Excited by Adventure and Discovery

By Andrew Harner, Ames Research Center, CA
West Virginia University – USRP Intern 2010

My entire life, I have been extremely excited by adventure and discovery. I was always exploring, trying to find places no one had ever gone. I also was curious about the world around me, trying to figure out why things worked the way they did. After a while, I realized that so little of our universe had been discovered, when compared to what was left on Earth. So I began to look into the sky at night and wonder what was out there and if I could maybe one day take part in figuring out how to get others and myself there.

Leading up to college, I found out that this was exactly what an Aerospace Engineer does. They solve problems regarding how to safely transport things into space and research why things act as they do both inside and outside our atmosphere. And no place has pushed the boundaries of this research further than NASA. At NASA, every day is a challenge to further mankind’s mission to know everything about our universe and get people into space. NASA inspires innovation and we, as the next generation, must be motivated to continue to stand on the shoulders of the previous generation to reach higher into space.

From small town West Virginia, I knew little about engineering growing up. Within my first few weeks at West Virginia University, I knew that aerospace was the right track for me. I recently graduated in December of 2009 with degrees in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. I have participated in multiple NASA programs including the Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunity Program in the summer of 2008 and the NASA Glenn Academy in the summer of 2009. Currently, I am interning at Ames Research Center; an opportunity granted to me through the Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP). I am working in the Diagnostics and Prognostics Center of Excellence. I am focused on a project to simulate small mechanical flaws in wind turbines and see how the damage progresses and leads to failure. I am also trying to find ways to identify the presence of damage early so that it can be fixed before failure.

I have learned so much at this internship and my previous experiences through NASA. Its very exciting to be around so many amazing structures and innovative inventions. All my coworkers have been exceedingly helpful and knowledgeable. NASA is a great environment in which a young mind can flourish. The people, projects, and fellow interns are all friendly, helpful and make work a great experience.