NASA STEM Stars: Additive Manufacturing Engineer

TL;DR

NASA Stem Stars webinar introduces Susan Martinez, an additive manufacturing engineer at NASA. She discusses her career and demonstrates an origami shuttle project.

Transcript

Steph and let's hear it for the world class now system Stars team from NASA centers across the country we present [Applause] welcome to this composition of NASA's stem stars webinars my name is Len Dotson I'm an education specialist and joining us today is Susan Martinez an engineer at the Marshall Space Flight Center we are coming to you live from... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤕 Susan Martinez knew from a young age that she wanted to work at NASA, and her homeschooling and community college experiences helped prepare her for her career.
• 👻 Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is an integral part of NASA's work, allowing for the creation of complex and lightweight objects for space missions.
• 😒 NASA is exploring the use of additive manufacturing in space, including metal printing to create tools and parts on the International Space Station.
• 🤗 Internships at NASA offer valuable hands-on experience and can open doors to full-time employment in the industry.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is additive manufacturing?

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is the process of creating a three-dimensional object by layering materials on top of each other using a computer-aided design (CAD) program.

Q: How does additive manufacturing work in space?

In space, additive manufacturing is more challenging due to the lack of gravity. NASA is working on metal printing in space, where metal powders are layered and fused using lasers to create objects. This eliminates the need to transport pre-made tools and parts to the International Space Station.

Q: What are the benefits of using additive manufacturing at NASA?

Additive manufacturing allows for faster production and lighter parts, saving time and cost for space missions. It also enables rapid prototyping and fit checks before manufacturing parts using other methods like machining.

Q: How can students pursue internships at NASA?

Students can apply for internships at NASA through the Pathways Program. It is important to have a strong academic background, gain practical experience through internships, and show a passion for STEM fields.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Susan Martinez, an additive manufacturing engineer at NASA, shares her educational background and journey to working at NASA.

• She explains her role as a designer in the additive manufacturing field, where she takes ideas and turns them into 3D printed objects.

• Martinez discusses the use of additive manufacturing at NASA and its applications in space, including metal printing for the International Space Station.