professional conference
(such as Joint Statistical Meeting).
At the conclusion, the outcome of
this research will be organized and
will be submitted to a professional
journal for publication (the journal to
be decided later).
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Christopher Berry
University of Michigan
High Performance Terahertz
Sources for Space-Based
Spectrometry
The proposed research covers
the design, implementation and
characterization of a novel plasmonic
terahertz radiation source which
enables a radical performance
enhancement compared to the stateof-the-art terahertz sources. The
proposed device utilizes plasmonic
photoconductors to achieve high
quantum efficiencies, while providing
high output power levels. Additionally,
by operating at telecom pump
wavelengths, the proposed terahertz
source offers a cost-efficient, lightweight and compact solution for
portable spectrometry systems. The
proposed source will operate ideally
as a local oscillator in space-based
terahertz spectrometry systems
enabling highly sensitive and compact
chemical detection systems for
identifying the chemical constituents
of stars, nebulae, and galaxies.
Eric Gustafson
The University of Michigan
Stochastic Optimal Control of
Spacecrafts
This research aims to provide
straightforward, practical solutions to
stochastic optimal control problems.
Applications of stochastic control
range from circuits to satellites,
and this methodology will hopefully
be extremely useful to the current
NASA mission Dawn. Dawn is
scheduled to orbit two asteroids,
which is a very challenging dynamic
environment where uncertainties and
stochastic effects play an essential
part. Recently, we have shown that
series expansions can be used to
obtain optimal control laws for onedimensional nonlinear stochastic
systems, under a fairly common
assumption. This allows us to develop
stochastic optimal control laws just
as easily as deterministic laws for a
wide range of systems. Our goal is
to extend these results to multiple
dimensional systems, as well as
apply these methods to uncertainty
propagation. This combination of
control and uncertainty estimation
would provide a complete, and
practical, framework for spacecraft
control in challenging environments.
Mike Huang runs the NanoFET prototype
and diagnostic instruments while onboard
the microgravity flight using a MatLab
graphical user interface.
Mike Huang
University of Michigan
NanoFET Performance
Diagnostics and Optimization
The Nanoparticle Field Extraction
Thruster (NanoFET) is a novel electric
propulsion device that uses micro/
nano-electromechanical systems
(MEMS/NEMS) to electrostatically
charge and accelerate micro/nanoparticles and create thrust for small
satellite applications. Two main
operational variables drive the
performance output of NanoFET. The
first being the applied electric field
between the accelerating gates, and
second, the piezoelectric actuation
that drives the particles through
Eric Gustafson explains the mathematical form of solutions he developed to fellow graduate students Sara Spangelo and Pat Trizila at the
University of Michigan.
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the charging sieve. The current
goal is to design the performance
diagnostics and optimization tools
to measure the thrust performance
outputs of NanoFET. To first measure
the desired performance outputs, a
dual Faraday probe and Induction
Charge Detector (ICD) is designed.
This will allow for the simultaneous
measurement of charge flow rate
of the particles via the Faraday
probe, and measurement of single
particle velocity and charge via
the ICD. Moreover, it is important
to control particle behavior at the
sieve to understand the thruster
performance outputs. This is done
using a closed loop control scheme of
the piezoelectric actuator that drives
the particles through the charging
sieve. The resulting thrust output
will be measured by the diagnostics
and the correlation between the
diagnostic results and piezoelectric
actuation will be investigated.
Blythe Moreland
University of Michigan
Detecting Community
Structure with Networks in
MaxBCG Clusters
To probe the internal structure of
MaxBCG galaxy clusters from the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we take
inspiration from the fields of network
and graph theory where objects
called nodes are connected by links
Blythe Moreland showcasing the poster she
presented at the Great Lakes Cosmology
Workshop at the University of Chicago on
June 15, 2010.
that contain information about their
interaction. Thus we can create a
network of member galaxy nodes
and link each node to every other,
weighting the links with a metric that
relates to the gravitational potential
of the interaction. We investigate
various algorithms that place galaxies
in communities based on varying
levels of connectivity, such that as
the connectivity threshold is lowered
the communities become less
distinct. The peak of a modularity
measurement allows us to select
a community structure at which
to measure various substructure
indicators. In this project we look at
the effectiveness of these methods
and the information it provides on the
characteristics of cluster substructure
and its prevalence in the MaxBCG
sample.
Vritika Singh
University of Michigan
The Nanoparticle Field
Extraction Thruster
The Nanoparticle Field Extraction
Thruster (NanoFET) is an electric
propulsion technology under
development at the University of
Michigan. This technology has
uses in various fields including
the aerospace, material science,
and biomedical engineering fields.
Currently, the second micro-particle
version of NanoFET (M-2) is being
designed, built and tested. The M-2
accelerates metal coated microparticles from a reservoir, through
a sieve at a high potential, through
stacked acceleration gates, also
with different applied potentials, and
finally out of the M-2. A piezoelectric
ceramic provides the initial energy to
particles on the sieve to begin their
journey to the first acceleration gate.
Vritika Singh prepares the vacuum chamber
for ground testing with the NanoFET
prototype, induction charge detector,
faraday probe, and associated equipment.
be used during both ground and flight
testing of the M-2. All testing of the
M-2 will be conducted in a vacuum
environment to simulate spacelike conditions, and flight testing
will be conducted onboard NASA’s
microgravity flight to further simulate
space-like conditions. In addition to
the ICD and Faraday Probe, a laser
and high speed camera system
will be implemented during ground
testing to acquire additional particle
speed data, which will be used to
verify data acquired by the ICD and
Faraday Probe.
The experimental data acquired
will be used to validate theoretical
models of NanoFET created in a
software package called COMSOL
Multiphysics. These test results
and trends seen through COMSOL
models will be used to characterize
and measure the performance of
the M-2 on the way to developing
NanoFET. The information gathered
will also show the characteristic
specific impulse and mass flow rate
associated with certain settings of
NanoFET. This will allow NanoFET to
be optimized for specific applications
to provide the best results needed for
that application.
To test the M-2 and acquire critical
data including particle charge, particle
speed, mass flow rate, and specific
impulse, diagnostic tools are being
developed. These diagnostic tools
are the Induction Charge Detector
(ICD) and Faraday Probe, which will
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Aaron Skiba
University of Michigan
Michigan Aeronautical
Science Association’s USLI
Rocket Project
Kimberly Trent
University of Michigan
Analysis of the Electron
Energy Distribution Functions
in Hall Thruster Plasmas
A student-run organization, the
Michigan Aeronautical Science
Association (MASA) comprises
itself of aspiring aeronautical and
mechanical engineering students
from the University of Michigan.
MASA is competing in NASA’s
University Student Launch Initiative
(USLI). Through this competition,
MASA will design, assemble, and
launch a reusable rocket to one
mile in altitude. During its descent,
the rocket will safely deploy a
Can Satellite (Cansat), which will
measure atmospheric temperature,
descent rate, and will test a unique
descent control device.
Previous research gives evidence
that in Hall-effect Thrusters (HETs)
the highest amplitude low-frequency
oscillations of the plasma plume are
a cause of electron transport across
magnetic field lines. This crossfield electron transport (CFET) is
observed to be 10-20 times larger
than what classical collision theory
predicts. These electrons reach the
beginning of the thruster channel
without ionizing neutral propellant,
which uses up energy and decreases
efficiency. The hypothesis is that the
Electron Energy Distribution Function
(EEDF) can be adjusted to decrease
this transport, and increase the HET’s
efficiency. Time-resolved EEDF
measurements of the oscillations and
CFET will be obtained with a 600-W
HET at an unprecedented rate of
1-MHz, using upgraded diagnostic
system hardware. The data will be
analyzed to determine how energy
is transferred between the two
processes. Then, the EEDF will be
adjusted to see how this alters the
effect of the oscillations on CFET.
From this and further analysis, we will
determine if the EEDF can be tailored
so only electron populations stable
against transport by low-frequency
oscillations are present.
Brandon Weatherford
University of Michigan
Development of a Waveguide
ECR Plasma Cathode for EP
Applications
This research involves the
development of an electron cyclotron
resonance (ECR) waveguide
plasma cathode, to be used in
electric propulsion systems. The
waveguide plasma cathode uses
traveling microwaves to heat a
plasma discharge, within a circular
waveguide, using permanent magnets
to establish the ECR heating zone.
Electron current is extracted from
Rachel Trabert
University of Michigan
Optimization of XSAS Modular
CubeSat Power System
The eXtendable Solar Array System (XSAS) is a
solar power generation system under development
at the University of Michigan for “plug and play”
use on CubeSats (a standardized nanosatellite,
with a size of up to 10x10x30 cm). When in orbit,
XSAS has the potential to supply up to 5 times the
amount of power than current CubeSats with the
help of its solar panel extension of nearly 6 feet.
XSAS is designed to be easily integrated
into a variety of different CubeSat missions.
The goal of this project is to examine the
deployment of the XSAS system in various
rotational rates to determine the structural
properties of the solar array extension. The
project will focus on the optimization of the
structural mechanics of XSAS. Data from
deployment in ground and microgravity
testing will be collected with accelerometers,
strain gauges, and cameras. The data will be analyzed for the following
structural properties: forces, moments, and deflections on XSAS. This data
will help to determine the final phase of the XSAS structure.
One of the flyers testing the CubeSat XSAS
in microgravity, Rachel Trabert is shown
spending a parabola experiencing the effects
of microgravity as XSAS did by being rotated
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• 34 •
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the device through an aperture at the
downstream end of the waveguide.
This device has delivered up to 4.2
A of current, and is less susceptible
to erosion-based lifetime limitations
than hollow cathode assemblies or
other microwave plasma cathodes,
because no plasma is in contact with
a thermionic emitter or microwave
antenna. Three improvements on
the source will be carried out: the
optimization of the magnetic circuit
and extraction circuits, and the use
of xenon feed gas.
Nikola Whallon
University of Michigan
Continuing Research on the
Robotic Optical Transient
Search Experiment
I will be using my Michigan Space
Grant Consortium Fellowship to
continue work under the guidance of
professor Carl Akerlof in the Robotic
Optical Transient Search Experiment
(ROTSE) project, at the University
of Michigan. On this project, I
am part of a team that is working
with techniques for studying and
discovering new supernovae. These
same techniques are also useful in
detecting variable stars, in which
I am particularly interested. The
ROTSE project is giving me valuable
experience in experimental physics,
astronomy, photometry, detection
methods – basic tools needed by
any astronomer. These techniques
apply not only to the identification of
astronomical objects, but are also
useful in the study of dark matter.
I will use these skills in all of my
future projects in astrophysics – be it
studying black holes, binary systems,
exosolar planet systems, or gamma
ray sources.
Michael Ellinger
Western Michigan
University
Acquisition and Analysis of
Neuron Cell Culture Electrical
Activity
John Stahl
Western Michigan
University
Data Acquisition System
for Experiments in
Neurophysiology
Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are
specialized cell culture dishes which
enable recording and stimulation of
electrical activity in cultured biological
neural networks at multiple locations.
In the Neurobiology Engineering
Laboratory at Western Michigan
University MEAs are a key tool
for investigation of information
processing capabilities of biological
neurons. The long term goal of
our laboratory is to place the cell
culture in a closed-loop control
system for investigation of adaptive
control architectures, validation of
neural network models, and the
role of exercise in neural network
aging and recovery from injury.
My current research is focused
on validation and documentation
of methodologies for culture of
cortical cells on MEAs and validation
of developed instrumentation and
software for acquisition and analysis
of neural spike activity.
A Multi-Electrode Array (MEA)
provides the capability of stimulating
and sensing neuron activity through
an arrangement of electrodes at the
bottom of a cell culture dish used.
Neurons grown in the cell culture dish
form dendrite networks. As neurons
communicate, a change is sensed
at the electrodes of the MEA which
can be used to determine spatial
and temporal information about the
neurons. Specialized equipment
is required to amplify and filter
these signals. The design of a low
noise amplifier based on previous
research for use in neurobiological
experiments is the template for
further instrumentation. The previous
design will be expanded to include
fifteen channels placed onto a
printed circuit board. Using four of
the fifteen channel boards will allow
the Neurobiological Engineering
Laboratory at Western Michigan
University to use all sixty electrodes
available on an MEA.
• 35 •
Research Seed
Grant 2010
John Bender
Grand Valley State
University
A Novel and Potentially
Interesting Electronic Material
Phosphorus (III) Nitride
We propose to experimentally
demonstrate the first bulk synthesis
of PN, phosphorus (III) nitride.
Solid state phosphorus (III) nitride
derivatives are not well known in
the literature, and would generate
significant potential interest in
the area of electronic materials,
specifically high-power density
fuel cell matrices. The proposed
method would be adaptable to a
variety of phosphorus (III) substrates,
and thus lead to a diversity of
potentially interesting phosphorus
(III) nitride phases. Confirmation
of our synthetic methods through
standard characterization techniques
would be accompanied by materials
characterization, relevant to the
areas of application.
Brett Bolen
Grand Valley State
University
Effects of Minimal Length on
Quantum Systems
Minimal length seems to be a nearly
universal concept in quantum gravity.
In order to make the uncertainty
principle compatible with the
notion of minimal length, one must
modify the uncertainty principle.
This modification is known as the
Generalized Uncertainty Principle
(GUP). Due to this modification
of the uncertainty principle; one
must modify the algebra generating
quantum mechanics. Thus it follows
that the Schrodinger equation itself
must take a new form which was
first shown by Kempf, Managano
and Mann. In this investigation, I
propose to work with undergraduates
John Bender’s awarded MSGC Research Seed Grant proposal was to experimentally
demonstrate the first bulk synthesis of PN, phosphorus (III) nitride.
at GVSU to use this new version
of the Schrodinger equation to
investigate changes in traditional
quantum mechanics problems such
as scattering and quantum statistics.
This issue is of direct interest to
NASA because it has been shown
that any theory which has a minimal
length will lead directly to modified
dispersion relations which could lead
to measurable effects.
Jonathan Peterson
Hope College
Investigation on the Stability
of β-lactam Antibiotics
Adsorbed to Oxide
Nanoparticles in
Aqueous Environments
Antibiotic contamination of
the environment is a concern
because of its relationship to
antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Soil nanoparticles (10-9 meter)
may facilitate drug transport
because nanoparticles
(NP) will stay suspended in
groundwater and surface
water, and because antibiotic
drugs are readily adsorbed to
particle surfaces. The actual fate
of attached antibiotic compounds,
however, is currently unknown. The
research will investigate the stability
of several β-lactam antibiotics when
adsorbed to NP of Al2O3, CaO,
MgO, Fe2O3, TiO2 and SiO2 in
aqueous solutions. The type and
amount of breakdown products will
be determined by various analytical
techniques, including LC/MS, XRD,
and Raman spectroscopy. Results
will be fundamental in understanding
the fate and transport of antibiotics
in environmental systems, such as
soils, surface water and groundwater.
Laura Petrasky and Dr. Peterson
inspecting the homogeneity of an antibiotic
solution.
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Jason Carter
Michigan Technological
University
Influence of Mental Stress
on Sympathetic Baroreflex
Function: Implications for
Post-Spaceflight Orthostatic
Intolerance
Qingli Dai
Michigan Technological
University
Embedded Piezoelectric
Structural Fiber SensorActuator network for
Passively Dampening Space
Structures
Post-spaceflight orthostatic
intolerance is the inability to maintain
arterial blood pressure and cerebral
perfusion during a head-to-foot fluid
shift (i.e., standing) upon return
from microgravity. The sympathetic
baroreflex is the primary modulator
of beat-to-beat arterial blood pressure
during an orthostatic challenge,
yet the influence of mental (i.e.,
psychological) stress on sympathetic
baroreflex function remains unclear.
Mental stress is prevalent in
astronauts, and is particularly high on
launch and landing days. Therefore,
primary purpose of this project is to
determine the influence of mental
stress on sympathetic baroreflex
function. We hypothesize that
mental stress will blunt sympathetic
baroreflex sensitivity.
This proposal seeks funding to
develop piezoelectric structural fiber
(PSF) sensor-actuator network with
resistance-induction-capacitance
(RLC) shunt circuits to passively
dampen specific vibration modes.
The proposed PSF sensor-actuator
network, when fully developed, will be
integrated into space shuttle or craft
structures such as turbomachinery
blades and space wings to reduce
hazardous vibration and associated
dynamic stresses, increase safety and
life, and enhance damage tolerance.
Specifically, the design, development
and applications of PSF sensoractuator network with RLC shunt
circuits can help develop adaptive
space structures for NASA missions.
Preliminary results shown the PSFs
not only have excellent stiffness and
strength by overcoming the fragile
nature of monolithic piezoceramics,
but also provide as high as 65%70% of electromechanical coupling
parameter d31 of the active
piezoelectric constituent. This project
focuses on the fabrication and design
of the PSF sensor-actuator network
with RLC shunt circuits and the
testing of the dampened vibration
modes of cantilever beams. Based
on the results of this project, future
funding will be soughed from NASA
for applying this distributed damping
technology in space shuttles or
aircrafts. Additional funding will be
requested from NSF, DOT and NASA
to adapt this damping technology to
reduce structure vibrations in various
engineering fields.
Dr. Jason Carter and an undergraduate
research assistant instrument a subject for a
research study. Dr. Carter and his research
team at Michigan Tech aim to determine
the influence of psychological stress on
sympathetic baroreflex function, an area of
research of interest to astronauts who experience post-spaceflight orthostatic intolerance
(i.e., fainting).
Ashok Goel
Michigan Technological
University
Research in Carbon
Nanotube Interconnections
for Nanotechnology Circuits
For the development of the
very high-speed high-density
nanotechnology integrated circuits
crucial for the practical realization of
the nanocomputers with unlimited
potential for the U.S. space program
and the semiconductor industry,
it is important to consider new
nanoscale quantum devices and
interconnections. Carbon nanotubes
have emerged as a strong candidate
for the interconnections for such next
generation circuits. In this one-year
research effort, we plan to carry out
a feasibility study and identify the
various research areas related to the
application of carbon nanotubes for
the nanotechnology integrated circuits
and to lay down the foundation of a
research program at Michigan Tech
for the next ten years.
Shiyan Hu
Michigan Technological
University
Nanotechnology and VLSI
Technology Co-Design
and Co-Optimization for
Nanoscale Integrated Circuits
As the copper interconnect technology
is advancing to its fundamental
physical limit, novel on-chip
interconnect materials as replacement
of copper interconnects are highly
desirable. Carbon nanotubes have
emerged as promising replacement
material thanks to their many
salient features including superior
conductivity and resilience to severe
timing and reliability issues that
otherwise have perplexed the copper
interconnects. Carbon nanotubes
outperform copper interconnects in
terms of timing when they are used
for global/intermediate interconnects
but are inferior when they are
used for local interconnects. This
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• 37 •
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strongly suggests a copper-nanotube
interconnect co-design methodology.
The proposed research will develop a
novel co-design methodology which
judiciously integrates the pioneering
nanotechnology into the practical
VLSI circuit design; and develop
several innovative co-design-aware
algorithmic techniques which are the
key enabling techniques for the high
performance co-design.
Audrey Mayer
Michigan Technological
University
Identifying regional-scale
self-organized patchiness
in ecosystems using remote
sensing imagery
Changes in self-organized patterns
can identify ecosystems at risk of a
catastrophic shift to a new regime,
and provide ecosystem managers
with information to help avert these
shifts. These patterns have been
identified in freshwater lakes,
grasslands, and forests, using data
from extensive field work or computer
simulations. Patterns in vegetation
cover should be identifiable from
remote sensing images, once the
appropriate scale has been identified.
Using self-organized patterns in two
well-known systems (grazing lands in
the Sahel, and in the Mediterranean
region), with known disturbance
processes and feedbacks, remote
sensing imagery, remote sensing
metrics and GIS software will be
used to identify the scale at which
these patterns are detected with the
greatest accuracy. These methods
will then be used to identify potential
catastrophic shifts of the oak forests
in the Zagros region of western Iran.
Claudio Mazzoleni
Michigan Technological
University
Quartz-Enhanced
Photoacoustic Spectrometry
for Aerosol Optical
Characterization
Fine particles (aerosol) emitted in
the atmosphere by anthropogenic
and natural activities influence
Earth’s climate and air quality. Light
absorbing aerosol (e.g. black carbon)
can contribute to global and regional
warming. The lifetime of black carbon
is much less than that of CO2 and
its control has been proposed as a
strategy to reduce human impact on
climate. Widespread measurement
of aerosol absorption is a scientific
and technological challenge. We
will develop a novel prototype
instrument for the measurement of
aerosol absorption. The concept,
based on quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy, has been
already proven very effective for gas
detection. Applications will include
climate research and air quality,
but also engineered nanotparticles
monitoring.
Xia Wang
Oakland University
Measurement of Proton
Exchange Membrane Fuel
Cell Temperatures Using
Phosphor Thermometry
Temperature plays a significant
role in proton exchange membrane
(PEM) fu e l ce l l p e rfo rma n ce ,
durability and reliability. Almost all
physical and chemical phenomena
which take place inside a PEM fuel
cell are affected by temperature
and temperature gradients While
prior work has been performed by
others to experimentally determine
temperature distributions on the
surface of the gas diffusion layer or by
embedding thermal sensors inside of
a PEM fuel cell’s membrane electrode
assembly, no methods have yet been
developed which can accurately and
Dr. Xia Wang (second left) along with her
graduate students, Elaine Petrach, Kris
Inman, and Zhongying Shi, working on
testing temperature in a PEM fuel cell.
non-intrusively measure temperature
in the membrane or catalyst layers
without significantly changing the fuel
cell’s performance. The proposed
research will investigate the
temperature distribution in both the
in-plane and through-plane direction
within a PEM fuel cell by designing a
phosphor thermometry based optical
fiber sensor. The proposed technique
is transformative, and could be
used in any other electrochemical
conversion device.
Matthew Vannette
Saginaw Valley State
University
Growth and Characterization
of Single Crystal Intermetallic
Compounds
A primary goal in condensed matter/
materials physics is to understand
how the structural, magnetic, and
electrical properties of materials
lead to the large variety of states
observed. Long-range magnetic
order, spontaneous electrical
polarization, and superconductivity
are just three of the multitude of
possible zero temperature, ground
states a material may possess.
Access to high quality single crystal
samples allows for a detailed
study of the anisotropic properties
of a material, with the hope that
such a study will lead to greater
understanding of these ground
states. The aim of this project is to
grow and characterize single crystals
of new and existing materials.
Conventional measurements of
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• 38 •
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magnetization, resistivity, and
magnetic susceptibility will be
correlated with novel measurements
of the radio-frequency magnetic
and electrical properties of these
materials in an attempt to gain
greater insight into the physics of
materials.
Allison Steiner
University of Michigan
Integration of satellite-derived
aerosol optical thickness with
ground-based measurements
and regional climate models
Atmospheric aerosols are an
important component of global
and regional climate change.
They influence climate by altering
incoming solar radiation and cloud
properties, affecting the surface
climate via changes in temperature
and precipitation. The climatic impact
of aerosols are typically evaluated
through climate model simulations,
yet a validation of model performance
is difficult due to the sparse groundbased measurements of aerosol
size, composition, and concentration.
The use of satellite-derived aerosol
optical thickness (AOT) provides
an improved spatial and temporal
representation of aerosols, and
can improve model simulations
and an understanding of the role of
aerosols in the climate system. In
the proposed study, we will evaluate
satellite-derived AOT in conjunction
with ground-based observations and
regional climate model simulations.
We will utilize a unique dataset from
a field campaign focused on the
production of aerosols in remote
regions, which took place in the
summer of 2009 at the University
of Michigan Biological Station
(UMBS). By integrating satellite
observations with this analysis, we
can take results from a focused,
single-point study and broaden the
conclusions to understand climate at
the regional scale. This represents a
new direction of research for the PI
through the inclusion satellite-derived
data in regional climate analyses, and
will add a new skill and analysis tool
to the research group. Additionally,
this work will bridge issues of spatial
scale in understanding the role of
aerosols in the climate system.
Melinda Koelling
Western Michigan
University
Mathematical Models of
Several Neurons Near a
Microelectrode Array
Susil Putatunda
Wayne State University
Synthesis and
characterization of
multiwalled carbon nanotube
reinforced PEEK (Poly ether
ether Ketone) Composite
Neurons spike, and how they spike is
affected by the stimuli they receive.
We would like to understand what
information about the stimulus can be
obtained from the spikes of neurons.
At Western Michigan University
(WMU), engineers can stimulate the
neurons and measure their response
with a microelectrode array under
the cell culture dish in which the
neurons live. On the theoretical side,
a variety of mathematical models
exist for neurons. For some of
these models, I will investigate the
responses of networks of several
neurons. I will study the degree to
which the stimulus can be recovered
from the spikes of the neurons, and
I will compare my results to those of
my engineering colleagues.
The primary focus of this research
proposal is on synthesis of multiwalled
carbon nanotube (MWCNT) based
poly ether ether ketone (PEEK)
composite. The secondary objective
is to characterize the physical
and mechanical properties of this
MWCNT based polymer composite.
PEEK will be used as the matrix
material for synthesis of carbon
nanotube (CNT) reinforced polymer
composite. The insertion of carbon
nanotubes in this polymer matrix will
significantly increase the stiffness,
mechanical strength and fracture
toughness and fatigue resistance of
these composites. These improved
properties will make it a suitable
material for application in aerospace,
automotive industry and space
satellites. The potential applications
include solar arrays, antennas,
optical platforms and support for
cryogenic frames and in other
structural components for satellites
and automotive frames.
• 39 •
2010 Programs
James Sheerin
Eastern Michigan University
Our Magnetic Universe--a
new interdisciplinary course
for pre-service teachers
We propose to develop a new entrylevel interdisciplinary course for preservice teachers designed to meet
state K-12 science education and
teacher certification requirements
using NASA resources integrated
into each lesson module. The
course lessons will address scientific
knowledge of life, physical, and Earth
systems and processes, encountered
from Earth throughout the solar
system. Particular emphasis will
be placed on application of new
knowledge to the exploration of the
role of magnetic fields in our geospace
and solar system. Extensive use will
be made of data from NASA’s latest
missions, including IBEX, TWINS,
STEREO, and SDO scheduled for
launch during the project year. By
integrating resources from the latest
NASA missions into each lesson
module, education students will
become familiar with NASA’s role
in science education. Each lesson
module will feature group activities
suitable for individual levels of the
K-12 classroom designed to meet
the science education needs of preservice teachers.
Charlene Beckmann
Grand Valley State University
Family Math Summer Learning
Loss Mitigation Project
Research on summer learning loss
indicates that mathematics skills and
knowledge are particularly fragile
and highest on the list of content
students lose over the summer.
This is particularly the case for early
elementary and high school students
(Cooper, 2003). The project addresses
summer learning loss by providing fun
mathematics activities and problems to
engage students in mathematics over
the summer. All first grade students
in Muskegon Heights Elementary
Schools will receive Adventures in
Mathematics: Climbing from Grade 1
to Grade 2 and all Algebra 1 students
at Muskegon High School will receive
Adventures in Mathematics: Climbing
from Algebra 1 to Geometry, books
written through a project by the
Michigan Council of Teachers of
Mathematics. Students will participate
in Family Math Nights during Spring
and Fall 2010 with summer events
planned each month to keep students
engaged throughout the summer.
Incentives will be provided for students
who complete the activities and
problems in their respective books.
Margo Dill
Grand Valley State University
Science, Technology and
Engineering Preview Summer
Camp (STEPS)
Women make up approximately half of
the population and about 46% of the
labor force in all occupations, but only
10% of engineers! STEPS Camps are
a national initiative and a hands-on
engineering and technology-based
program that gives girls exposure
to manufacturing and technical
careers. The STEPS program is
held early enough to influence a
student’s choice of the mathematics,
science, and technical courses they
will take in middle and high school.
These courses help prepare them to
enter and succeed in college-level
engineering programs. The STEPS
Camp is targeted to young girls
specifically those between the ages
of 11-13 and entering the 7th grade.
Extra effort is spent in recruiting
students from a local urban school
district that contains a high needs and
at-risk population in Michigan.
Karen Meyers
Grand Valley State University
International Year of
Chemistry @ GVSU
The series of activities planned for the
International Year of Chemistry (IYC)
2011 at GVSU will be kicked off with
Super Science Saturday: Celebrating
Chemistry, a science extravaganza for
the West Michigan community. This
event, to be held on January 29, 2011,
will provide educational activities
for students and their families to
experience the wonder of chemistry.
Highlighted will be the areas of study
surrounding, green chemistry, nanotechnology, and renewable energy
sources. Selected events will also
focus on the 100th anniversary of
Madame Marie Curie’s Nobel Prize
and the role of women in science.
The IYC 2011 will also be highlighted
at the Region 12 Science Olympiad
Tournament through the enrichment
activities provided for the students and
guests. Encouraging and motivating
students to obtain a foundational
understanding of chemistry is critical
to paving the path for them into a
wide range of science-related careers
including aerospace-related fields.
Vicki-Lynn Holmes
Hope College
Teaching Algebra Concepts
through Technology--TACT2
This mixed method, quasi-experimental
study explores the link between depth
of teachers’ pedagogical content
knowledge of Algebra I function
families to student achievement.
Thirty-five teachers are immersed in
hands-on, multi-faceted pedagogy
via (a) HeyMath! -- an interactive
virtual manipulative e-learning
program from Singapore and (b)
supplemental function family activities
during a 3-day overnight workshop.
Additionally, teachers are provided
with the pedagogical and technological
resources necessary to increase
student achievement of all, including
at risk, ELL, and special education
students. Assessment of TACT2’s
goals and objectives result from (a)
teachers’ content and conceptual
knowledge pretest and posttest scores
(b) teacher implementation of unit
lesson with reflective feedback (c)
teacher corroboration through e-chats;
and (d) their students’ Function family
achievement scores.
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Brent Krueger
Hope College
Implementation and ongoing
support for computationallybased investigative lessons
in high school classrooms
Computational modeling is an
essential component of scientific
investigation, often providing a critical
connection between theory and
experiment. Yet, while computational
modeling is an important research
tool, it has been only sparingly
incorporated into science curricula at
the undergraduate level, much less
in high schools. We will implement a
workshop for high school teachers in
which they will be trained in the use
of computational chemistry tools and
will develop investigative modules for
use in their classrooms. Without any
cost to the schools, their students will
explore foundational chemical ideas
such as molecular structure and
polarity, accessing Hope College’s
cluster computers via the web-based
computational chemistry package
WebMO.
Theodore Caldwell
Michigan State University
Academic Intensive Summer
Residential Program (AISRP)
The Diversity Programs Office (DPO)
of the MSU College of Engineering
is extremely grateful for the support
from MSGC of the 2010 Academic
Intensive Summer Residential
Program (AISRP). This pre-college
program targets high school students.
Engineering outreach and recruitment
remains a high priority at MSU. The
2010 AISRP, supported by a $5,000
grant from MSGC, will enhance an
integrated effort by the DPO to draw
more outstanding K-12 students from
underrepresented or disadvantaged
groups to the study of engineering.
We live in challenging times, but
these times are full of opportunities.
As world events permeate everyday
lives, engineering plays a central role
in almost every major event of our
times. Nonetheless, students tell us
that the science and engineering they
learn in school are poorly connected
to the complex scientific issues and
problems surrounding world events.
To help us meet these important
objectives, MSU has established the
AISRP to reconnect students to math
and science and reignite students’
passion and interest in these fields.
This summer, our students will explore
math and science through hands on
projects that involve space, energy,
physics, math and chemistry.
Joan Chadde
Michigan Technological
University
A Remotely-Operated Vehicle
(ROV) Workshop for Upper
Peninsula Teachers
This proposal will introduce Upper
Peninsula teachers to a unique and
proven approach to engaging middle
and high school students in learning
about STEM---by holding the first
ever Underwater Remotely-Operated
Vehicles (ROV) in the Classroom
workshop in the Upper Peninsula
for middle/high school science and
math teachers. Teachers will design
and build an ROV, learn how to
operate the ROV, and plan classroom
applications in physical science,
earth science, engineering, math,
and environmental science. Eight
schools will send a team of three
teachers to attend a 2-day workshop
at Michigan Technological University
in Houghton, MI. It is critical that
Michigan students become interested
in STEM areas of study, especially
girls and underrepresented students.
Kristi L. Isaacson
Michigan Technological
University
Get WISE (Women in
Science and Engineering):
Space Adventures
This program, specifically targeting
6th – 8th grade females, will provide
hands-on and experiential math, space
science and engineering classroom
activities followed by an all-day event
on campus. Classroom visits will
include hands-on activity supplies and
instruction. On-campus programming
will include a keynote speaker, an
individual activity, a group project,
and interactions with female role
models. The program will be open
to students in 19 partnering school
districts. Participating teachers will
be provided with Space Adventure
Packets, which will include a variety
of classroom activities to encourage
continued hands-on learning that
can be used in conjunction with their
normal lesson plans.
Douglas Oppliger
Michigan Technological
University
Underwater Remotely
Operated Vehicles for
Teaching STEM Concepts –
A Workshop for Teachers of
Underrepresented Students
in Southeast Michigan
It is critical that more Michigan
students become interested in
science, technology, engineering,
and math (STEM), especially those
traditionally underrepresented in
STEM. This proposal introduces
teachers in the Metro Detroit area
to a unique and novel approach to
teaching STEM subjects. A workshop
will be held in the Detroit area aimed
at those who teach minorities. The
workshop will be for 8 schools, each
of which will send three teachers to
learn how to build and use underwater
remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in
the classroom and beyond.
Douglas Oppliger
Michigan Technological
University
Using Underwater Remotely
Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to
Enhance STEM Education for
Underserved Rural Students
This project will introduce rural lowincome students to STEM concepts
using a unique and novel teaching
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model. Using underwater remotely
operated vehicles (ROVs) as a
“vehicle” to teach STEM concepts
as part of a hands-on, inquiry based
pedagogy will engage students in
place-based, real world problem
solving. This project will focus on
exploration of the local marine
environment and relate this work
to the importance of space-related
science and technology such as
remote sensing, engineering, and
vehicle design. Exciting students
about exploration and demonstrating
the need for STEM skills to carry out
this exploration will assist in providing
Michigan with the talent it desperately
needs to re-invigorate our economy.
Gary Lange
Saginaw Valley State
University, Department of
Biology
The Science for Students
Who May Be First Generation
in College Program
The Science for First Generation in
College Program is a collaborative
effort between The Saginaw Valley
State University (SVSU) College of
Science, Engineering, & Technology
(SET) and two regional high schools.
This program has as its goal to
encourage high school students
whose parents or guardians have
not attended college to pursue a
college degree, especially in science.
Undergraduate student tutors, faculty
mentors, and a faculty director/
coordinator from SET will serve as
role models. Tutors, working in the
high school setting, will assist high
school students in developing their
knowledge and understanding of
science. Faculty mentors from SET
will meet with high school students
to motivate them to become more
aware of opportunities they can
pursue with a college education
in science. The faculty director/
coordinator will coordinate activities
of the other two groups, participate
in mentoring, and will develop an
Internet Web Site/Classroom to
promote science inquiry and interest.
HSETI students at their closing ceremony.
Alec Gallimore and
Bonnie Bryant
University of Michigan
MSGC K-12 Outreach
Program
For 20 years, the MSGC office
has directed a highly successful
public outreach program to local
K-12 educational and community
institutions in Michigan. Hands-on
activities and science lessons include
rocketry, glider design, Why is the
Sky Blue?, Flying the Shuttle, Down
on the Moon, and Thermodynamics.
The outreach program also provides
a series of classes for the DAPCEP
program at the University of Michigan,
Women in Engineering, Community
Resource Volunteers, The Girl Scouts,
The Boy Scouts, and other school and
community groups. The MSGC K-12
Outreach Program provides instruction
to students within the classroom and
also in informal settings.
Michelle Reaves
Wayne State University
High School Engineering
Training Institute (HSETI)
The High School Engineering Training
Institute (HSETI) was established in
1997 by the Wayne State University
College of Engineering to increase
the number of minority and female
students in engineering. The program
prepares students to enter college
and study engineering at a level
competitive with other students. This
preparation includes familiarizing
participants with the university
environment, exposing them to
engineering through a variety of
hands-on experiences and industrial
orientations, and enhancing their
academic skills in the areas of
mathematics and science. The basic
program starts with approximately
35 students in their first year of
high school, and advance them
through four modules (i.e. years) of
summer workshops, academic year
programs, and industrial experiences
until they are ready to enter college.
HSETI’s goal is to improve women
and minority involvement in
mathematics, science, engineering
and other technical disciplines. The
educational and technical training of
these students will help to encourage
and prepare them for career choices
in engineering.
Michelle Reaves
Wayne State University
Women in Engineering
Training (WET) Program
The Women in Engineering Training
(WET) program was developed
in response to the urgent need to
initiate programs that would increase
the pool of females in engineering in
the United States. The WET program
is designed to increase the number
of middle school girls to enter college
and study engineering at a level
competitive with other students. This
preparation includes familiarizing
participants with the university
environment, exposing them to
engineering through a variety of
hands-on experiences and industrial
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WET Students putting together kites.
orientations, and enhancing their
competitive position as they head
for college. The WET program is a
four-week summer experience for
30 girls that present math, science
and engineering from the female’s
perspective. The program has been
designed, with input from women
faculty and students at Wayne State
University, to further motivate these
young ladies in the direction of
selecting a technical field for a career
choice after high school graduation.
Michelle Reaves
Wayne State University
Young Men in Engineering
Program (YMEP)
The Young Men in Engineering
Program was developed to nurture
the interest of underrepresented
minority males in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics
(STEM). There is a desperate
need to increase the number of
underrepresented minority males that
select engineering or other STEM
fields as career options. We recruit
30 middle school underrepresented
minority males to attend a four-week
educational program focused Science,
Engineering, and Math. We provide
a highly intense academic curriculum,
as well as, workshops to improve
interpersonal skills while students
are on campus. The instructors,
who are all men, act as role models
for the students. There are courses
in Science, Engineering, Astronomy,
Technical Writing, and Life Skills. The
goals of the program are to increase
the amount of underrepresented
minority males graduating from high
school, and significantly increase their
chances of earning a college degree
in a STEM field.
hands-on inquiry based science and
natural history lessons in their own
classrooms. Each Science on the
Go! lesson includes student-teacher
interaction, practical application
and discussion of science concepts
that encourage an understanding
and appreciation of culture and
human diversity. Topics include
astrology, anthropology and social
studies, earth science, life science,
and physical science, and are
delivered in small group settings and
through larger Family Fun Nights.
Taught by Institute scientists and
experienced educators, the Science
on the Go! outreach program reaches
children from diverse socioeconomic
backgrounds throughout the State of
Michigan. MSGC’s support helps the
Institute achieve its goal in assisting
students in Michigan schools to gain
a better understanding of key science
topics and allows the Institute to
target schools throughout the region
with low science scores, including
communities such as Pontiac and
Detroit. Over 15,000 students took
part in the 2009-10 school year.
Kimberly Salyers and
Michael Stafford
Cranbrook Institute of
Science
Science on the Go!
Jason Lee
The Detroit Area PreCollege Engineering
Program (DAPCEP)
Saturday Morning STEM
Programming for Detroit Area
Youth
Science on the Go! presented by
Cranbrook Institute of Science
provides young people with high level,
Funding awarded from the Michigan
Space Grant Consortium to DAPCEP
aids in the provision of educational
YMEP Students at the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo.
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enrichment programs in science,
t e c h n o l o g y, e n g i n e e r i n g a n d
mathematics (STEM) to Detroit area
youth in grades K-12. Partnering with
eight Michigan universities, students
are able to take advantage of exciting
classes on university campuses with
real-world applicability. Students are
able to explore concepts such as
aerodynamics, jet propulsion, rocket
fabrication, and wind tunnel testing.
Students and parents experience a shift
in learning culture through innovations
and workforce connections, changing
perceptions to directly increase
student pursuit of STEM careers.
As a result, DAPCEP programming
produces STEM-proficient teachers,
students, and workers. DAPCEP
provides 21st century skill sets, which
will allow students not only to compete
in the workplace, but contribute to
U.S. prosperity and national security
as well.
Joyce Dallas and
Michael Stachowiak
The Detroit Science Center
Sunstruck: How the Sun
Rocks Our World
The Detroit Science Center (DSC)
will create an integrated program
that will enhance the understanding
of our nearest star, the Sun, and how
it impacts our world. Life on Earth
is made possible by the sustaining
light and heat of the sun and the sun
influences life on Earth in ways that are
essential, profound and sometimes
dangerous. Sunstruck will use the
newest research and discoveries
from the Solar Dynamics Observatory
mission which launched in February
2010 and also from SOHO, TRACE,
THEMIS, and other related NASA
solar missions, to create a Sun-Earth
connection-focused planetarium
show, construct a related lobby
traveling exhibit, develop educational
materials for classroom use, install a
heliostat at the Science Center and
host pubic sun awareness events.
These programs are in development
and will launch in Summer 2011.
Melody Gower
Gower Design Group/
Jackson Community College
Science Café Lecture Series
in Jackson, Michigan
Melody Gower will partner with Jackson
Community College (JCC) and JCC
Assistant Professor of Biology, Laura
Thurlow, to continue an existing
series of informal science lectures
presented to the Jackson community.
Five to ten JCC pre-service teacher
students, acting as table hosts, help
to facilitate discussions and gain
teaching experience. Lectures are
organized as informal “Science
Cafes”. The presenters will most
likely be professors from UM and MSU
although other research scientists
may be contacted. A science café’s
is an informal lecture and question/
answer session held by a scientist and
presented to the community. It is held
at a casual meeting place, such as a
restaurant, and is targeted at people
with no science background. Each
lecture is organized around a topic
such as space science, earth science,
or life science. Video segments
are often shown and supplemental
material is typically distributed.
Shawn Oppliger
Western Upper Peninsula
Center for Science
Developing Student
Mathematics Skills in a Fun
and Challenging Way
counties of the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan. These fun competitions
motivate students to train and hone
their mathematical, problem solving
and critical thinking skills reflected in
the Michigan Content Expectations
for Mathematics and the NCTM
National Standards. This project will
also introduce students to careers in
science, mathematics, engineering
and technology.
Janis Voege
Central Michigan University
Earth and Space Science
Achievement for Girl Scouts
The primary goal of Earth and Space
Science Achievement for Girl Scouts
is encouraging young females to
enjoy science and to see themselves
as potential scientists. Closely
associated is the more specific goal
of supporting the learning of Earth
and Space Science by all members
of the community. Two years ago,
partially supported by an MSGC grant,
our office produced material aligning
requirements for two Girl Scout
badges to our StarLab curriculum.
This material will provide the structure
for a series of sessions during which a
teacher will instruct up to 30 girl scouts
who are working toward Earth and
Space Science badges. A Girl Scout
leader will confirm accomplishment of
the badge requirements.
This project will engage grade 4-8
students in fun and challenging
activities that will improve their
mathematical, problem solving and
critical thinking skills. The project
will provide teachers with resources
and strategies to motivate students
to participate in mathematics
competitions at the school, local
and regional level. Specifically, the
project will develop Space TiViTz
teams and middle school math teams
in schools in Houghton, Baraga,
Keweenaw, Gogebic and Ontonagon
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NASA Center Internships
Summer 2009
The following are excerpts from the reports that we received from students
that participated in NASA Center Internships during the summer of 2009.
Jonathan Barr
University of Michigan
NASA Academy at Glenn Research Center
Jon Barr with the lunar dust filtration
facility at NASA Glenn Research Center.
The facility is a closed loop wind tunnel
that can be operated at reduced pressures.
The mitigation of lunar dust is one of the primary challenges to future manned
missions to the moon. With NASA’s renewed emphasis on returning to the moon
through the Constellation program, lunar spacecraft and life support systems
must be designed to withstand the harsh effects of the Moon’s environment.
Particulate filtration will most likely serve as a primary means of removing
particles from the circulating air in the habitat cabin for lunar surface exploratory
missions. In support of developing these necessary filtration systems, a new
test facility has been designed and constructed to investigate filtration and
gas-phase separation technologies at NASA Glenn Research Center. This
facility is currently being used to test the efficiency and practicality of filtering
lunar dust under similar constraints to those found in the lunar landing vehicle
and spacecraft cabin. Run by Dr. Juan Aqui, the work on this new facility has
been four faceted; a flow characterization of the lunar dust filtration testing
facility, an analysis and optimization of the particle delivery system in the facility,
performance tests of various filters and filter systems, and a design for a new
filtration system. This work has and will be used to improve the current filter
technology and the quality of life of astronauts on lunar missions.
Tanya Das
University of Michigan
NASA Robotics Academy at Ames Research Center
(From left to right) Tanya Das, Dane
Bennington, Tom Abraham, Katy Levinson,
Guy Chirqui, Andrew Pilloud, and program
director, Mark Leon, pose with the lunar
micro rover test vehicle at the NASA Dryden
Flight Research Center.
This summer I was lucky enough to work as an intern at the NASA
Ames Research Center with the Lunar Robotics Academy. I was
part of a group of twenty-nine interns whose task was to design and
build a low-cost, efficient, and reliable micro rover that is capable
of carrying out a four-hour mission on the moon while carrying a
small payload. I worked with two other students from the University
of Michigan, Stephanie Roth and Alexander Golec, to design,
implement, and test the power system for the rover. Part of our task
was to incorporate a system for charging our battery pack using a
solar shroud that would encapsulate the rover, as well as to design a
power distribution system that would shut off power to various parts of
the rover given a computer command. During my time in California,
I was lucky enough to visit the NASA Dryden flight research center
to test the communications on our rover. One of the most exciting moments
of my summer was standing out in the ridiculously hot weather at Dryden,
watching as our co-workers back at NASA Ames remotely drove our rover
from approximately 350 miles away through a satellite uplink! I have many
unforgettable and unique memories from this summer. My internship was a
truly rewarding experience and I am grateful to the MSGC for making this
possible.
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Colin Eaton
University of Michigan
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Colin Eaton at Goddard Space Flight
Center in the high-fidelity Hubble mock-up,
testing the placement of the post-flight RateSensing Unit that was unable to be mounted
onto Hubble during Servicing Mission 4.
In the summer of 2009 I was selected for an internship at Goddard Space Flight
Center (GSFC) through NASA’s Summer Aerospace Workforce Development
Research Internship Program (SAWDRIP). I had the pleasure of working with
mentors, Joseph Stock and Joseph Hayden, as well as the rest of the Optical
Metrology department. The project I was assigned to at the beginning of the
summer involved working with Laser Tracker systems to monitor the real-time
motion of objects in mating/assembly processes, commonly referred to as
Trans-Track. My goal was to adapt a warning mechanism into the metrology
software in order to alert, for example, a crane operator if a moving object
came within the critical clearance tolerance of some known obstruction. Due
to the large demand for the three Laser Trackers at GSFC for high-priority
projects, I was unable to perform much of the testing I had sought out to do.
Fortunately, I was introduced to the relatively new (and very available) Laser
Radar instrument, which opened many doors over the course of the summer.
In the first week of using the device, I discovered (and fixed) a critical anomaly,
intrinsic to the instrument. As somewhat of a reward for having resolved this
issue, one of the senior engineers in the optics department provided me with
a couple of incredible experiences that utilized my newly-gained expertise with
the Laser Radar, both of which involved scanning post-flight Hubble hardware
retrieved during Servicing Mission 4! The first task was to analyze the gyro that
didn’t fit, which required analyzing the feet of the Rate-Sensing Unit (RSU) that
the astronauts were unable to place in it’s mounting plate during the mission.
The second task was to scan the micrometeorite impacts on the radiator shield
of Wide-Field Planetary Camera - 2 (WFPC-2).
Alex Golec
University of Michigan
NASA Robotics Academy at Ames Research Center
Alex Golec worked with over 30 other
college students on the Lunar MicroRover project at NASA Ames’ Robotic
Academy .
I interned at the NASA Ames Research Center as part of their
annual Robotics Academy. Working with over 30 other college
students, we were the driving force behind the Lunar MicroRover (LMR) project. Mark Leon, a NASA civil servant, electrical
engineer, and pioneer in educational outreach projects, founded
this project as a way for college students to do what NASA often
struggles with, producing a multipurpose system at a lower cost.
The LMR, an experimental rover design, weighs less than 8
kilograms and fits on the side of NASA’s new lunar modules. I
worked in the power systems team, with fellow Michigan students
Stephanie Roth and Tanya Das. Our responsibilities included
designing the battery, its monitoring system, and its charging
system, physical interfaces between internal components, and
shutdown and recharging procedures for the LMR. My tasks
focused primarily on the battery-related systems, component selection, and
implementation of these systems. For the battery itself, I selected lithium-ion
canister cells for their durability, high power density, and proven use in NASA
(the ST-5 mission that was flown in 2005 was the first to use these cells). A
fair amount of my effort was focused on utilizing manufacturer data and my
own test measurements to characterize the potentials and expectations of
these cells with respect to ambient temperature and power draw. This would
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provide critical data on the LMR’s life expectancy as it traversed terrain that
varied in motor strain and temperature. This data provided basis for an empirical
characterization of the cell’s capacity curve, which was later utilized by the
software team’s simulation program to model various techniques of driving the
LMR. In the future, this data can be validated against test runs of the LMR.
Leslie Hall
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Leslie Hall in front of the Mars Science
Laboratory assembly high-bay.
I interned at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. My mentor,
Dr. Anita Sengupta, was a privilege to work with and truly a role
model. She has inspired me, proving not only can a strong
beautiful woman hold a vital role in a male-dominated work
environment, but she can be cool and ride her motorcycle to work
every day too. During the 10-week internship, I focused on two
main projects: completing the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)
aerodynamic decelerator supersonic fluid structure interaction
analysis and exploring the next generation of aerodynamic
decelerators. MSL is designed to use the largest disk-gap-band
(DGB) parachute ever flown, and will deploy at a higher Mach
and dynamic pressure than every experienced by a parachute.
This design exceeds what was been tested and validated, and
requires extensive physics based modeling to confirm performance and stability.
Wind tunnel testing of a subscale supersonic DGB parachute representing the
MSL flight configuration was completed in the summer of 2008, where a series
of high-speed videos and other data measurements were taken. The analysis
of the high-speed videos of the supersonic parachute dynamics was in support
of MSL entry, descent, landing, surface, and ascent (EDLSA) program. This
video analysis included bow-shock dynamics, trim stability analysis, drag model
development, and photogrammetric reconstruction of parachute shape. My
analysis verified the common idea that parachute performance and stability
depends on Mach number, Reynolds number, parachute size, entry-vehicle
size, and the proximity of parachute to entry vehicle. Dr. Sengupta and I
also investigated the shock-shock interactions of suspension line shocks and
parachute bow shock. Results from this effort contributed to the collection
of heritage data, which qualifies the MSL parachute decelerator subsystem
(PDS) for flight. The second part of this project focused on researching the
next generation of aerodynamic decelerator technology. The need for lighter,
larger, and more stable decelerators has fueled research of the next generation
in decelerator technology: the Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (IAD). IADs
are able to achieve an equivalent drag area at a higher Mach and higher
dynamic pressure than parachutes. However, the only flight data was taken
just last month with the successful launch of IRVE (all other flight tests have
produced no data due to critical failures in other subsystems) and thus IADs
have a low Technical Readiness Level. We compiled current IAD designs,
challenges, and testing projects, which led to the development of aerodynamic
performance models in support of the Inflatable Decelerator Advancement and
EDLSA programs. Test program requirements, material development needs,
and analytical tool development needs were reviewed and we conducted a risk
assessment for IAD development. A continuation of the work with these models
will lead to the development of new packaging techniques for the IADs, focusing
on the storage, deployment, and end use of the devices for near term robotic
missions. These results will aid future IAD designs used in space missions.
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Joseph Harman
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
During my internship at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, I had the opportunity
to see a lot of labs where real-space exploration work was going on, including
a mock-up of the landscape the Mars Rover Spirit was stuck in and a full
working copy of the rover! My project was to implement a prototype for a
web services policy combination for the Department of Defense. In layman’s
terms, I implemented a system whereby the various branches of the military
and their outposts could automatically negotiate the communication security
measures they preferred and accepted. For my efforts, in addition to the
stipend provided by the MSGC, I received a NASA Tech Brief Award which
was comprised of a certificate and a check from the U.S. Treasury Department.
Joe Harman implemented a prototype
for a web services policy combination
for the Department of Defense during his
internship at JPL.
Brian Hopton with the operational model
of the Micro Lunar Rover and Lander at
NASA Ames.
Brian Hopton
University of Michigan
NASA Robotics Academy at Ames Research Center
I interned at NASA Ames Research Center where I participated in
the Robotics Academy program. With 3 other University of Michigan
peers, and a myriad of other college students we set out to develop
a new prototype for a proposed micro lunar rover mission. I was
assigned to the mechanical group tasked with creating a prototype
of the proposed lunar lander, coming up with a solution for deploying
the rover, and actually creating the micro lunar rover. The major
focus that I took on was the deployment of the rover from the lunar
lander. This involved communicating with the NASA engineers who
were currently working on the lander, and also communicating with
my teammates who were working on the rover. After collecting all
of the dimensions, launch requirements, and other details I started
brainstorming with my team. We decided to go with a box that would
protect the rover from the extreme environment of launching on a
rocket and traveling through space. After landing on the moon, the
box would deploy into a ramp allowing the rover to release onto
the lunar surface. The entire system of lander, deployment box,
and rover were modeled in SolidWorks to make sure everything fit
correctly. They were then tested with COSMOSWorks which is a
Finite Element Analysis (FEA) program to ensure. After verifying
that the system would survive the basic launch environment we
expected to see, we built the prototypes pictured below. It was a team effort
to finish them all in time for the presentations that were scheduled at the
conclusion of the academy.
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Jacob Oberlin
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jacob Oberlin interned at JPL during the
summer of 209. His studies are focused on
embedded systems, particularly those used
in motor sports and space travel.
In multicore computing architectures, distribution of computational
load often yields greater performance than traditional single core
architectures. Currently, an algorithm is being developed for two
different multicore processors that are able to autonomously land
the next generation of lunar lander safely in the midst of hazards. To
accomplish this, the algorithm analyzes flash LIDAR scans of the lunar
surface during the lander’s approach. This analysis is computationally
intensive and lends itself to parallelism. By using a large number
of processing elements (PEs) the task can be completely more quickly,
however as the number of PEs being utilized increases, so does the power
consumption. In space, power is often a limited commodity and analysis
was performed to determine the power usage of each processor. The two
candidate processors were tested via current and voltage measurements to
determine their respective power versus performance characteristics.
Timothy Roberts
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Tim Roberts reviews the Mars Exploration
Rover reusable spacecraft sequences in the
Cruise and Entry, Descent, and Landing
Testbed.
The Mars Exploration Rover mission, which was supposed to last 90 days, has
been going on for more than six years. Over the course of this time practices
and procedures involving the rovers change. The scope of the project is
to update the Cruise, Entry, Descent, and Landing Testbed procedure, the
System Surface Testbed procedure, reusable rover sequences, and macros
used to create new rover sequences. To update the testbed procedures the
primary testbed users were interviewed for suggested changes and then
reviewed these changes with my mentor, Dr. Khaled Ali. Approved changes
were inserted into the testbed documentation for future use. To update
the reusable sequences Perl scripts were written to search the onboard
sequences for the commands that require update. Then the sequence file is
edited to reflect the new parameters. Perl scripts were also written to search
the macro files for the obsolete commands and edit them using RoSE to
reflect the proper values.
Christopher Rossi
University of Michigan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
During the past two summers, I have interned at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
in Pasadena on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. When MSL
lands in 2012, I will be telling anyone willing to listen that I helped put this
advanced rover on Mars. Last summer, I worked with planetary geologists
on finding the best landing site for MSL. This summer, I moved into the
mechanical engineering section. These experiences were a great opportunity
to see the mission from two very different perspectives. A crucial subsystem
of MSL is the sample acquisition and handling system. The rover will be
able to drill rock or scoop soil, process the sample, and drop it off into the
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science instruments in the rover body. My project involved preparing for
a test of this system in a Mars relevant environment. I designed various
ground support equipment for use during this testing. Primarily, I designed the
testbed sandbox, where the rocks and soil will be located. Since the sandbox
weighed half a ton, I was responsible for finding a way to transport and install
the testbed as well. I also designed various other mechanical components
needed to adapt the vacuum chamber to our uses. Overall, I received a lot
of good design experience, while learning about other disciplines through
interaction with other engineers. For example, I coordinated my designs
with engineers working on the electrical part of the test set up and with the
technicians who would ultimately build what I designed. This was a great
extension to what I have learned in the classroom.
Chris Rossi in front of an actual size model
of the Mars Science Lab (MSL) rover at
JPL.
Stephanie Roth works on a prototype of the
reset system with a microcontroller and
transistor bank.
Stephanie Roth
University of Michigan
NASA Robotics Academy at Ames Research Center
The Lunar Micro Rover (LMR) is a project at NASA Ames Research Center.
The goal is to design a small rover that will last for a minimum of three hours
in the lunar environment and execute a secondary mission as designated by
the primary mission. The rover will be small enough to be added as payload
on a larger mission to the moon. The LMR is designed entirely by college
students that are divided into separate teams based on their background
in mechanics, thermal, electronics, programming, and other topics. I led
the power systems group in which we designed the battery pack to run
the LMR and an embedded system that would recharge the batteries and
serve as a reset system for
all components in the LMR.
Batteries were chosen based
on capacity, form factor, and
if they were space rated. The
embedded system consists of
three chips: battery charger,
battery monitor, and ATmega
microcontroller. The charger
draws power from either an
external DC source or a solar
array and charges the battery
pack at a predetermined The Lunar Micro Rover.
current and voltage. The
monitor takes analog inputs
from each cell of the battery pack and outputs the data to a CPU via
serial interface. The ATmega controller takes in serial data from a
radio and turns components on and off based on that data. The first
prototype for this system was researched, designed, and fabricated
this summer. The system will eventually be integrated with the other
components in the LMR.
A close-up of the reset system prototype.
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Elizabeth Spencer
University of Michigan
Marshall Space Flight Center
This summer I interned at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in
Huntsville. While there, I worked with some amazing people who break things
for a living. I worked with the mechanical test team, where they break test
specimens to find mechanical properties of metals. My mentor and head of
the team was Tina Malone. During my internship I learned how to operate
some of the test machines and analyze the results of the tests I did, as well as
learn about some of the other groups and projects at Marshall. The material
that I tested was Al-Li 2195. This metal will be used for the gore panels of the
hydrogen tank of the upper stage of ARES I.
Elizabeth Spencer setting up a tensile
specimen for testing.
The first test I learned about was the tensile test. For this the specimen is
attached to the test machine and loaded until it breaks. An extensometer is
used to record the elongation of the specimen. The analysis program then
creates a stress strain curve from which the mechanical properties are found;
young’s modulus (ratio between elastic strain and stress), yield stress (the stress
at which plastic strain becomes visible, defined as .2%), and ultimate stress
(the greatest stress attained during the test) are found from the stress strain
curve. The second test I was taught was the fracture toughness test. This is
used to find the fracture toughness, or the ability of a material with a crack to
not fracture. For this each specimen must be pre-cracked, a process where a
fatigue crack is grown to a length specified by the ASTM standard. During the
test the specimen is loaded at a constant rate until the specimen fractures. A
crack opening displacement (COD) gage is used to measure the distance the
crack opened. The analysis program graphs the crack opening displacement
vs. the load on the specimen and calculates the fracture toughness.
This was a wonderful experience for me. I want to someday work with
structures and stress analysis, and I really appreciate the support the MSGC.
Joseph Starek
University of Michigan
NASA Academy at Ames Research Center
Joe Starek transfers minimal growth
media to planters containing Arabidopsis
Thaliana plants growing in conjunction
with microbial co-cultures in JSC-1A lunar
regolith simulant.
My research during the summer internship was
conducted as part of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) UH-60 Blackhawk
Airloads program. The overall objective of the UH-60
Airloads program is to provide extensive measurements
of an advanced rotorcraft in flight, with particular
emphasis placed on rotor blade aeromechanics, so
that future analytical techniques of rotorcraft airloads
can be validated and verified with a standard set of
experimental data. The data from the program is
meant to aid in the development of future advanced
rotorcraft. One major aspect of the UH-60 Airloads
Program involves rotor blade testing using the Large
Rotor Test Apparatus (LRTA). Preparation for upcoming
tests on the LRTA requires installation, calibration, and testing of several
measurement systems, including a photogrammetric blade displacement
measurement system. Photogrammetry is the technique of calculating the
three-dimensional coordinates of targets using photographs. The main
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focus of my summer research involved working with Dr. Lawrence Olson to
conduct photogrammetric surveys in the National Full-scale Aerodynamics
Complex (NFAC) 40 ft x 80 ft wind tunnel test section. LRTA blade deflection
measurements will be taken by comparing blade target motion to that of a
fixed reference, namely the wind tunnel itself. This will be achieved via the
retro-reflective targets on the wind tunnel ceiling and using their coordinates
to establish a reference coordinate system.
Denar Van Drasek
University of Michigan
Marshall Space Flight Center
Denar Van Drasek sealing a cryogenic tank
in preparation for a fracture toughness test.
This summer I was fortunate enough
to participate in the NASA Academy
program at the Marshal Space Flight
Center (MSFC) in Huntsville. For
my project, Fracture Toughness of Al
2195 in LH2 Environment, I worked at
the Hydrogen Testing Facility under
Tina Malone, Michael Watwood, and
Michael Pendleton. The material
used for space shuttle external tank is
Al 2195 and will be used on the Ares
rockets. The results of the fracture
toughness tests tell us the stress that
this material and the parts made from
this material, can withstand before
failing. Our team project for the
summer was developing a series of
short educational videos to be used
in NASA’s outreach programs. These
videos were targeted towards middle
school students, covered several
basic scientific concepts and related
in some way to the individual projects
of some of our team. Some of the concepts covered were they water recycling
system on the space station and the effects of a vacuum. In addition to
doing individual research and the team project the NASA Academy provides
a unique opportunity for Academy participants to meet significant people
from both NASA and the private space industry. The Academy program
also takes teams on tours of multiple NASA centers and private companies
to show them the inner workings of those facilities, the exciting research and
innovation being done at those facilities, and the opportunities available in
the aerospace industry.
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Student Space Systems Fabrication
Laboratory (S3FL) Internships
Summer 2009
The following are excerpts from the reports that we received from students
that participated in S3FL Internships during the summer of 2009.
Vanessa Andre
University of Michigan
Vanessa Andre was part of the Command
and Data Handling (C&DH) Team during
her internship in the Student Space Systems
Fabrication Laboratory at the University of
Michigan.
During the summer of 2007, students in the S3FL at Michigan
embarked on the task of constructing a 10 x 10 x 10 cm cube
satellite with the purpose of launching it into space by late 2009.
Titled, M-Cubed, the satellite would take pictures using a 1280
x 1024 pixel complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)
camera. Along with its functional objective, the project provides
an educational opportunity for students to experience what it is like
to work in the space systems industry. The cubesat is designed
to meet California Polytechnic State University’s requirements
for launch vehicle integration. The cubesat is composed of a
microcontroller, transmitter, CMOS camera, battery and solar
panels. The battery will power the microcontroller. The battery
will be powered by the solar cells that will line the outside of the
satellite. The microcontroller processes telemetry information
from the camera and radio, and will send the image and diagnostic
information to the ground station. In order to execute the project, the task of
building the cubesat was broken into 10 teams, including Structures, Payload,
Power and Electrical, Orbits and Controls, Telemetry and Command and Data
Handling (C&DH). I was involved with the C&DH Team. I was assigned to
work on the terminal node controller (TNC). The TNC is crucial for radio
communication as it is needed to decode and encode data into AX.25 packets
for radio transmission. AX.25 packet protocol is used by amateur radio
networks. In our case, the AX.25 packets were used in the communication
between the cubesat and the ground station. When the cubesat sends data
to the ground station, the microcontroller will send the data to the TNC which
will encode the data into an AX.25 packet. The transmitted packet is then
received by the ground station which will decode the packet using its own TNC
and extract the data. We used a software-based TNC because a component
of the hardware-based TNC clashed with the cubesat’s transceiver. As a
software-based TNC, its functionality and programming depended heavily
upon the microcontroller and transceiver, leading me to get involved in the
transceiver’s programming and the microcontroller’s programming. I am
grateful for the opportunity to have worked on this prestigious project – thank
you MSGC!
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Jason Anyalebechi
Western Michigan University
Jason Anyalebechi posed in front of the
ADC (Attitude Determination Control)
portion of RAX.
During the summer of 2009, I was selected to intern in the Student Space
Systems Fabrication Laboratory (S3FL) at the University of Michigan. I
worked with the RAX team, specifically, whose main goal is the launch a
small satellite into orbit to study particular high atmospheric interference
over the Earth’s poles. This project is highly unique in the way that the
entire satellite is divided up into different aspects, such as power systems,
GPS coordination, flight software and attitude determination, which I had
to the opportunity to work with. Towards the end of the project, these
different systems would all come together to form RAX, which was one of
the best parts of working on this team. During my 10-week stay, I worked
together with the Attitude Determination Control System (ADCS) team to
help characterize, test and implement our different sensors for RAX. I was
also responsible for solar panel configuration, of which my final idea was
used in the layout for the actually satellite. It was amazing to see the small
ideas from our messy breadboards develop into the sleek, professional
looking (and clean!) boards that are present today for the satellite system.
Whether it was controls’ work, testing procedure or just brainstorming ideas
with the team, the project was always challenging me to learn, explore and
push myself to the highest of my ability. I enjoyed my time in this internship
and am very grateful for the opportunity. Thank you MSGC!
Kiril Dontchev
University of Michigan
I was lucky enough to be part of the Student Space System Fabrication Labs
(S3FL) for my undergraduate and graduate tenure at Michigan. Throughout
my years there, I participated in various design-build-test space system
projects. I also attended conferences, competitions, and met many influential
people in the Aerospace industry.
During my graduate studies, I worked
to help introduce younger students
to space design projects through
Michigan Space Grant. It was a
privilege to teach and inspire the next
generation of Aerospace Engineers.
I t’s critical that every student takes
on the “nothing is impossible” attitude
if we are to truly change the current
way of thinking in the Aerospace
Industry. It was a lot of fun getting
that message across!
Kiko Dontchev (left) worked with the S3FL during his undergraduate and graduate years at
Michigan. He participated in various design-build-test space system projects.
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Carlos Fernández
University of Michigan
Carlos Fernández molds an air-bearing
prototype to be used for M-Cubed and
Radio Aurora Explorer (RAX) full-systems
tests.
The purpose of this project was to build, test, and integrate photovoltaic panel
specially designed to work with an 8 kW laser. In order to get the panel and
the rest of the Climber ready to compete in the Space Elevator Games, various
components had to be added to the panel in order to improve and test it. Heat
sinks and a mounting mechanism are the most important components that
have been added to improve the panel’s functionality. Previous designs had
the panel suspended by a single carbon fiber rod. This presented a problem
because the panel needs to be supported at its center of gravity. To correct
this problem, a small carbon fiber structure was constructed that allows the
panel to be suspended over its center of gravity and it allows for adjustments to
be made should the center of gravity change. Also, small skeleton structures
were made to support bags over the water-filled heat sinks.
Kutessa Garnett
University of Michigan
Kutessa Garnett setting up the boxes for
the balloon launch. In the background are
several students holding down the balloon
while it is being filled with helium.
Student Space Systems Fabrication Laboratory (S3FL) is a
student run organization that gives undergraduates and graduate
students the chance to design and build hardware that could
potentially be flown in space. S3FL allows students to go beyond
the classroom and further into their space studies. During the
summer, I had the opportunity to work with one the subsidiaries
of this organization called High Altitude Solutions (HAS). HAS
gives S3FL the chance to launch their systems on high altitude
balloons. The balloons are capable of reaching heights of
almost 100,000 feet. The environment at that height is near
space-like, which allows S3FL to test their systems without
having to launch them on expensive space crafts. Unmanned
balloons cannot carry a large amount of weight and they are
also regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), so
weight must be minimized as much as possible. In order to do
this the hardware to be sent up is stripped down to its most basic form of
wires and bread boards. This leaves the hardware exposed and at being
effected by the environment, so in order to protect the equipment light,
durable structures must be fabricated. That is what worked on for the most
the summer. I fabricated boxes out of form and hot glue that were strong,
thermally insulated against the extreme cold of the atmosphere, and light.
Working with the structures allowed be the opportunity to learn how to use
many high precision tools like the band saw, CNC Router, drill press, and the
hot wire. I also had the opportunity to go on several launches and learn about
various tracking systems, two-way communications with unmanned aircrafts,
and just how much fun playing with balloons could really be.
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Benjamin Kempke
University of Michigan
I worked as a subsystem team leader on the Radio Aurora Explorer Satellite
project developing its Payload Interface Module. This subsystem collects and
stores high-speed data from the mission’s main payload, a radar receiver,
for later analysis and downlink. Duringmy internship, the subsystem was
realized through design, manufacturing, and testing. It will be on-board the
satellite when it is launched in late 2010.
Ben Kempke inspects solder connections on
the first prototype Payload Interface Module
board.
Jeffrey Leath
University of Michigan
The RAX project is a 10x10x30cm satellite that will study the influence of
Auroras on radio waves. This research project focuses on the design and
fabrication of both structures put in the satellite and ones used to test it on
the ground. The challenge in structures is to satisfy one requirement, which
often compromises another. One example of this paradox is the design and
construction of the battery mount. This part of the satellite must be able survive
the rigors of launch, while being approximately 100 grams in mass and fit
within the mounting area. The project requires careful design, testing, and
several iterations before it can be used in the system. Testing of the satellite
also can pose structural problems of their own in creating a suitable mount.
The challenges in constructing mounts are mainly in materials and design
requirements. The mounts primarily avoided the use of metals because they
interfered with the tests, which meant new consideration of materials and
their various properties had to be take into consideration. Also, the function
of the mounts themselves posed design problems. One of the mounts tested
communication systems of the CubeSat in tilted configurations. This test was
intended to try to see how the satellite itself influenced the quality of signal
Jeffrey Leath working with the CNC Router in the University of Michigan Wilson Student Team Project Center.
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received from the antennae. Another mount was much more comprehensive,
it was intended to test the entire system, with attitude determination and
control being the main focus. The satellite would be placed in a cage capable
of creating a magnetic field similar to what it would experience during its
lifetime. In order to simulate the environment, a mount that could act as an
air bearing was constructed. When working, the mount uses air pressure to
float the satellite, which is inside of an acrylic sphere. The satellite within the
sphere would then be able to rotate itself and the sphere as it would during
its lifetime. The set up allows for a full systems test of the satellite including
solar cells and communications.
Alan Mayer
University of Michigan
Alan Mayer works toward the goal of the
SIKS project to organize and centralize
S3FL’s documentation and media on
their various projects and provide search
functionality.
During the summer of 2009, I had the opportunity of
interning at the Student Space Systems Fabrication
Laboratory (S3FL) at the University of Michigan. My
internship was unique in that I was given a brand
new project to work on where I was the sole project
member under the guidance of Rafael Ramos. I
was the head of the S3FL Information Knowledge
Systems project (SIKS). The goal of the SIKS project
was to organize and centralize S3FL’s documentation
and media on their various projects and provide
search functionality. The problem that SIKS sought
to rectify was that the lab had documentation stored
in many locations (such as multiple CTools sites,
Google Docs, personal computers, and other various
databases) and there was no standard in place to
keep all documentation organized. Basically to find
something, one pretty much had to already know
where it was. During the course of my internship
I implemented several new additions to the lab’s existing web interface
system in order to establish some standards for data storage. First I created
an inventory module to keep track of lab equipment, status, and location
within the lab. The next addition was an industry module to record company
contact information and transaction history. Then the final module was a
ThermalVac module to keep track of ThermalVac testing results and history.
Each of these modules also implemented a search and a sort function to
aide in finding relevant records. The culmination of the SIKS project was to
take all of the lab’s stored data and place it onto one local server where, after
gaining access to the university’s Google Search Appliance, the data was
indexed and searched through by lab members with ease. The best part of
my internship was the satisfaction that came from knowing the work I had
done was not just for a teacher to look at, grade, and discard, but instead to
be used by people to accomplish something and advance the lab in some way.
Aside from that, it was also very exciting to learn all of the new technologies I
needed for this internship. Before my S3FL internship, I had never done webbased programming, written up a web page, used a web server or interacted
directly with a relational database. Having completed my internship, I am
now well versed in the PHP server-side scripting language. I can set up an
Apache web server; set up and interact with a MySQL database; and even
make my own websites!
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Terrance McKnight
University of Michigan
Terrance McKnight working on a test set-up
for a preliminary model of the electrical
power system of the Radio Aurora Explorer
satellite.
While interning in the Student Space Systems Fabrication Laboratory (S3FL)
this summer, I worked primarily with the Radio Aurora Explorer (RAX)
Laboratory with the purpose of aiding in the design and fabrication of an
in-house electrical power system (EPS) for the RAX satellite. The primary
objective of the RAX satellite is to understand the microphysics of plasma
instabilities that lead to field-aligned irregularities (FAI) of electron density
in the polar lower ionosphere. The EPS provides power to the satellite
through solar energy and backup batteries, regulating the required amount
of power to specific division throughout the satellite. The laboratory planned
to utilize a commercial electrical power system for the mission, but when
the motherboard arrived it was obvious that the condition and quality of the
product was not suitable for flight. The RAX lab was given the unexpected
task of designing and creating its own electrical power system months before
its expected flight date. Some of the tasks that I performed to contribute
to the team included testing prototypes of different designs for the EPS,
characterizing the performance and compatibility of components, verifying
the validity or practicality of ideas generated by our team, and documenting
the progress of our team for reference. At this time the EPS team is testing
the last revisions of the motherboard and integrating the board with the other
elements of the RAX satellite.
Philip Morgan
University of Michigan
Leading the High Altitude Solution Team (HAS) in 2009
allowed me to ascertain a deeper understanding of systems
engineering principles on a minute scale. This opportunity
has also provided me with the insight on the necessary
characteristics and qualities needed to lead a technical
team, which is aligned with my ambitions of engaging
in entrepreneurship. I gained practical experience with
concocting engineering solutions with specific design
specifications driven by mission requirements. In my past
involvement with the HAS Team, I managed the power
and electrical segment of the team, but due to the small
size of the team, I did what was required to ensure project
completion. I gained experience using various tracking
equipment and systems, in conjunction with acquiring my
Amateur Radio License.
Philip Morgan works on the AeroComm
DevBoard Restoration.
La Dantè Riley
University of Michigan
In my search to real-world experience with engineering, I was blessed with
an email from Bonnie Bryant telling me about the opportunity to work with
Student Space Systems Fabrication laboratory (S3FL). I had not heard of
S3FL prior to her e-mail, but I have heard of some of the projects. I took part
in assisting two teams that were well on their way to completion: the space
elevator project, M-Climber, and the 3U cube-sat, Radio Aurora explorer (RAX).
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LaDantè Riley works on a nearly assembled
mount.
M-Climber is designing a wireless power transmission system
for competition. The robotic climber converts the power of an
8kW laser into electricity in order to travel up the 1 km tether
that is being help up by a helicopter. The team consists of
graduate, undergraduate, and faculty of various engineering
disciplines. Due to my machine shop experience in Mechanical
Engineering, I was primary machinist for manufacturing
components that we needed to make and CAD designer for
components that had yet to be completed or designed. I was
very fortunate to be added to this team, because it was a
project that I found to be unique and interesting. RAX is the
cube-sat that is developed to monitor radio interface around
the Aurora Borealis using amateur radio frequencies. I, along
with teammates Jeff Leath and Carlos Fernandez, worked on
manufacturing lightweight ways to mount a four-cell battery to
a PCB board to power the cube-sat while in operation. We
also worked on designing an air bearing system and mount in
order to perform full systems test on the cube-sat and its components in an
environment with a magnetic field, free of movement, etc that mimics being in
space. Being an MSGC intern have been a very fulfilling experience and has
allowed me to hone my skills with CAD drawing, designing, and machining
raw materials on a mill and sheet-metal forming tools. This internship provided
me with an incredible amount of experience that I can apply when starting my
career in Research and Development of robotics.
Anthony Smith
University of Michigan
Anthony Smith and the M-Cubed team on
the day of the Integrated Systems Test.
Upon joining Student Space Systems
Fabrication Laboratory (S3FL) in late June
2009, I was placed on the MCubed payload
team. Throughout the summer, I worked
in various capacities to help the payload
subsystem make progress in hardware and
software development. The team was initially
stuck trying to install a working Linux-based
kernel on the Toradex module. To help with
this process, I was given the task of flashing
the JTAG key on the Windows system, and
running the boot loader to prompt installation
of the Linux kernel. In addition, we were
constantly performing tests on the 1.3 MP
camera to better understand its capabilities
and parameters to verify that the camera exceeded the team’s standard for
image clarity at 7 deg/sec rotation, among other requirements. With respect
to the camera software, we used C++ to manipulate and program the existing
code to be more efficient for our mission specific tasks and requirements.
Finally, we began working side by side with the Command and Data Handling
subsystem to establish the satellite’s communication protocols and system
tree for standard orbit operations. The outcome of this project team looks to
be extremely promising, and I expect the team’s work to be nothing short of
a successful mission once it is launched.
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Daniel Soberal
Grand Valley State University
Daniel Soberal solders power amplifier
components onto a printed circuit board.
This summer, I was an intern through the Student Space Systems Fabrication
Laboratory (S3FL) working on the M-cubed project. The M-cubed project is
essentially a miniature satellite that will be released in from space and will orbit
the earth and take pictures of the planet. I worked as a part of the command
and data handling (C&DH) team, which designs the electronics necessary
to transmit the images and receive commands from the ground station. My
primary duties consisted of designing and building the circuit boards for the
final board, as well as designing
boards to test the components we
are considering using on the satellite.
One my biggest tasks this semester
was finding an RF power amplifier (a
device used to amplify a low power
radio frequency signal to a high
power radio frequency signal). This
involved researching a multitude
of different components, trying to
determine the specifications we
would need, and ordering and testing
the components. I learned a great
deal about analog and digital design.
Although I will only be going into my
junior year of electrical engineering,
I learned about advanced circuit
analysis and design techniques. I
also learned about the complexities of
RF engineering and about embedded
system design and programming. My
experiences helped me get valuable
hands-on design experience that
one normally would not find in a
classroom. I also got to learn about
engineering subjects outside of my
specific discipline. Specifically, I got
to learn about aerospace engineering and about the many design concerns
that engineers have to consider when designing an electrical system that
has to function in space instead of on Earth.
This summer has been the most challenging and fun semesters of my life.
I got to experience the feel of a different campus, learn a great deal about
real-world engineering, get a first hand look and even use some of the hightech equipment used in aerospace and RF engineering, make new friends
and have a lot of fun. Given the opportunity, I would definitely do this again,
and would highly recommend this program to any other engineering student.
• 60 •
The Michigan Initiative on Student NASA
Exploration Research Program (MISNER)
Summer 2009
The following are excerpts from the reports that we received from students
that participated in MISNER Internships during the summer of 2009.
Daniel Austin
University of Michigan
Soar Technology, Inc.
Dan Austin inspects the system indicator
lights on a Pioneer model robot equipped
with camera, sonar, and laser range finder.
Artificial intelligence (AI) development continues to attract
focus and energy from those in academia and industry alike.
One approach for AI modeling is the development of cognitive
software architectures - software that attempts to emulate the
cognitive processes of the human brain. The Soar architecture
is one such cognitive architecture and has been in development
for over 20 years. Soar’s co-creator, Jon Laird, started the
company Soar Technology (SoarTech) to leverage Soar
to deliver intelligent computer solutions that think the way
people do to government and industry customers. One of
SoarTech’s business interests is adaptive user interfaces for
controlling robots. Essentially, as the user of the interface issues
commands to the robots under his or her control, the interface
software monitors those commands and alters itself to better
facilitate the user’s control of the robots. Naturally, one needs
a way to test this controls software, and my work with SoarTech
centered around robotic testing solutions, including using
robot hardware itself. As an intern at SoarTech, I wrote robot
control software to accept commands from an adaptive user
interface and then execute those commands. A cornerstone of
this effort was the use of the open source robot server Player,
which effective abstracts away the hardware heterogeneity
between different robotic platforms and simulator software.
In other words, one can write software to work with Player,
and that software should work on multiple robotic systems
and simulators without modification. I used the Player client
libraries to design and implement an easily extensible, multi-threaded robot
capabilities program in C++. New capabilities can be added to the robot with
relative ease, and these capabilities will automatically be compatible with the
adaptive interface software. I tested my program on a simulator as well as
a Pioneer model robot.
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Dennis Feng
University of Michigan
EMAG Technologies, Inc.
Dennis Feng designs and tests different
projects to simulate with EM.CUBE.
Dennis was hired by EMAGWare at the end
of his internship.
This summer, I interned at EMAGWare, a
division of EMAG Technologies. My main
responsibility was quality control and testing
of EM.CUBE, an electromagnetic simulation
software package developed by EMAGWare.
I developed, updated, and executed a test
plan on a daily basis in order to accomplish
this task. Besides testing, I worked on
software development and implemented a
few new features in EM.CUBE. I also created
many tutorial documents that can be used
by customers to become familiar with the
software. I have really enjoyed my time at
EMAGWare. I had the opportunity to work
with two of the other MISNER interns and some great employees. I was able
to apply what I learned in class to a real product. I enjoyed it so much that I
accepted a position with the company!
Michael Huang
University of Michigan
ElectroDynamic Applications, Inc.
Michael Huang was an intern at ElectroDynamic Applications in Ann
Arbor during the summers of 2009 and 2010. For more information
regarding his internship, please see page 20.
Michael Huang presents the Flight
Readiness Review of the M-1 thruster test
bed at Ellington Field, Houston, TX in June
2010 (more information on page 20).
Nathan Lusk, a 2009 MISNER Intern, worked
at EMAG on projects that ranged from
debugging their new software suite to writing
web integration software.
Nathan Lusk
University of Michigan
EMAG Technologies, Inc.
Working at EMAG was an invaluable experience for myself as a
summer intern in 2009. EMAG is a company that does military
and commercial work on antennae and wireless signal modeling
and development. I worked on a few different projects that ranged
from debugging their new software suite to writing web integration
software. While I worked at EMAG they were preparing for the
release of their new signal modeling software suite. Naturally
there were a number of bugs in the software and my first job,
which also helped me familiarize myself with the software, was
to search for bugs and report these at weekly meetings. The rest
of the projects I worked on Involved moving their software suite
online so that it could be used remotely via the internet. I used a
lot of PHP and HTML to work on an interface between the program
itself and the end user that would make this possible.
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Connor McCavit
University of Michigan
EMAG Technologies, Inc.
Conner McCavit hard at work at Emag
Technologies.
Much of the work I have done for Emag has
been related to their product EMCube. At
first, I simply had to learn how to use the
program so they had me go through some
of the tutorials. However, they used this
opportunity to have a new pair of eyes look
through the tutorials themselves; so my task
was two fold: learn the program and check
the tutorials for correctness and ambiguity.
My next task was to help check EMCube
for unexpected errors. Upon release, they
want their program to be the best it can
be and that means a lack of bugs that
can cause crashes and other undesirable
effects. With my background working with CAD programs, I mainly worked with
the CAD module imbedded in EMCube. The other interns worked more with
the other modules that EMCube offers. While searching for bug remained an
on-going task, I eventually moved onto work on a tetramesher for the Metal3D
module. The tetramesher involved integrating CM2 tools, from a package
they purchased from a company in France, with the code already in place.
This was a challenge to say the least. I also expanded the export function to
include the meshes produced by the tetramesher so they could, potentially,
be used by other programs. My next project is starting to understand how the
Metal3D engine works and what form the Input file to the module takes. From
this understanding I was to write a new input file for another engine. The last
part of my internship was starting a new module for EMCube tentatively called
Physical Optics. This module was the latest brain child of Dr. Kazim Sabet, my
boss at Emag. My task was to start writing the under lying functions that would
serve as the basis of the Physical Optics engine. At first, I was overwhelmed
by the size of the task at hand but I eventually calmed down enough to take
it step by step and get the work done. Interning at Emagware was a great
experience, and I learned a lot
Shane Moore
University of Michigan
ElectroDynamic Applications, Inc.
This photograph shows Shane Moore
aligning an optical sensor over the first
generation prototype of the Nanoparticle
Field Extraction Thruster.
While interning at ElectroDynamic Applications
in Ann Arbor, Shane Moore aligned an optical
sensor over the first generation prototype of the
Nanoparticle Field Extraction Thruster. The
experiment he conducted determined whether
or not vibrations caused by a piezoelectric
actuator are dampened by adding mass on
top of the piezo. Preliminary results seem to
point to a 50% reduction in piezo amplitude
upon loading various piezo geometries with a
mass of approximately 40 grams. Knowledge
gained from carrying out this experiment will be used to design the next
generation NanoFET technology.
• 63 •
Summer Workshops 2009
The following is an excerpt from the report that we received from Shaneen
Braswell. Shaneen attended the workshop, Exploration of Mars.
[Left to Right] Dr. Luis Vasquez (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Dr. Guan Le (NASA Goddard), Shaneen Braswell (University of
Michigan), Marina Diaz-Michelena (Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial), Ari-Matti Harri (Finnish Meteorological Society), and
Walter Schmidt, (Finnish Meteorological Society).
Shaneen Braswell
University of Michigan
Dr. Nilton Renno (University of Michigan)
presenting at the Exploration of Mars
Summer Workshop.
Despite language barriers and
cultural differences, science knows no
boundaries amongst the international
scientific community, therefore,
imagine my excitement as I was
about to attend the summer school,
Exploration of Mars, located in San
Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain. El
Escorial is one of the most famous
historical and cultural locations in
Europe. Near Madrid, the city is
largely known for its historical royal
castles and monasteries built along
the mountainside in the late 1500s.
The premise of the summer school
provided a full scope of current and
future research on Mars. I learned about this opportunity through Professor
Nilton Renno while volunteering in his lab, conducting astrobiology work under
the guidance of Space Physics Research Laboratory Engineer, Bruce Block.
My work consisted of assisting with the development of a microwave-sensor
prototype to detect brine solution in Martian soil. Attending this summer
school was a major turning point in my professional development in terms
of directing my restless spirit and eagerness to learn into pursuing a more
focused doctoral study in the field of astrobiology. The professional contacts
I made were invaluable. I proudly take to heart this advice given by Dr.
Vasquez, limits only exist in imagination.
• 64 •
2009 Fellowship Award Recipients
Nicholas Arnold
Eastern Michigan University
Designing and Operating
an Ion Beam Extractor and
Focusing Apparatus
In this project, an ion beam extractor
and focusing apparatus will be
designed, built, and attached to an
existing plasma source. The proposed
equipment will be designed using
SimIon. The extractor and focusing
apparatus will create a beam of ions
to be used in a plasma sputtering
experiment. The particles sputtered
off the target by the plasma will be
identified as a function of the incident
ion beam energy using a residual gas
analyzer. This experiment is relevant
to understanding the constituents of
the atmosphere of Mercury since the
surface of Mercury is sputtered by the
solar wind.
James Barr
Grand Valley State
University
Using Micro-Scale
Observations to Constrain
Polyphase Metamorphism
and Emplacement of
Ancient Ocean Crust into the
Appalachian Mountains
NASA satellite images and data have
contributed to our understanding of
plate tectonics and other planetary
processes. Solid earth dynamics
are constrained by detailed
examination of local conditions and
structures. I propose to investigate
the geologic history of metamorphism
and tectonics of oceanic crust that
formed at great depths and has
been exhumed to the surface in the
Appalachian Mountains. Samples
of fragmented ophiolite (ocean
crust) from the Buck Creek complex,
North Carolina have been collected
and catalogued by my mentor, Dr.
Peterson. To better understand
the conditions of metamorphism
and transport, I will analyze rock
samples through microscopy and
GVSU’s newly acquired scanning
electron microscope. Studies of
the formation and emplacement of
ophiolites in mountain belts improves
our understanding of crust-mantle
and plate boundary interactions.
to their origin either on the surface
of the planet or in some region
of the magnetosphere; using the
information collected from the Fast
Imaging Plasma Spectrometer
(FIPS) instrument. Comparison to
neutral population datasets will be
done for verification processes.
Riley Ellis
Eastern Michigan
University
Operating a Residual Gas
Analyzer
Curtis Barclay
Grand Valley State
University
Implications of Appalachian
Tectonic History from Mineral
Analysis
This project will operate a residual
gas analyzer (RGA) to measure the
particles sputter by plasma from a
target. Similar devices are used on
spacecraft and are part of the basic
tools of plasma physics. The RGA
will be operated via LabView by
programs I will write. The analysis
of the data captured by the device
will also be analyzed using LabView.
Monika Keith
Eastern Michigan
University
Characterizing the Genesis
of Pickup Ion Populations
in the Space Environment
around Mercury
The object of this project is to
characterize the evolution of pickup
ions in the vicinity of Mercury’s space
environment using the data provided
by the NASA Planetary Data System
(PDS) from the recent MESSENGER
mission. Our project begins with the
construction of the magnetosphere
using the MAG sensor instrument
and trajectory data from known ion
species detected by the Energy
Particle Plasma Spectrometer
(EPPS) instrument. This data will
be used to improve the current 3D
magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model
of Mercury’s magnetosphere. With
these estimations, the trajectories of
pickup ions will be traced backwards
This project contributes to
understanding the intricate
history of tectonic plate collision
and subduction that created the
heart of the Western Blue Ridge
Appalachians. Detailed studies
complement NASA’s more global
data contribution to understanding
plate tectonics and other planetary
processes. I will focus on constraining
the temperature, pressure, and
deformation history of a fault zone
that may have contributed to uplift
of a particular piece of oceanic crust
containing the Buck Creek and
Chunky Gal complexes. I will use
tools such as standard microscopy
to identify important minerals and
textures, but also use micro-scale
imaging and chemical analysis with
a Scanning Electron Microscope with
an Energy Dispersive Spectrometer.
This project offers the opportunity
to integrate the concepts and skills
that I have developed throughout
my undergraduate course work.
I hope to focus my enthusiasm
and passion for geology to help
produce accurate and presentable
conclusions on a specific piece of
geologic history in the Western Blue
Ridge Appalachians.
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Angela Defore
Grand Valley State
University
Quantifying the Role of
Organic Carbon in an Aquatic
Ecosystem
Photosynthetic production of organic
carbon in both terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems links carbon dioxide
(CO2) in the atmosphere to biospheric
production and its subsequent
decomposition. The terrestrial
ecosystem can contribute significant
amounts of inorganic nutrients and
organic carbon (C) compounds
to aquatic systems, thus affecting
aquatic biogeochemical processes.
Freshwater ecosystems are highly
reactive sites of C metabolism, and
the terrestrial- aquatic-atmosphere
link is a key component to the
global C cycle. However, studies
quantifying the annual seasonal cycle
of nutrients and C by autotrophic
and heterotrophic communities in
production (P) and respiration (R) in
the freshwater aquatic environment
are seriously lacking. My thesis work
will track the seasonal changes of P
and R in a coastal lake ecosystem
and test the hypothesis that P is
driven by inorganic nutrients whereas
R is driven by availability of C, and
bring the science of the carbon
cycle into elementary and secondary
education.
Joseph Mambourg
Grand Valley State
University
A Robotic Arm with Haptic
Feedback For Precise
Manipulation of Objects
The funding from the Michigan
Space Grant Consortium (MSGC)
will be used in the development
of a robotic system with haptic
feedback. This system has a wide
range of applications in remote
manipulation, medical, industrial,
and educational areas. Currently,
the proposed application is into
spatial manipulation of objects with
feedback that emulates human
sensing for improved safety and
precision. The system consists of
two identical arms where one arm
will be driven by a human and the
other arm will be remotely copying
the human manipulation of the first
arm. The driving arm will provide the
operator with a haptic sense of what
the remote arm is experiencing.
Luan Nguyen
Grand Valley State
University
Computational Exploration
of the Origin of Slow
Oxygen Atoms from UV
Photodissocation of Ozone
When ozone molecules absorb UV
light, they fragment into O2 molecules
and O atoms. About 1% of the
O atoms are moving very slowly,
implying that the sibling O2 molecules
carry lots of excess energy. The
mechanism for production of these
very slow O atoms is currently
unknown. Computational modeling
(“surface hopping”) calculation will
be used to test several candidate
mechanisms. When a model is
found that describes the experimental
results accurately, it will be used
to suggest further experiments to
determine how the excess energy is
stored in the O2. Since excited O2
might be able to produce additional
O 3 , this work could be used to
make accurate models of the ozone
concentration in the atmosphere.
Whitney Askew
Hope College
Truncation Error of PRSV
Vapor Pressures Calculated
by a Series Method
Cubic equations of state (EOS)
describe relationships among
thermodynamic properties and can be
solved for equilibrium properties such
as vapor pressure. Vapor pressure
predicted by the Peng-RobinsonStryjek-Vera (PRSV) EOS can be
expressed as a polynomial series
in temperature. In this work, vapor
pressures were found using series
truncated after the first, fifth, eighth,
and tenth power in temperature
and were compared to exact vapor
pressures calculated by a fugacity
algorithm. Results were determined
for values of the acentric factor ω
between -0.4 and +0.4 and values
of the κ1 parameter between -0.2
and +0.3. Plots of truncation error
and plots of 10% error contours
were produced. These illustrated
dependence of truncation error
upon reduced temperature and each
parameter for fixed values of the
other parameter.
Esther Posner
Grand Valley State
University
Preliminary Studies of
Shocked Quartz, Kentland
(Indiana, USA) Impact
Structure
Our current study builds on a previous
petrographic and universal stage
(U-stage) microscope study (Morrow
and Weber, 2009) of low-pressure
shock metamorphic features in quartz
grains from the Middle Ordovician St.
Peter Sandstone exposed in the
~4-km-diameter central uplift of the
<97 Ma, 13-km-diameter Kentland
structure (dome), Indiana. Multiple
lines of evidence support that the
Kentland structure is a deeply eroded
impact crater that lacks any sort of
geomorphic expression or proximal
glassy impactites. The previous
petrographic work showed that the
exposed low-pressure shocked quartz
grains in the St. Peter Sandstone is
characterized by low porosity, grain
size reduction by fracturing, optical
mosaicism, planar microstructures
with open PFs (planar fractures) and
c(0001) orientations, and incipient
and partially decorated PDFs
(planar deformation features) with
higher index orientations which are
commonly truncated by or developed
off of longer, through-going PFs,
forming “feather textures” that closely
match those previously described
from the Rock Elm structure, WI.
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We build on this previous work by
searching for and studying a higherpressure phase of shocked quartz.
We are dissolving samples of polmict
carbonate impact breccia dike,
the highest shock-strained rocks
exposed in the Kentland structure,
to isolate, concentrate, and separate
quartz grains that may be present,
mounting and polishing the grains,
and studying them using the same
petrographic methods described
above.
Joel Blok
Hope College
FRP Performance Analysis
Using Infrared Thermography
Inspection Techniques
Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)
composites are used in a variety of
structural and aerospace applications.
Strengthened surfaces are no longer
visible and delamination resulting
from excessive loading or fatigue
may go undetected. This research
investigated infrared thermography
(IRT) techniques for evaluating
delamination of FRP composites
applied to small scale reinforced
concrete beams, loaded either
monotonically or cyclically to failure.
IRT inspections were performed at
increments through failure using a
composite phase imaging technique.
Individual phase values for each pixel
were categorized and progressive
FRP debonding was monitored.
This research outlines a proposed
methodology for data collection and
analysis that can be used to assess
the overall health of an FRP repair
and to predict remaining service life.
Leif Nelson
Hope College
Designing the Motion of a
Multiple Gait Tetrahedral
Robotic Structure
The current Hope College Controls
project involves designing the
movement of a TET (tetrahedral)
robot being developed by a NASA/
Goddard Space Flight Center
engineering team. A TET robot is
composed of nodes and prismatic
struts arranged into tetrahedral
cells. The extension and contraction
of the struts allows the tetrahedral
robot to walk autonomously. Thus
far, researchers have used complex
computational techniques and
computer simulations to model the
gait or walk of less complex TET
designs. This research will seek to
model the more complex gaits of the
robot using geometric techniques.
Using the models of how more
complex TET robots can walk, we can
determine the best possible design of
the walk for each robot. The designs
will be used to determine what TET
robot will work best walking in difficult
terrain.
Josh Roberts
Hope College
Pulsar Bean Geometry and
Pulse Profile Composition
The purpose of the proposed research
is to study radio profile composition
of selected and simulated radio
pulse profiles via an algorithm.
We will use this data to classify
the different shapes with regards
to active beam components, and
develop a peak statistic to test our
beam geometry model. This creates a
pulse profile and an average intensity
which we compare to radio survey
thresholds. Studies suggest the
beam structure, radiation emission
altitude, and emission energy change
dramatically as the pulsar ages.
Therefore, we will look primarily
at younger pulsars, as those are
the most gamma-ray luminous.
Using this information we will test
the high-energy emission models
to understand the mechanisms by
which the radiation is released,
and to refine our beam geometry
model. Ultimately, we will formulate
predictions regarding the quantity and
profile compositions of anticipated
new pulsar discoveries from NASA’s
Fermi Gamma-ray Telescope.
Blair Williams
Hope College
Bicycle Roll Angle Control
System Design and
Implementation
Riding a bicycle is a simple act that
most learn at a young age. However,
programming a computer to do so
is much more complex. With use
of modern control theory, we will
design a feedback control system to
regulate the roll angle of a bicycle.
By actuating torque applied to the
bike’s handlebars, centrifugal forces
generated from turning regulate the
roll angle, thus keeping the bicycle
stable. After extensive modeling
with MATLAB, the developed control
system will be implemented onto
a bicycle using accelerometers,
potentiometers, and motors that are
interfaced with an onboard computer
and DAQ. Potential applications
of such a stability system include
assistive balancing technologies in
future bicycles and motorcycles and
new types of autonomous space
exploratory vehicles.
Amalia Anderson
Michigan Technological
University
Using MODIS and CALIPSO
to study cloud glaciation level
The thermodynamic phase of water
in clouds is an important factor in
climate and atmospheric modeling,
yet it is also one of the aspects
in modeling that represents the
most uncertainty. This research
will investigate the conditions for
when the thermodynamic phase of a
cloud can be predicted. This will be
accomplished by analyzing the data
available in NASA satellite sources,
particularly MODIS and CALIPSO.
Findings will be compared with aerosol
data from the NASA application
Giovanni, a database of remote
sensing data. Correlations between
glaciation and aerosol content and
the role of aerosols in determining the
amount of supercooled water in the
atmosphere will be studied.
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Daniel Dubiel
Michigan Technological
University
Parametric Study of Stress
Concentration in Artificial
Heart using Finite Element
Analysis
The goal of this project is to create
a 3D finite element model in order
to predict concentrated stresses
in a complete artificial heart.
Components to be used within the
model include a pusher plate, blood
sac, and case. A parametric study
will be conducted for the blood sac
where stresses hinder longevity of
the current artificial heart. A quasistatic analysis will be used to allow
for nonlinearities seen during normal
contact and material deformation
between components. Pressure
loads created during the normal
systolic ejection will be utilized
along with constant refinement
of element mesh convergence
between components to further the
optimization of the artificial heart
model. The final outcome of the
work will dictate the geometry that
minimizes the stresses in the blood
sac of the artificial heart furthering
implant longevity.
Sarah Gray
Michigan Technological
University
Alkaline Phosphatase Activity
Reduced by Serum-Borne
Factors in Hibernating Bears
Loss of bone mass and bone density
are of great concern for astronauts
in extended space missions. The
lack of mechanical stresses that
results from living in a microgravity
environment can be devastating to
bone formation and can cause bone
loss. Bears spend 5-7 months out
of each year in hibernation, but their
bone density remains unchanged.
It is hypothesized that there is a
serum factor in bears that leads to
decreased rates of osteoblast (boneconstructing cell) death and. Alkaline
phosphatase, a bone mineralizing
protein produced by osteoblasts,
may experience an increase in
concentration in hibernating bears
and resultantly contribute to the
maintenance of bone during extended
periods of disuse.
Alexandria Guth
Michigan Technological
University
A Study of Desert Varnish
as a Moisture Proxy in the
Kenyan Rift
Desert Varnish is a thin, dark coating
that forms on rocks, often in arid to
semi-arid environments. It has been
proposed that changes in composition
within the varnish are due to changes
in atmospheric moisture. While most
work has been done in the Western
US, I plan to test this hypothesis
using samples from the Kenya Rift
Valley. Preliminary results show that
varnish from this area is layered, and
thus may contain an atmospheric
signal. will compare the layering
stratigraphy of the varnish with other
climate proxies in the rift valley such
as paleo-lake levels to determine
if atmospheric moisture is linked to
the banding pattern of the varnish.
Detailed studies to analyze the
chemical composition and magnetic
properties of varnish will also be
conducted in order to characterize
desert varnish properties on smaller
scales.
experiment plan for summer 2009
tests the effects of zero gravity on
the formation of the sharp tip required
for proper ion emission at the end of
each tip. An additional aspect to the
experiment this year is a duration
test of ion emission stability versus
gravity and time.
Megan Killian
Michigan Technological
University
Spatial and Temporal
Influence of Meniscal
Biochemistry Following
Disuse
Although it is well known that
disuse negatively influences other
musculoskeletal systems (eg.
bone and muscle) through atrophic
mechanisms, the influence of disuse
on soft tissues is not well understood.
It is hypothesized that the catabolic
response of the meniscus will be
influenced during periods of disuse.
Region-specific meniscal explants
will be exposed to periods of disuse
as well as physiological strain over a
period of 6-weeks. The expression
of catabolic genes and production
of proteins (aggrecanases,
metalloproteinases, interleukins) will
be quantified at different time points
following disuse. Such an approach
will determine the effective duration
that the meniscus can be exposed
to disuse before the biochemical
initiation of degeneration.
Gareth Johnson
Michigan Technological
University
Metal Nanotip Formation in
Zero Gravity Re-flight
Patricia Nadeau
Michigan Technological
University
Investigating the Link
The Aerospace Enterprise at MTU between Volcanic SO2
is currently participating in NASA’s Degassing, Seismicity, and
Microgravity Research program. Infrasound: Application of
This program consists of proposing, New High Resolution SO2
designing, and constructing a unique
Datasets
zero gravity experiment. Once the
proposal is accepted, the team of
students will have the opportunity
to conduct the experiment aboard
NASA’s C-9 microgravity aircraft. The
The advent of ultraviolet cameras
as tools for remote sensing of
volcanic SO2 emission rates has led
to an improvement in the temporal
resolution of such datasets, with
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the frequency of measurements
increasing to approximately one per
second. As such, SO2 data can be
evaluated alongside other concurrent
geophysical datasets to improve
understanding of volcano dynamics.
A UV camera will be used alongside
a seismoacoustic array at Fuego
volcano, Guatemala to evaluate
the possible relationship between
apparent cyclic variations in SO 2
emission rate and non-acoustic, lowfrequency seismic events. Pending
the results of the field campaign,
similar studies will be undertaken
at other volcanoes, and results and
conclusions compared to those at
Fuego.
Joshua Richardson
Michigan Technological
University
Fuego Volcano Seismic
Waveform Inversion
This project will be a seismic
deployment on Fuego Volcano,
Guatemala designed to study the
shallow structure using many local
events generated from within the
volcano. These events may have
sources such as stress changes and
fluid migration. Previous studies of
Fuego have produced interesting
seismic data, but verified the need for
a better array to get better resolution
and greater confidence of the source
and depths of the frequent events.
This experiment would allow the
use of the modern technique of full
waveform inversion, along with other
more traditional techniques, applied
on potentially the best dataset
available from Fuego Volcano. By
understanding the cause and nature
of seismic events observed within
the dataset, many new conclusions
are very possible relating the seismic
study to concurrent studies of gas
emissions and ash plumes.
David Smeenge
Michigan Technological
University
The Effects of Nitric Oxide
Surface Flux on Mouse Aortic
Smooth Muscle Cell Cultures
by Nitric Oxide Donating
Polymer Films
The potential of controlling tumor
growth through nitric oxide (NO)
photolytic releasing polymers will
be investigated. NO is a ubiquitous
molecule that has varying effects on
cellular interactions. This research
project will be a proof of concept
for continued investigation NO’s
role in tumor growth, angiogenesis,
and carcinogenesis through varying
the surface flux of NO that cells are
exposed to. Specifically, NO donating
molecules will be synthesized through
nitrosating thiol (RSH) groups to
form nitrosothiols (RSNO). Stable
RSNOs, such S-Nitroso-AcetylDl-Penicillamine, donate NO at a
rate proportional to the wavelength
intensity of light they are exposed to.
These NO donating molecules will
be incorporated polymers and cast
into films upon which cells will be
cultured. The release of NO will be
controlled through fiber optics, and
tumor growth will be investigated.
Molecules containing multiple RSHs
have potential for more RSNO
formation, and will also be developed.
Danielle Stoll
Michigan Technological
University
Effects of Disuse
Osteoporosis in Ground
Squirrels
When Astronauts undergo space
flight the body experiences reduced
skeletal loading. Bone Formation
and resorption becomes imbalanced
during this state, resulting in bone loss
or disuse osteoporosis. In astronauts,
trabecular bone is lost first and faster
in space flight than cortical bone.
Since larger hibernating models
(bears) prevent disuse osteoporosis,
research with smaller hibernating
models is necessary to see if the same
properties hold true. Previous studies
from golden-mantled ground squirrel
species may prevent cortical bone
loss during hibernation, but further
research is required to conclude that
squirrels don’t lose trabecular bone
during hibernation. This research
may lead to medications that assist
with disuse osteoporosis permitting
long-term space travel by minimizing
bone loss in astronauts.
Nathan Wier
Michigan Technological
University
High Altitude Autonomous
Research Platform (HAARP)
A group of undergraduate students
is working on an autonomous glider
to research 3-dimensional wind
velocities at high altitudes. The glider
will be controlled by GPS and a ground
control station. Different payloads can
be taken up in the carbon fiber glider
to 75,000 by a weather balloon. A
brushless DC motor is used for
sustained altitude flight under 15,000
feet. A parachute slows the glider
down to a 15 mph landing velocity.
The glider is expected to have its first
flight by the end of 2009.
Samantha Wojda
Michigan Technological
University
Bear Parathyroid Hormone
as a Treatment for
Osteoporosis
Disuse osteoporosis, or bone loss
caused by a decrease in physiological
levels of mechanical loading, is a
problem for astronauts exposed
to microgravity. Many animals
(including humans) suffer from disuse
osteoporosis when normal loading is
removed from the skeleton. However,
bears prevent bone loss during disuse
associated with annual hibernation
periods. Bears may have evolved
a unique mechanism to prevent
disuse osteoporosis, which maybe
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due in part to the effects of bear
parathyroid hormone. The purpose of
this study is to investigate the effects
of bear parathyroid hormone on
bone remodeling in an animal model
of osteoporosis as a preliminary
indication of its usefulness as a
treatment for osteoporosis in humans.
Rochelle Hand
Saginaw Valley State
University
Study of our Planets
I have been impressed with the
research work s scientists have done
about the space exploration. We
have been blessed with a wealth
of information made available to us
due to the advances in technology.
The government agency NASA
is the leading institution in space
exploration. NASA Telescope facilities
and Hubble Telescope are just a few
examples of such data producing and
manmade machines. In this study I
would like to collect data regarding
different planets, and apply some
simple data mining tools to discover
any hidden patterns in these data
sets. Researchers have developed a
good number of data mining models.
Among them, regression, step-wise
regression, decision trees are most
commonly used. Depending on
what kind of data I can collect, an
appropriate model(s) will be selected
and with the aid of software packages
already installed on the computers at
SVSU, the analysis will be performed.
The results of this research are
beneficial to me and my future, and I
hope it would also be useful for future
space explorations.
Theresa Biehle
University of Michigan
Performance of the DryNanoparticle Field Extraction
Thruster (NanoFET)
Configuration in Microgravity
on NASA’s C-9 microgravity aircraft to
simulate its performance in a space
environment. The team has designed
a piezoelectric based feed system
for the Dry-NanoFET with micron
sized particles. They will be taking
throughput, emission uniformity,
and efficiency measurements to
help determine the system design
drivers and operational limits. DryNanoFET will also be tested in a nonmicrogravity setting within a vacuum
chamber to optimize the performance
of our prototype in the C-9 aircraft and
to get comparative data. The team
will also be participating in outreach
events for grade school children to
spark their interest in science and
engineering at a young age.
Brittany Drenkow
University of Michigan
Development of Nanoparticle
Field Extraction Thruster
(NanoFET) Diagnostics
The primary focus of the current
NanoFET research is to determine
the operational parameters and
design drivers of the dry-NanoFET
configuration. This configuration
utilizes a single particle reservoir.
When a backpressure force is
applied, it pushes the particles
through a charging sieve where
piezoelectrics are used along with
an electric field to accelerate them
out of the thruster. To do this,
several prototypes have been created
and are being tested to determine
NanoFET’s current performance
characteristics (throughput, emission
uniformity, and efficiency). Specific
diagnostic tools including a Faraday
cup ammeter, particle tracking
velocimetry technique and inductive
charge sensor are being developed
for this purpose. Being able to utilize
multiple diagnostics will increase
accuracy in obtaining and comparing
performance results.
A team of undergraduate students
will be testing the feasibility of the
Dry-NanoFET in a vacuum chamber
Thomas Liu
University of Michigan
Nanoparticle Field Extraction
Thruster (NanoFET)
The Nanoparticle Field Extraction
Thruster (NanoFET) is an electric
propulsion technology being
developed at the University
of Michigan. By using microelectromechanical systems to
electrostatically charge and
accelerate micro- and nano-particles,
NanoFET is expected to provide
scalability and high thrust-to-power
capabilities for a large range of future
space missions. Refined modeling
and testing of thruster prototypes
are in progress to demonstrate the
feasibility of the NanoFET concept,
identify the design drivers, and
evaluate operational limits. Improved
diagnostic tools, including laser
particle tracking velocimetry and
inductive charge sensing, are being
implemented to better characterize
thruster performance. As in past
years, a microgravity experiment
involving undergraduate students is
in works to characterize the NanoFET
prototypes’ physics and behavior in a
microgravity operating environment.
Mitaire Ojaruega
University of Michigan
Tests of a C6D6 Deuterated
Scintillator Array and
Measurements of (d,n) Cross
Sections
A deuterated liquid-scintillator neutron
detector array (C6D6) has been
developed and tested in-beam, which
often permits useable neutron energy
measurements without need of timeof-flight (ToF), while still providing
excellent n/gamma and muon
discrimination. A similar detector
of the same size based on (C6H6)
was also tested for comparison
purposes. The exothermic reactions
3H(d,n)4He and 2H(d,n)3He were
used to deduce neutron spectra
from the specially designed C6D6
liquid scintillators. Major features
of the detector and its response to
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high-energy neutrons and gammas
from a 13C(d,n)14N experiment
are presented. Preliminary cross
sections for the ground and excited
states of 14N have been measured
using the detector array. The array
should be well-suited for study of
many reactions involving neutrons,
including exothermic (d,n) reactions
with radioactive ion beams.
Bradley Sommers
University of Michigan
Spatial Characterization of a
Microwave ECR Ion Source
My MSGC fellowship research
project focuses on the investigation
of a microwave ion source driven
by electron cyclotron resonance
absorption (ECR) in a magnetic
field cusp geometry. By treating
the surface beneath the cusp as
an anode and lifting it up to large
positive potentials, the dense ECR
plasma can be accelerated out of
the expanding magnetic field to form
a coherent ion beam. This process
could potentially be developed into
a gridless electrostatic thruster for
space propulsion applications. The
ion source is characterized by using
emissive probes to measure the
plasma potential along the axial profile
of the extracted ion beam. These
measurements give insight into the
physical location of ion acceleration
occurring within the device. The
device is further characterized by
measuring plasma density and
extracted ion beam current.
Eric Arsznov
Western Michigan
University
Motion: A Visual Conceptual
Approach: Conceptual
Physics Students’
Representational Coherence
in Kinematics
Kinematics, though an essential
component of the introductory
physics sequence, remains
conceptually difficult for students
and is seen by physics education
researchers as being highly resistant
to traditional instruction. Despite
this kinematics holds promise for
educators looking to foster expertlike problem solving abilities and
promote conceptual understanding. Kinematics requires students to
understand and move among
various representational modes. This representational coherence
is seen as a crucial component
of conceptual understanding and
is a hallmark of expert problem
solvers. Focusing on graphical
representations and using an inquirybased curriculum in the context
of a course in conceptual physics
for pre-service teachers this study
looks to explore representational
coherence in students’ conceptual
understanding of graphical
representations in kinematics.
This study presents students with
an integrated learning sequence
developed along a representational
continuum explicitly emphasizing
principle-based reasoning to illustrate
the interrelatedness of descriptive,
diagrammatic and graphical
representations and designed to foster
student conceptual understanding.
Kyle Batzer
Western Michigan
University
Digital Processing of
Biological Signals to Support
Computing with Neuron Cell
Cultures
As the limits of our current computing
methods are being approached,
alternative computing methods have
become an area of great interest.
Researching the computational
abilities of biological neural networks
could provide new information
processing methodologies capable
of adaptive control of systems and
environmentally driven learning.
The WMU Neurobiology Engineering
Laboratory is developing a signal
acquisition and control system that
will allow research into computing
with neural cell cultures. My primary
contribution to the development
of this system will be the design
of a digital system that generates
stimulation signals and analyzes
culture responses. The long term
goal is to utilize neuron cell cultures
as the primary processing component
of a computational system.
Britney Richmond
Western Michigan
University
Light Properties Apparatus
Most scientific and mathematical
concepts are built upon one another
and act concurrently; this is such the
case with the properties of light. This
occurrence is difficult to see in many
of today’s textbooks. The objective
of this design by Western Michigan
University engineering students is to
provide an active hands-on learning
experience for middle-school
students. This service learning
design project simultaneously
exhibits the four properties of light
- reflection, refraction, transmission,
and absorption and allows middleschool students to visualize the
effect that material thickness and
the different angles of incidence
have on beams of light. The plan
for this design was based from
research drawn on the properties
of light and the materials that would
best fit the identified design criteria
and constraints. Constraints were
given as the following: device
must be manufactured with safe
materials; device must allow the
user to manipulate variables; and
it must be constructed within a
restricted budget, ideally affordable
for middle schools. Design criteria
were then weighted on importance,
and a final design was reached for
prototype construction and testing.
To facilitate diverse classroom
settings, two prototypes were built;
a teacher-presentation model and
a hands-on student model. To
assess the effectiveness of these
designs, classroom testing was
conducted targeting middle-school
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students. Lesson plans, along
with worksheets, were created for
classroom use and participation.
Pre- and post- surveys were given
to middle school students to gain
qualitative and quantitative feedback
on the effectiveness of the designs.
Analysis of the data determined
that desired comprehension was
attained. The paper will discuss the
development and testing of the two
prototypes, results from classroom
testing with middle-school students,
and suggestions for improvements
in the future.
Seed Grant 2009
Ossama Abdelkhalik and
Reza Zekavat
Michigan Technological
University
Estimation of Relative
Positions and Attitudes of
Microsatellites Constellations
Using Wireless Local
Positioning System
A wireless sensor is being developed
at Michigan Tech University that is
capable of measuring the relative
position vector between two
nodes, without external signals or
inertial references. The objective
of the proposed research is the
implementation of this sensor in
the navigation of spacecraft
constellations, to estimate the
relative positions and relative
attitudes between spacecraft,
and also estimate the absolute
position, velocity, and attitude for
each spacecraft, in an Earth-fixed
reference frame. This research
has potential applications in space
science missions as well as defense
missions. The objective of this project
is to perform an initial assessment
for the system and the expected
estimation accuracy.
Lanrong Bi
Michigan Technological
University
Antioxidants for Astronauts?
Development of Novel
Antioxidants Against
Oxidative Damage During
and After Spaceflight
Bo Chen and Ossama
Abdelkhalik
Michigan Technological
University
Initial Analysis for a SemiActive Vibration Damping
System for Spacecraft in
Launch Vehicles
The protection of astronauts from
radiation injury has emerged as a
crucial issue of biological safety in
space travel. The nervous system is
especially vulnerable to oxidative injury
caused by free radicals. To address
the effects of oxidative damage on
neuronal cells during microgravity,
in this project, we propose to study
protein tyrosine nitration induced
by NO and its intermediates in
pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells
during clinorotation.
This research aims to perform the
initial investigation of implementing
active or semi-active vibration
control systems for Launch vehicles.
The impact of Launch vehicle’s
vibrations on the payload continues
to be a major concern for the
Launch vehicle providers as well
as spacecraft manufacturers. The
passive vibration control systems
implemented in launchers work
fine under the scenarios for which
they are designed, however, in any
other scenario, the systems do not
perform optimally. To achieve active
or semi-active vibration control, a
closed-loop control system with an
embedded computer, an integrated
sensing and actuation control board,
and piezoelectric transducers, will
be used for the vibration control.
The main goal of this research
is to investigate the feasibility of
implementing a real-time embedded
control system with high cognitive
functions, such as on-line nonparametric system identification for
effective vibration control, real-time
diagnosis of component failures, and
the ability to reconfigure the system
after failures.
Simon Carn
Michigan Technological
University
Infrared Spectroscopy
of Tropospheric Volcanic
Plumes
Volcanic aerosol perturbs the
climate system and is a health and
environmental hazard. To elucidate
the spectroscopic signature of
volcanogenic sulfate aerosol we will
deploy a Fourier-transform Infrared
(FTIR) spectrometer at Kilauea
volcano, Hawaii; a strong source of
sulfate aerosol derived from sulfur
dioxide (SO2) emissions. FTIR spectra
will be collected at varying distances
downwind from the active vents,
along with measurements of SO 2
emission rates, to study the impact of
sulfate aerosol absorption on the IR
spectra. Sulfate absorption spectra
will be compared with laboratory
data to infer the composition of the
volcanogenic sulfate. This will provide
valuable insight into aerosol formation
in tropospheric volcanic plumes, and
could advance capabilities for IR
remote sensing of sulfate aerosol.
We also hope to clarify the effects of
multiple scattering by sulfate aerosol
on UV measurements of SO2.
Seong-Young Lee
Michigan Technological
University
Investigation of Enhancement
of Deflagration-to-Detonation
Transition Processes Using
an Atmospheric RF Plasma in
a Detonation Tube
A study of plasma-assisted
detonation combustion is proposed
that would be applicable to a multicycle pulse detonation engine (PDE)
for the airbreathing application.
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The fundamental idea of plasmaassisted combustion is that the
excited species, radicals, and ions
generated by the plasma promote the
thermochemical process, eventually
leading to significant reduction in the
ignition delay and thus altering flame
characteristics as compared to the
normal combustion process. This
effort directly addresses developing
technological solutions that enable
fundamentally new aerospace system
capabilities and new aerospace
missions. The objective of the
proposed study is to characterize the
deflagration-to-detonation transition
(DDT) process and thus provide
critical experimental data to assess
the performance enhancement
possibility with this technology. The
potential advantages of plasmaassisted detonation combustion as
envisioned here include improved
specific fuel consumption and specific
power inherent in the incorporation of
a PDE component.
Spandan Maiti
Michigan Technological
University
Biomimetic Design of Low
Density Foams Subjected
to Thermal and Mechanical
Shock
Space structures are subjected
to extremely high shock stress
due to impact of meteoroids and
space debris in the orbit. Protective
materials that can efficiently
manage the impinging energy are
a must for safety, reliability, and
ultimate success of the mission.
Proposed research program is
conceived through a new paradigm in
materials design, that of biomimicry,
exploiting energy absorbing and
failure resistant design of specific
biological materials and systems to
develop energy absorbing synthetic
materials. Central vision of our
research program is the production
of light weight, cost efficient and
environmentally benign metallic
foam materials possessing tailored
energy absorption properties through
biomimetic manipulations at the
microstructure level. Preliminary
investigation shows that gradation
of materials properties and
microstructure can improve energy
absorption property of synthetic
lightweight foams in a significant
manner. Our ultimate objective
is the development of a set of
computational tools that will provide
structure-property relationship for this
class of materials, thus facilitating
development of energy absorbing
materials for aerospace use in a
predictive and robust manner.
Reza Shahbazian-Yassar
Michigan Technological
University
Mechanics of Hydrogen
Storage in Nanostructured
Materials for Spacecrafts
As hydrogen is a key fuel for space
propulsion and in-space fuel cell
energy generation, there are large
potential benefits to developing new
hydrogen storage materials that can
store hydrogen more efficiently at
ambient temperature and pressure.
Better understanding of the failure
mechanisms in hydrogen storage
materials will have a profound effect
on the development of embrittlementresistant materials and provide new
options for safe hydrogen storage in
spacecraft structures designed for
long duration of missions. This project
is the first experimental research
that explores the hydrogen effect
on mechanical strength and failure
in inorganic nanostructure-based
storage materials. The research
will include a series of novel in-situ
transmission electron microscopy
experiments (TEM) that provide
direct visualization and simultaneous
quantitative characterization of
mechanical properties and failure
mechanisms at the nanoscale.
Guangzhi Qu
Oakland University
Self-Protection against Cyber
Attacks
Network security plagues most of
the America’s military and scientific
institutions, defense industry that
they are being robbed of secret
information on satellites, rocket
engines, launch systems, and even
the Space Shuttle. The intrusion or
information stealing operates via
the Internet from Asia and Europe,
penetrating U.S. computer networks.
Recorded repeated attacks from
abroad on NASA computers and
Web sites are causing more national
security concerns. Though a lot
of security facilities, e.g., video
surveillance systems and face
recognition systems, have been
applied to the NASA and other
military sites, the current efforts focus
more on the physical security than
the information security. Hence,
there is an urgent need to protect
the system’s infrastructure from
network level to defend against
more sophisticated and severe
cyber attacks. In this project, we
will propose a self protection system
to defend against cyber attacks: 1)
We will develop multi-level analysis
methodology to proactively detect
cyber attacks. 2) We will develop
autonomic control actions that can
invoke corrective responses in
a timely manner to mitigate the
impacts of cyber attacks and stop
their propagation. 3) We will build
a testbed to evaluate the proposed
approach.
Mohammad Sharawi
Oakland University
Structural Components as
Smart Antenna Elements in
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are
extensively being used in exploration,
surveillance and military applications.
Such vehicles often collect data
via special sensors and send the
data back to the central station
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via wireless links. Several antenna
types are being used for the data
transmission. A viable choice is the
use of antenna arrays, which have
major advantages over single antenna
systems; primarily better directivity
and signal-to-noise ratio. Although
arrays use more antenna elements,
miniaturization and technology have
made the design and construction of
such arrays more affordable, enabling
their use in critical applications. To be
able to benefit from the advantages
of antenna arrays, this project aims
to utilize antenna arrays in UAVs
to enhance their data transmission
capability, range and directivity
through the reuse of the wing and
fuselage structural components of
such vehicles. This project targets the
design, simulation and construction of
an integrated antenna array within the
UAV and demonstrate its benefits on
the data transmission via a 2.4GHz
(WiFi or 802.11) wireless link. This
is a collaborative work between two
laboratories at Oakland University
(OU), Michigan.
John Foster
University of Michigan
Microwave Driven Magnetic
Cusp Thruster
Proposed here is a novel microwaveexcited plasma thruster concept that
not only has the capacity to achieve
the high thrust densities normally
associated with Hall thrusters but also
the ability to operate over a gridded
ion thruster-like specific impulse
range. The ion and acceleration
stage are completely decoupled. This
decoupling is possible with electron
cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma
production. Here ECR refers to the
resonant absorption of microwave
energy by electrons at the cyclotron
frequency. The ECR heated electrons
ionize the propellant. Ions produced
in the process are then accelerated
independently by biasing the source
plasma. Unlike past studies, which
have unsuccessfully sought to
incorporate ECR plasma production
into a conventional Hall thruster, the
approach proposed here does not
feature a Hall stage. The thruster itself
is not a Hall engine. More recently,
helicon plasma production has been
proposed and investigated for the
ionization stage for Hall engines as
well. In these past attempts, the
ionization approach is integrated with
a conventional Hall engine. These
ionizer approaches can be viewed as
an upstream stage to a conventional
Hall engine. What separates the
ECR approach proposed in this seed
grant effort from past and related
ongoing efforts is that the ECR plasma
production is not an-add on, but rather
it is integral to total thruster design.
The ionization process occurs at
magnetic cusps, the locations of which
are set by a permanent magnetic
circuit. These ECR cusp plasmas
are then biased to accelerate the
ions from the source region. Issues
associated with the coupling of plasma
production to the acceleration stage
are therefore completely eliminated.
The technical challenges associated
with the integration of the secondary
ionization source (RF or ECR) to a
separate downstream Hall stage are
not necessary. Here magnetic field
boundary matching necessary to
assure that the internally produced
plasma flow into the Hall stage can
therefore be avoided. Plume focusing
for the proposed concept can be
achieved by use of either permanent
or electromagnet trimming coils used
in conventional Hall thrusters. An ECR
cathode can be used to neutralize the
accelerated ion plume.
Yong Xu
Wayne State University
Portable Piezoresistive AFM
for Space Applications
This proposal aims to develop
portable piezoresistive Atomic Force
Microscopy (AFM) based on a
novel air-spaced cantilever structure
for scientific researches in space.
Piezoresistive sensing eliminates the
bulky optical lever part of conventional
AFM and thus significantly decreases
the size and weight of AFM, making it
highly attractive for space applications.
However, the low sensitivity is a
key disadvantage. To address this
issue, a novel air-spaced cantilever
structure is proposed. This novel
structure will increase the sensitivity
of the piezoresistive AFM by orders
of magnitude. Portable, low-cost
and high-performance AFMs can be
realized, for space and many other
important applications. In addition,
piezoresistive sensing enables the
development of 2-D arrays of AFMs
for high-throughput scanning.
2009 Programs
Claudia Douglass
Central Michigan University
NASA Space Camp for 3rd
and 4th Grade Teachers
Area 3rd and 4th grade teachers
will participate in a space camp
where they will broaden teacher
understanding of key space science
concepts including recent space
science explorations. In addition,
a partnership with the NASA Glenn
Space Research Center will increase
teacher knowledge and classroom
use of NASA educator resources.
Teachers will learn to use Starlab, the
inflatable planetarium, and the Delta
College planetarium to enhance
learning. They will study the night
sky at the CMU planetarium. In peer
groups and with assistance from
CMU faculty, teachers will improve
their delivery of Michigan Science
Grade Level Content Expectations
contained within 4th grade (Earth
in Space and Time) and 5th grade
(Earth Systems & Earth in Space
and Time). This intense learning
experience will immediately translate
to the classroom to increase student
understanding of key space science
concepts and recent NASA space
exploration activities. Teacher and
student learning will be evaluated
as well as the value of the NASA
materials to classroom instruction.
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Kimberly Salyers and
Michael Stafford
Cranbrook Institute of
Science
Science on the Go!
James Sheerin
Eastern Michigan
University
Other Worlds--A New Course
for Pre-Service Teachers
Science on the Go! – a successful
outreach program established by
Cranbrook Institute of Science more
than ten years ago – provides young
people with high level, hands-on
inquiry based science and natural
history lessons right in their own
classrooms. Every Science on the
Go! lesson includes a practical
component, student-teacher
interaction and discussion, and an
evaluation component. All programs
encourage an understanding and
appreciation of culture and human
diversity through a variety of small
group programs covering topics such
as astrology, anthropology and social
studies, earth science, life science,
and physical science. Large group
programs include Family Fun Nights
and Small Machines demonstrations
and activities.
We propose to develop a new entrylevel interdisciplinary course for preservice teachers designed to meet
state K-12 science education and
teacher certification requirements
using NASA resources integrated
into each lesson module. The
course lessons will address scientific
knowledge of life, physical, and Earth
systems and processes, encountered
from Earth throughout the solar system.
Particular emphasis will be placed on
application of new knowledge to the
search for exoplanets beyond our
solar system. Extensive use will be
made of data from NASA’s latest
missions, including Kepler scheduled
for launch during the project year
as well as ground-based searches.
Each lesson module will feature
group activities suitable for individual
levels of the K-12 classroom. Course
modules will be designed to meet
the science education needs of preservice teachers.
Each Science on the Go! lesson
is aligned with the Grade Level
Content Expectations (GLCE) and
the Michigan Curriculum Frameworks
(MCF) to supplement classroom
activity and increase understanding
and retention of science concepts.
Taught by Institute scientists and
experienced science educators, the
Science on the Go! program reaches
children from all socioeconomic
backgrounds throughout the State
of Michigan. MSGC’s support will
help the Institute achieve its goal
in assisting underserved schools in
Michigan gain a better understanding
of key science topics and will allow the
Institute to target schools throughout
the region with low science scores,
including those in communities such
as Pontiac and Detroit.
Patrick Colgan
Grand Valley State
University
Grades 6-12 Teacher Training
in Earth System Science:
Climate, Geomorphology
and Environmental History of
West Michigan.
Funding was used for a teacher
workshop that focused on Earth
system science and the geologic
history of Michigan. The three
day workshop included studies
of Michigan geology through field
trips, lectures, and lab exercises.
The workshop was attended by
17 teachers. Field trips examined
exposures of Pleistocene glacial and
lake sediments, hands-on stream
monitoring and assessment of Sand
Creek, and a trip to the Lake Michigan
shoreline measure beach profiles.
Margo Dill
Grand Valley State
University
Science, Technology
and Engineering Preview
Summer Camp (STEPS)
STEPS-Science, Technology, and
Engineering Preview Summer Camp
for Girls is a day camp for adolescent
girls at Grand Valley State University.
Its purpose is to introduce 7th
grade girls to careers in science,
technology, and engineering and to
effectively influence their choice of
classes in mathematics, science, and
technology as they move through
middle school and high school.
STEPS uses the concept of plane
flight to help girls learn about aviation,
physics, aerodynamics, chemistry,
and engineering processes. The
girls build and fly their own radiocontrolled model airplane. They
gain an understanding of basic
engineering principles and use hightech equipment and customized
manufacturing tools. The goal is
to increase the number of women
attending and completing college
engineering programs.
Karen Meyers and Janet Vail
Grand Valley State
University
Earth Systems Science:
Climate Change
The driving core concept of this
two and ½ day workshop comes
from the “Big Idea” in Michigan’s
science content standards that
states: “Predicting and mitigating
the potential impact of global climate
change requires an understanding of
the mechanisms of Earth’s climate
involving the measurements of current
interactions of Earth’s systems and
the construction of climate change
models.” Through this professional
development experience, teachers
are equipped with the content
knowledge as well as inquiry and
data collection strategies to provide a
real-world context for learning in their
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classrooms. Field work in collecting
phenology and surface temperature
data engages teachers in real-world
applications of content knowledge.
Participants receive inquiry-based
lessons and activities (including
GLOBE and MEECS) that can be
incorporated in classroom curriculum
around Earth Systems Science.
Teresa Peterman and
Ana Posada
Grand Valley State
University
Get with the Program Programming and Robotics
Camp
The goal of this camp is to expose
girls to the programming and
engineering principles required to
build and program autonomous robots
using LEGO NXT MINDSTORMS®.
Campers will also use the Alice 3-D
programming environment to reinforce
the skills learned in programming
their robots. Campers will build two
electronic robot kits which they will
keep after the camp is completed.
Through team-oriented, hands on
guided exploration, campers will
hone their problem solving skills,
and be introduced to the challenges
of project design, development,
testing and deployment. Through a
field trip to local industries that use
computing and robotics, they will see
real applications of technology and
meet women engineers; gaining an
understanding that the computing
field is not a solitary, machine oriented
occupation; but that it can be a fun,
creative and rewarding career for
women.
Patricia Videtich and
JoAnn Webb
Grand Valley State
University
Hands-On, Field-Based Earth
Science for Inner City, Middle
School Students
FRESH (Field Research in Earth
Science Happenings) is a summer
program designed to help inner city,
middle school students gain a firm
background in science and become
at ease in nature. The ultimate goal
is to increase the number of minorities
in field-based, earth science. The
two-month-long program consisted
of nine days based at their school in
Grand Rapids, and seven days based
at GVSU. To prepare the 20 students
for field trips, first the students
worked in the lab. Also, using their
school as a base, the students
went on several urban field trips
including visiting cemeteries to study
weathering. The field trips based out
of GVSU involved data collection
(e.g., elevation, flow velocity, turbidity,
conductivity, mineralogy, wave size,
wind velocity) at streams, wells,
beaches, dunes, glacial deposits,
and during a boat cruise. In addition,
the students worked with Google
Earth, helped make a webpage, and
conducted an open house for their
families highlighting their work.
Jonathan Hagood
Hope College
Creation of Active Learning
Curricular Materials for a
Science Education/History of
Science Course
Despite the interest among science
educators concerning the history
of science and its potential to grab
the attention of K-12 students not
otherwise attracted to science, little
undergraduate pre-service teacher
training incorporates history of
science content in a comprehensive
manner. This project will create
curricular materials for a science
education course on the history of
science for education majors at Hope
College. MSGC support will facilitate
the development of active learning
experiences based upon recreating
historically significant science
experiments. Students will carry out
these experiments in the college
laboratory prior to the development
and implementation of lesson plans
in K-12 classrooms. Additionally, this
grant will expand library materials
available for curriculum development
and research in the history of science.
Brent Krueger
Hope College
Development,
Implementation, and Ongoing
Support for Computationallybased Investigative Course
Modules in High School
Classrooms
Computational modeling is an
essential component of scientific
investigation, often providing a critical
connection between theory and
experiment. Yet, while computational
modeling is an important research
tool, it has been only sparingly
incorporated into science curricula at
the undergraduate level, much less
in high schools. We will implement a
workshop for high school teachers in
which they will be trained in the use
of computational chemistry tools and
will develop investigative modules for
use in their classrooms. Without any
cost to the schools, their students will
explore foundational chemical ideas
such as molecular structure and
polarity, accessing Hope College’s
cluster computers via the web-based
computational chemistry package
WebMO.
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Joan Chadde
Michigan Technological
University
Bringing Environmental
Education to Urban Schools
Initiative
Jacqueline Huntoon
Michigan Technological
University
Field Training for Teachers
in Earth Systems Science
Education
This project will introduce 24
teachers in Detroit and Pontiac to
earth systems science through a
year-long initiative to bring handson environmental education to
some of Michigan’s neediest urban
schools. The project implements best
practices for teacher professional
development: i) provides mentors; ii)
provides multiple PD workshops; iii)
creates a community of learners; iv)
provides financial resources needed
for implementation. The project will
kick off with teachers attending the
Michigan Alliance for Environmental
& Outdoor Education conference at
University of Michigan Dearborn,
Oct. 8-10, 2009, followed by two
workshops during the school year.
This project supports in-service and
pre-service teachers participating
in an Earth system science field
education program, “The Geology
of Utah’s National Parks”, offered by
the Geology Department at Michigan
Tech. The two-week summer course
is designed to benefit all participants,
even those with little or no background
in Earth science. The course uses
the spectacular geologic setting of
southeastern Utah to teach basic
geology within an Earth system
science framework. The course
emphasizes the use of the scientific
method in solving research-based
problems. This course is a core
requirement for a new track within
Michigan Tech’s Applied Science
Education master’s program which
is designed to prepare practicing
teachers for successful completion
of the subject-area endorsement
exam in Earth and Space Science.
Recruiting efforts for the course focus
on ethnic and racial groups that are
currently underrepresented in the
geosciences.
The goal of the project is to engage
elementary and middle school urban
children in hands-on science taught
in context---outdoors---by enhancing
the content knowledge and pedagogy
skills of elementary/middle school
teachers to teach earth science
system curricula in an outdoor setting.
The $10,000 grant will support all
24 teachers attending the MAEOE
conference, and participating in
three day-long teacher professional
development workshops related to
environmental and science education
through a series of three workshops
during the 2009-10 school year, and
$300 for sub fees, teaching supplies
and travel stipends.
Alec Gallimore and
Bonnie Bryant
University of Michigan
MSGC K-12 Outreach
Program
For 19 years, the MSGC office
has directed a highly successful
public outreach program to local
K-12 educational and community
institutions in Michigan. Hands-on
activities and science lessons include
rocketry, glider design, Why is the
Sky Blue?, Flying the Shuttle, Down
on the Moon, and Thermodynamics.
The outreach program also provides
a series of classes for the DAPCEP
program at the University of
Michigan, Women in Engineering,
Community Resource Volunteers,
The Girl Scouts, The Boy Scouts,
and other school and community
groups. The MSGC K-12 Outreach
Program provides instruction to
students within the classroom and
also in informal settings.
Michelle Reaves
Wayne State University
High School Engineering
Training Institute (HSETI)
The High School Engineering Training
Institute (HSETI) was established
i n 1 9 9 7 b y t h e Wa y n e S t a t e
University College of Engineering
to increase the number of minority
and female students in engineering.
The program prepares students to
enter college and study engineering
at a level competitive with other
students. This preparation includes
familiarizing participants with the
university environment, exposing
them to engineering through a
variety of hands-on experiences and
industrial orientations, and enhancing
their academic skills in the areas of
mathematics and science. The basic
program starts with approximately
40 students in their first year of
high school, and advance them
through four modules (i.e. years) of
summer workshops, academic year
programs, and industrial experiences
until they are ready to enter college.
HSETI’s goal is to improve women
and minority involvement in
mathematics, science, engineering
and other technical disciplines. The
educational and technical training of
these students will help to encourage
and prepare them for career choices
in engineering.
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Michelle Reaves
Wayne State University
Women in Engineering
Training (WET) Program
The Women in Engineering Training
(WET) program was developed
by the Wayne State University
College of Engineering in 1999
in response to the urgent need to
initiate programs that would increase
the pool of females in engineering in
the United States. The WET program
is designed to increase the number
of middle school girls to enter college
and study engineering at a level
competitive with other students. This
preparation includes familiarizing
participants with the university
environment, exposing them to
engineering through a variety of
hands-on experiences and industrial
orientations, and enhancing their
competitive position as they head
for college. The WET program is a
four-week summer experience for
30 girls that present math, science
and engineering from the female’s
perspective. The program has been
designed, with input from women
faculty and students at Wayne State
University, to further motivate these
young ladies in the direction of
selecting a technical field for a career
choice after high school graduation.
Michelle Reaves
Wayne State University
Young Men in Engineering
Program (YMEP)
Robert Watson and
Peter Lawrie
The Detroit Science Center
Orion’s Quest: Bringing
The Young Men in Engineering Space-based Research to the
Program is a new for Wayne Classroom
S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y ’s C o l l e g e o f
Engineering. The program was
developed to nurture the interest of
underrepresented minority males in
science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM). There is
a desperate need to increase the
number of underrepresented minority
males that select engineering or
other STEM fields as career options.
We will recruit 30 middle school
underrepresented minority males
to attend a four-week educational
program focused Science,
Engineering, and Math. We will
provide a highly intense academic
curriculum, as well as, workshops
to improve interpersonal skills while
students are on campus. The
instructors, who will be all men, will
act as role models for the students.
We will offer courses in Science,
Engineering, Astronomy, Technical
Writing, and Life Skills. The goals
of the program are to increase
the amount of underrepresented
minority males graduating from high
school, and significantly increase
their chances of earning a college
degree in a STEM field.
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Orion’s Quest, a nonprofit organization,
challenges America’s Secondary
School students to excel in the fields
of Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics (STEM), through
their active participation in spacebased research. This effort is
accomplished by providing both
educators and students, curriculum
based investigations embedded in
both Missions V and VI. Mission V,
a collection of investigations allows
students to gain an understanding
of virtual scientific experimentation
surrounding the study of C. elegans
through the use of technology,
observations of identified subject,
and ongoing interaction with NASA
scientists. Mission VI, Orion’s Quest
newest study, “Silicate Gardens
Revisited” incorporates chemistrybased investigations supporting
the research of internationally
recognized crystallographers, Dr.
Julyan Cartwright and Dr. C. Ignacio
Sainz Diaz of Spain. Both Missions
allow students opportunities to
evaluate and analyze information
while collaborating with NASA and
independent scientists conducting
research aboard the International
Space Station and delivered by the
Space Shuttle