Universities Space Research

Association
Overview
■ Founded in 1969
■ Established as a nonprofit association
■ 114 universities are part of USRA
○ Universities in the US, Canada, Europe, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Korea
■ Its focus is the development of space-related engineering, science, and technology
■ Works with multiple institutions, creates a network of opportunities
Participating Institutions Are Involved in:
■ Astronomy and Astrophysics
■ Heliophysics
■ Lunar and Planetary Science
■ Earth Sciences
■ Computer Science and Information Technology
■ Aeronautics Research
■ Microgravity Sciences
■ Space Technology
■ Science Facility Management and Operations
■ Educational and Workforce Development
Opportunities
■ Internships are available of high school students, undergraduates, and graduate
students
■ Available programs and some of their research topics:
○ Air Force Research Laboratory Scholars Program
○ Exploration Science Summer Intern Program
○ Center for Space Nuclear Research
○ Lunar and Planetary Institute Intern Program
○ NASA internships
AFRL Scholars Program
■ Offers paid internships to undergraduate and graduate students
■ Work with AFRL scientist and engineers in topics such as:
○ Quantum information science
■ Strategic Atomic Navigation Devices and Systems (SANDS)
■ Improve navigation and timing for flights
○ Aerospace systems
■ Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance
■ Automatically pulls up aircraft before it collides with the ground
○ Human performance
■ Research Altitude Chambers
■ Study the effects altitudes can have on humans as well as the durability of flight equipment
Exploration Science Summer Intern Program
■ Hosted by the Lunar and Planetary Institute and NASA
■ 10 week program during the summer
■ Graduate students
■ Students participate in activities to support missions
○ Orion crew vehicle, Deep Space Gateway
○ Assessment of landing sites on the Moon
○ Robotic and human exploration
Center for Space Nuclear Research
■ 10 week, paid summer internship
■ Undergraduate and graduate students
■ Development of a tool which can measure the radiation exposure of a drone above
the surface of Titan
○ Future human exploration of outer solar system planets
○ Previous topic involved developing models for a reactor for a mission to Mars
Lunar and Planetary Institute
■ Undergraduate students
■ Open to all but students majoring in computer science, math, engineering,
physical sciences are preferred
■ 10 week internship
■ During the internship, students have access to lectures and career workshops
■ Students work one on one with a scientist from either the NASA Johnson Space
Center or the Lunar and Planetary Institute
■ Research in impact cratering, planetary remote sensing, planetary geology,
satellites
■ Research opportunities connect students with leading individuals in multiple
disciplines
■ Opportunity to work on real life research
■ Most internships are paid