Three Lone Star College-CyFair students have been selected to travel to NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and Langley Research Center this fall to participate in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) on-site experience.
Andres Ledesma, Jim Philippi and Daniel Vasek will participate in a five-week, online scholars program that culminates with a four-day, on-site space center event offering students the opportunity to interact with NASA engineers and others as they learn more about careers in science and engineering.
“Student success stories like these show that hard work and determination can lead to unique opportunities. This aerospace program at NASA will be a memorable experience for our students and will benefit them in their chosen career paths,” said LSC-CyFair President Dr. Seelpa Keshvala.
While at NASA, students form teams and establish fictional companies interested in Mars exploration. Each team is responsible for developing and testing a prototype rover, forming a company infrastructure, managing a budget, and developing communications and outreach.
The on-site experience at NASA includes briefings by NASA subject matter experts, information on how to apply for internships and a tour of NASA’s unique facilities.
Philippi and Ledesma will be going to Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia in late September.
“My passion for aerospace comes from my creativity at design, problem solving and my attraction to new technologies and space,” said Ledesma, who graduates this spring to pursue a degree and career in aerospace engineering. “I've always dreamed about space. At Wallops, I really just expect to meet creative engineers all while having a look around at what will be my future playground.”
Philippi is excited about going to Wallops Flight Facility with his NCAS online “floating dirigible-quad-copter” rover project named SPELUNC (Systematic Planetary Explorer to Locate Undiscovered Natural Caverns) that could locate and 3D map caves capable of thermal and radiation protection for inflatable habitats.
“Wallops’ experience of flying balloons at atmospheric pressures lower than those found on Mars is just the place that could make a mission like SPELUNC happen,” said Philippi, who plans to transfer into Texas A&M’s Aerospace Engineering program next fall.
Vasek’s trip to NASA’s Langley Research Center in October is another unique learning experience in his pursuit of a University of Texas at Tyler degree and career in mechanical engineering.
Participants in NASA’s Micro-g NExT Challenge, Vasek and Philippi were on LSC-CyFair’s student team that designed an award-winning zip-tie cutter tool, which NASA is sending to the international Space Station.
“Our success within the Micro-g NExT program has shown me that you don't need attend a four year university in order to achieve greatness,” said Vasek. “Big things can come from small schools.”
Late Start fall semester classes at LSC-CyFair are available. For information, go to LoneStar.edu/late-start. For Engineering Program information, email Cy-FairEngineering@LoneStar.edu.