NASA STEM Stars: CubeSats | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Allison Evans, an aerospace engineer at NASA, discusses her career path, the importance of teamwork, and her work on CubeSats.

Key Insights

• 🍞 CubeSats are miniature satellites about the size of a loaf of bread or a shoebox.
• 🤗 NASA internships provide valuable hands-on experience and help supplement engineering education.
• ▶️ Failure is a common part of the engineering journey, and it is crucial to learn from it and move forward.
• 🎟️ Teamwork and effective communication are essential for success in NASA missions.
• ❓ CubeSats have been utilized in studying the Sun, the Moon, and other celestial bodies.
• 😷 Allison Evans emphasizes the importance of asking questions and seeking knowledge.
• 🧑‍🎓 Students are encouraged to build their spacecraft in a STEM challenge.

Transcript

stem fans are you ready let's hear it for the world class NASA stem stars team from NASA centers across the country we present Allison Evan hello and welcome to NASA stem stars where students connect firsthand with NASA scientists engineers and innovators to learn about NASA missions career paths and opportunities today's topic is cube sex or micro... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How do internships at NASA help in gaining experience and skills?

NASA internships provide a unique opportunity to work with mentors, learn about different engineering fields, and contribute to real NASA missions. Interns gain hands-on experience and learn valuable skills.

Q: Is failure common in engineering, and how do engineers handle it?

Failure is a part of the learning process in engineering. Allison Evans explains that she faced challenges and failures in her education and career, but it is important to learn from them, pick yourself up, and move forward.

Q: How important is teamwork in NASA missions?

Teamwork plays a vital role in NASA missions, whether it's a small team of five to seven people or larger teams of hundreds. Effective communication and information sharing are crucial for success in working together towards a common goal.

Q: What is the role of CubeSats in NASA's Artemis program?

CubeSats are secondary payloads in NASA missions and will continue to play a role in the Artemis program. They act as companions to main payloads, allowing for additional scientific exploration and research.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Allison Evans is an aerospace engineer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, specializing in building CubeSats.

• She obtained her undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering from West Virginia University and a master's degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

• Evans emphasizes the value of NASA internships in gaining hands-on experience and learning about engineering.