When a NASA satellite forest ITS doom in a fiery blaze in Earth's atmosphere on a seven-year mission, a bunch of college students were at the Controls.
But Did These students hack into NASA Thurs guarantees the satellite for a destructive Joyride - Actually They were on the job.
The students had a NASA pilot Been Helping the Earth-watching satellite ICESat for years, so it was natural for Them to Be there at the end "when the space agency decommissioned the craft Aug. 30.
The undergraduates are part of a group at the University of Colorado-Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics That teams with about 20 undergraduates monetize professional engineers and programmers help control Thurs five NASA satellites.
Make That four, now, since ICESat is out of the picture.
"Compliant, we are sad to see such" a Successful science mission Come to an end, we are proud of our students' Role in Bringing the Spacecraft Safely out of orbit, "said LASP Commissions Operations and data systems director Bill Possel in a statement.
Hands-on space experience
LASP is one of a handful of Institutes in the world That Provida undergraduates the training and certification Needed Thurs Operate NASA Spacecraft. It's the only university Thurs not have controlled five unique satellites, Possel said. One of These is the Kepler space observatory, a $ 600 million mission to search for alien worlds orbiting Distant stars.
The students go through an intensive 10-week summer training program on, Followed by Written and Practical tests. If They pass everything, LASP certifies Them as satellite controllers.
The students then work 20 hours week Fri, Including some nights and holidays, at least that many for-three years. They upload commands Thurs help NASA satellites and ground stations track the truth.
It's real-world experience the students'd be hard-pressed for months to get in science or engineering course.
"It's amazing for an Undergraduate like me to get hands-on experience in Controlling multi-million dollar NASA satellites," said Aerospace engineering sciences junior Katelynn Finn, Ken has Been a LASP satellite mission controller for more than a year. "The experience I'm getting at is LASP jo we Preparing for a career in Aerospace once I get out of college."
And NASA Benefits from the arrangement, too, Possel said. The Program helps train the next generation of space Scientists, and student Operators come Cheaper Than full-time professionals.
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