NASA interns connect with astronaut aboard space station
2018-09-18
“NASA interns, welcome aboard the International Space Station. I hear you loud and clear!”
On July 30, NASA astronaut and former educator Ricky Arnold greeted NASA interns nationwide and welcomed them to a unique event known as an International Space Station in-flight education downlink. Downlinks enable the crew aboard the station to interact with students and others in the education community via a live broadcast. Through the Earth-to-space calls, crew members share what it is like to live and work in space, inspiring students and educators alike.
This summer, for the first time, interns from all of NASA’s centers had the opportunity to submit questions to be answered by Arnold during the downlink. The event was broadcast via NASA TV, where NASA interns and members of the public could tune in to see questions asked and answered live. Many interns gathered for watch parties at their centers, celebrating the event alongside fellow interns and education staff. More than 20 questions—at least one from every NASA center—were answered during the event.
At the heart of this effort was a team of NASA interns who worked tirelessly to make the downlink happen. Arianna Moore, a two-time NASA intern with the STEM on Station team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, managed technical and event logistics for the downlink. A graduate student studying for a master’s degree in communication at Southern New Hampshire University, Moore also worked on the Commercial Crew Program’s education projects and assisted with many other downlinks during her internship. Given her experience with the space station calls, Moore thoroughly enjoyed sharing the excitement of the event with interns agencywide.
“I hadn’t considered that other interns may not have the same opportunities I have had when it comes to talking with astronauts and having their questions answered, so to be able to help spread this amazing experience through the NASA internship family was a great triumph for me,” Moore said.
Alongside her mentor, Becky Kamas, Moore gathered and reviewed videos of the questions asked by interns across the nation. She believes the downlinks, which are available for public viewing on NASA TV, help spread the word about NASA’s inspiring work and commitment to STEM education.
“The questions that were asked and the answers that Ricky provided gave everyone a chance to see what NASA is doing for not only the Earth, but also what they are doing to help the next generation succeed,” Moore said.
Shaneequa Vereen, a Pathways intern at Johnson, and Abigail Mangsen, a NASA intern at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, also played integral roles. In a cross-center collaboration, the two interns organized a communication plan for the downlink event, worked to keep the NASA community informed of the details and schedule and assisted in sorting through the questions submitted by interns for the event.
Vereen, who recently completed her Master of Business Administration at the University of Houston, previously worked in various offices at Johnson as a Pathways intern. The Pathways program provides college and graduate students opportunities that often lead to a career in civil service. Vereen, who currently works in the Office of Communications and Public Affairs, helped with media visits and video-production projects prior to assisting with the downlink. Coordinating an event like this one, which included content and participation from many NASA centers, was no easy feat.
“This experience taught me not only how to work well with others across programs here at JSC, but across the agency,” Vereen said. “We had phone calls, emails and video sessions to answer questions from all 10 centers.”
The partnership was also a learning experience for her. “I believe that my communication skills, as well as my time management, have improved due to this experience,” Vereen said.
Mangsen, a junior and marketing major at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, spent her 11-week summer internship working on communications projects for the NASA Internships program. Based at Langley, Mangsen had to consistently remain connected with her counterparts at Johnson.
“We had an incredible team of people working together to make this event happen, [and we] wanted nothing more than to create a successful event for our fellow interns,” Mangsen said. “With the help of our mentors, conference calls and lots of emails, we pulled it off. The key to collaborating across centers is communication. I was lucky to work with individuals that made communicating a priority.”
The opportunity to facilitate an event involving astronauts, the orbiting laboratory and interns throughout NASA was new and exciting for Mangsen, and she especially enjoyed sharing that excitement with her colleagues.
“It’s not very often that you are given the opportunity to speak to an astronaut, and knowing that I played a role in giving that opportunity to someone is the best feeling in the world,” Mangsen reflected.
Mangsen traveled to Johnson for the downlink and had the opportunity to meet face to face with many of the people she had worked with remotely. She, Vereen and Moore all had the chance to speak directly to Arnold. Moore opened the event, confirming the downlink connection and welcoming Arnold, while Vereen and Mangsen closed the event, thanking him and the station crew.
Ultimately, all three gained valuable experience that will continue to pay dividends with their educational and professional goals—all while bringing this once-in-a-lifetime experience to their NASA intern peers. Their contributions and commitment helped make this recent station downlink truly an event by NASA interns, for NASA interns.
Explore NASA Internship opportunities at intern.nasa.gov.
At top left, NASA Pathways intern Shaneequa Vereen and NASA intern Abigail Mangsen close the event, thanking astronaut Ricky Arnold for his participation. Image Credit: NASA
Chrissy Linsinbigler
NASA Langley Research Center
On July 30, NASA astronaut and former educator Ricky Arnold greeted NASA interns nationwide and welcomed them to a unique event known as an International Space Station in-flight education downlink. Downlinks enable the crew aboard the station to interact with students and others in the education community via a live broadcast. Through the Earth-to-space calls, crew members share what it is like to live and work in space, inspiring students and educators alike.
This summer, for the first time, interns from all of NASA’s centers had the opportunity to submit questions to be answered by Arnold during the downlink. The event was broadcast via NASA TV, where NASA interns and members of the public could tune in to see questions asked and answered live. Many interns gathered for watch parties at their centers, celebrating the event alongside fellow interns and education staff. More than 20 questions—at least one from every NASA center—were answered during the event.
At the heart of this effort was a team of NASA interns who worked tirelessly to make the downlink happen. Arianna Moore, a two-time NASA intern with the STEM on Station team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, managed technical and event logistics for the downlink. A graduate student studying for a master’s degree in communication at Southern New Hampshire University, Moore also worked on the Commercial Crew Program’s education projects and assisted with many other downlinks during her internship. Given her experience with the space station calls, Moore thoroughly enjoyed sharing the excitement of the event with interns agencywide.
“I hadn’t considered that other interns may not have the same opportunities I have had when it comes to talking with astronauts and having their questions answered, so to be able to help spread this amazing experience through the NASA internship family was a great triumph for me,” Moore said.
Alongside her mentor, Becky Kamas, Moore gathered and reviewed videos of the questions asked by interns across the nation. She believes the downlinks, which are available for public viewing on NASA TV, help spread the word about NASA’s inspiring work and commitment to STEM education.
“The questions that were asked and the answers that Ricky provided gave everyone a chance to see what NASA is doing for not only the Earth, but also what they are doing to help the next generation succeed,” Moore said.
Shaneequa Vereen, a Pathways intern at Johnson, and Abigail Mangsen, a NASA intern at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, also played integral roles. In a cross-center collaboration, the two interns organized a communication plan for the downlink event, worked to keep the NASA community informed of the details and schedule and assisted in sorting through the questions submitted by interns for the event.
Vereen, who recently completed her Master of Business Administration at the University of Houston, previously worked in various offices at Johnson as a Pathways intern. The Pathways program provides college and graduate students opportunities that often lead to a career in civil service. Vereen, who currently works in the Office of Communications and Public Affairs, helped with media visits and video-production projects prior to assisting with the downlink. Coordinating an event like this one, which included content and participation from many NASA centers, was no easy feat.
“This experience taught me not only how to work well with others across programs here at JSC, but across the agency,” Vereen said. “We had phone calls, emails and video sessions to answer questions from all 10 centers.”
The partnership was also a learning experience for her. “I believe that my communication skills, as well as my time management, have improved due to this experience,” Vereen said.
Mangsen, a junior and marketing major at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, spent her 11-week summer internship working on communications projects for the NASA Internships program. Based at Langley, Mangsen had to consistently remain connected with her counterparts at Johnson.
“We had an incredible team of people working together to make this event happen, [and we] wanted nothing more than to create a successful event for our fellow interns,” Mangsen said. “With the help of our mentors, conference calls and lots of emails, we pulled it off. The key to collaborating across centers is communication. I was lucky to work with individuals that made communicating a priority.”
The opportunity to facilitate an event involving astronauts, the orbiting laboratory and interns throughout NASA was new and exciting for Mangsen, and she especially enjoyed sharing that excitement with her colleagues.
“It’s not very often that you are given the opportunity to speak to an astronaut, and knowing that I played a role in giving that opportunity to someone is the best feeling in the world,” Mangsen reflected.
Mangsen traveled to Johnson for the downlink and had the opportunity to meet face to face with many of the people she had worked with remotely. She, Vereen and Moore all had the chance to speak directly to Arnold. Moore opened the event, confirming the downlink connection and welcoming Arnold, while Vereen and Mangsen closed the event, thanking him and the station crew.
Ultimately, all three gained valuable experience that will continue to pay dividends with their educational and professional goals—all while bringing this once-in-a-lifetime experience to their NASA intern peers. Their contributions and commitment helped make this recent station downlink truly an event by NASA interns, for NASA interns.
Explore NASA Internship opportunities at intern.nasa.gov.
At top left, NASA Pathways intern Shaneequa Vereen and NASA intern Abigail Mangsen close the event, thanking astronaut Ricky Arnold for his participation. Image Credit: NASA
Chrissy Linsinbigler
NASA Langley Research Center
NASA intern Arianna Moore opens the space station downlink by confirming communications with the station crew and welcoming astronaut Ricky Arnold. Image Credit: NASA
NASA interns watch Arnold answer questions during a space station downlink. Image Credit: NASA