By Matthew Schehl, Naval Postgraduate School
MONTEREY, Calif. -- H5N1 Naval Postgraduate School pupil has boldly gone where no NPS physics pupil has gone before.
Navy Lt. Todd Coursey embarked late on a quarter-long summertime internship amongst NASA at its Armstrong Flight Research Center inward Edwards, California, to supplement his applied physics curriculum. He is the root such pupil to make so, as well as his internship has the potential to significantly expand NPS’ enquiry horizons.
“Todd took a quantum jump inward going to NASA,” said NPS physics professor Ray Gamache. “I don’t think anyone has ever done this before. It’s a non bad idea: move to closed to other identify that’s completely unknown as well as operate there, assess, empathise how things work; this is only priceless.”
Over his three-month internship, Coursey as well as his NASA squad are experimenting amongst diverse materials for a novel generation of fiber oculus cables which optimize performance at cryogenic temperatures.
In providing real-time monitoring of a hit of fundamental technology scientific discipline data, the fiber oculus sensing systems which volition employ these tin privy revolutionize non alone futurity rocket bodies, but aircraft, unloosen energy as well as shipping infrastructure, as well as medical surgeries, according to NASA.
“We’re basically dropping dissimilar kinds of coated fiber oculus sensing cables into a small-scale cryochamber -- most the size of a forcefulness out extinguisher -- as well as and then reading the raw information to come across which ones are most effective as well as efficient,” Coursey explained. “From at that topographic point they’ll make the systems evolution as well as await at incorporation.”
Hard-Earned Opportunity
The internship is a natural continuation of Coursey’s studies at NPS.
His graduate operate inward applied physics -- his thesis volition live on on the acoustic detection of drones -- volition live on amplified past times his hands-on sense at NASA, says NPS physics professor Frank Narducci, who is providing Coursey amongst directed report hence the internship tin privy satisfy the optics requirement of his curriculum.
“When Coursey root approached me amongst this chance at NASA, I asked him,‘How is it that you lot direct hold an entire quarter when you lot don’t direct hold to live on here?’” Narducci said. “When students come upward to NPS, their plane matrix is pretty packed; it’s really difficult to acquire whatever wiggle room. But Todd, knowing that this was a possibility inward his future, front-loaded closed to of his courses hence that he could clear out the summer.”
Yet the singular course of report charge is hardly a cake-walk.
With his master’s enquiry looming over him, Coursey voraciously plant through the readings Narducci assigns inward improver to the operate he is doing at NASA.
“I suspect when they’re doing their tests it’s non fifty-fifty ‘nine-to-five’ to get with,” Narducci said. “If you’re doing experimental physics as well as the experiment is working, you lot only hold working, you lot hold taking every bit much information every bit you lot tin privy because when you’ve turned things off as well as come upward dorsum tomorrow, nothing’s going to operate ... Experimental physics is e'er similar that.”
Cultural Experience
Coursey embraces the challenge, however, as well as remains deeply engaged amongst his operate as well as studies.
“When you lot come upward to NPS, you’re at that topographic point apparently for the academic work, but it’s closed to other affair to acquire experience,” he said. “Coming to NASA is a non bad agency to larn most what other organizations are doing, how they’re approaching problem-solving internally as well as how the projection teams are seat together.”
Coursey added, “So it’s non only academics that I’m learning here. I’m learning a lot most the civilization at NASA, which I think would make actually good to convey dorsum to the Navy.”
In a way, the NASA internship represents a sort of homecoming for Coursey. Growing upward inward nearby Palmdale, California, exam flights of the SR-71 Blackbird, the F-117 Nighthawk as well as the B-2 Spirit operating out of Edwards Air Force Base were a staple of his childhood.
Most salient to him, however, were NASA’s infinite shuttle landings.
“It used to province out hither on the dry out lake beds earlier they moved it over to Florida,” he recalled. “As it came in, at that topographic point was a huge double sonic boom, almost similar an earthquake. It was surreal: correct exterior my window there’s a huge compass rose burnt into the desert flooring which the infinite shuttles would purpose to navigate when they would come upward in. It’s silent there.”
The infinite shuttle landings left an indelible grade on Coursey’s imagination which propelled an involvement inward physics throughout his life -- as well as Navy career.
‘Moon Shot’
While conducting enquiry on the Internet, he came across NASA’s complex aircraft computer program called the Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Lower Drag, intended to eventually live on the root in-air rover on Mars.
“I said, ‘Oh, cool! They direct hold a [unmanned aircraft] store that’s inward melody amongst what I’m doing at NPS,’” he said. “Maybe I tin privy exit at that topographic point as well as banking company check it out as well as come across what they’re doing.”
Coursey contacted NASA as well as arranged a day-long tour spell dwelling solid on leave of absence terminal summer. While there, he noticed they had interns. Intrigued, he returned to NPS.
“I talked to the physics department, my projection officeholder as well as my academic advisor to come across if working at NASA over the summertime was a possibility,” he said. “They were full-throttle really excited most it as well as said if it works, they’d fully back upward me.”
It did work. Coursey applied for the NASA internship program, amongst Gamache writing a missive of the alphabet of recommendation as well as Narducci agreeing to acquit the independent study. Coursey was accepted as well as began his operate at NASA inward mid-June.
“This was my Luna shot,” Coursey said, referring to President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 speech communication declaring America’s ambition to province a homo on the moon. “I was out here. I knew they had interns. And without the back upward of NPS, this wouldn’t direct hold come upward through.”
Opening Doors
For the NPS physics department, Coursey’s maiden presented a win-win scenario.
“It was really forward-looking on his part,” Narducci said. “We tin privy make all the book-learning nosotros want, but it never plant that agency inward existent life.
“We e'er learn the ideal, ‘Well, inward a perfect world, if you lot make the experiment inward a vacuum, it e'er plant that way,’” he continued. “Now he’s inward an surroundings where things are non perfect, where the interrogation becomes, ‘How make nosotros brand this work, anyway?’ And that’s extremely valuable.”
When Coursey graduates inward December, NPS volition direct hold produced a to a greater extent than experienced, better-prepared student. The internship also opens the door to futurity collaboration betwixt NPS as well as NASA, Narducci said.
“We’ve got people doing a similar type of work,” he said. “Now he’s established that connective for us.”
Seeking interdisciplinary collaboration has acquire the norm inward applied physics, but Coursey has taken this to the side past times side level, Gamache said.
“What Todd did, that no i else has done, is to select that jump. Not only to the Navy, but to NASA,” he said. “Todd may come across that the construction of how they run their scientists as well as projects is completely dissimilar from the agency that nosotros make it inward the [Department of Defense,] as well as hence he’ll direct hold a base of operations of agreement of other regime agencies exterior of the Navy.
“Wherever he goes afterwards this, he’ll live on able to percentage these dissimilar concepts as well as dissimilar ideas amongst them; it’s a really much a synergistic effect,” Gamache added.
After he completes his internship inward August, Coursey volition percentage his sense amongst the NPS community. On Sept. 28, he’ll spearhead the physics department’s Fall Quarter Colloquium Series, which volition live on opened upward to the full general public.
“I think it’ll live on non bad because suddenly i of our speakers inward the colloquium serial is non ‘the world-renowned skillful inward X, Y or Z’, but i of us,” Narducci said. “I think he volition direct hold a lot to tell us most his operate at NASA.”
For his part, Coursey is grateful for the chance to operate at NASA.
“I’m only fortunate to live on here, as well as I promise that I tin privy percentage what I’ve done hither as well as allow other students to pursue something similar it,” he said.
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