Jacobs Space Exploration Group Internship

At the beginning of the internship, I completed an Explosives Safe Handling Course. The course taught me invaluable lessons, not only about handling explosives, but of safety in general.

In Summer 2024 I interned as a Blast and Debris Engineer for Jacobs Space Exploration Group (now Amentum Space Exploration Group) at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. I worked on a few different projects during my time there and developed invaluable skills. 

The main project I worked on involved analyzing high speed footage of fireballs generated during blast tests. I reviewed over 100 tests and performed data analysis using Julia to better understand and demonstrate fireball growth rate for the combination of LCH4 and LOX.

I also developed a proof-of-concept microphone array system using an Arduino microcontroller, electret microphone, and many 3D printed components. The proof-of-concept served as a foundation for producing long-range sound level sensing and sound position triangulation for blast tests.

Additionally, to prepare for upcoming blast tests, I reconstructed a previously destroyed wooden test stand by first creating a CAD model in Creo. I then tabulated a purchase list and created a plan for assembly. Once the hardware arrived, I assembled the test stand.

Towards the end of my internship, I was recognized with a certificate of appreciation for "valuable contribution in support of the Methane/Oxygen Equivalence (MOX-E) tests by analzying test data to verify blast models and better understand fireball growth rate as well as constructing a test stand and building a prototype microphone array system."