Space is vast. There are a lot of things we don’t know. We continue to learn more with our new telescope at Baker Observatory.

We also learn a lot from student internships and Research Experiences for Undergraduates that give real life experiences.

William Brockmeier spent his summer at Northrop Grumman as a mission operations intern.

Brockmeier, a PAMS student, spent three months in Dulles, Virginia.

About his internship

Brockmeier was on a procedure development team for a communication satellite that orbits with the Earth’s rotation.

He wrote procedures that would let the satellite orbit on its own. His work would let us communicate with the satellite while it is in orbit, adjusting as needed from down here. A human controller would be on standby rather than doing all the work.

Unlike many internships, Brockmeier gets to see the fruits of his labor soon.

“The best part about the internship was being able to have an important role on a space mission and contribute to the team,” Brockmeier said. “I am very excited to see the launch this spring.”