Every summer, a select group of science, math, and engineering students are chosen for internships at NASA. They collect data, conduct research, and develop new tools for the agency, all while gaining hands-on experience.

This year, two Richmond students were among NASA’s fleet of interns. Geography majors Grace Thorpe and Ethan Greeley were encouraged to apply by Stephanie Spera, professor of geography and the environment. Thorpe landed in Maryland at the Goddard Space Center, while Greeley worked at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.

Up in the air

When Greeley first heard about the eight-week Student Airborne Research Program, he said it sounded like a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to conduct hands-on research aboard a NASA aircraft.

Greeley spent the first week of his internship attending lectures and getting familiar with NASA’s flying laboratories. By week two, he was on board a DC-8, gliding over California and observing researchers as they collected air samples and measured light reflectance.

“They were looking at what’s in the air in different areas of California and measuring trends throughout the day and over time,” he said.

For the six weeks that followed, Greeley was part of a team of students focused on terrestrial ecology. They traveled to Sedgwick Reserve in the San Rafael Mountains and used drones and remote sensing technology to examine the area’s vegetation. He later used that data for a research project studying changes in the California landscape after the record rainfall earlier this year. At the end of his internship, he presented his findings — an experience the rising senior can point to in future job interviews.

“The work I did for my project, I’ve touched on it in my classes,” Greeley said. “This internship solidified that I want to work with a satellite company or remote-sensing platform. I want to look at data and analyze it like I did for NASA.”

Earth observer

Grace Thorpe sees summer internships as an opportunity to explore environmental issues in different settings. Last summer, the rising junior worked in Houston, examining the impact of flooding and the need for better coastal resiliency. This year, she joined NASA’s DEVELOP program aimed at students interested in the intersection of Earth science and technology.

Thorpe was assigned to NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission, which is set to launch in 2024. The new satellite will collect data on the color of the ocean and how sunlight is changed by passing through clouds, aerosols, and the ocean.

 The data PACE will collect is powerful — but highly complex. That’s where Thorpe comes in. Her team is developing a graphical user interface that will allow NASA scientists, water resource managers, and water quality professionals to efficiently process, analyze and visualize the satellite data.

“I’m very analytical, but I also love to create and design,” Thorpe said. “That’s why I love being a geography major and why this internship is perfect for me. I get to do a lot of the visualization design while also doing the coding and the execution and analysis.”