28 Jun Alex Birck, LASP, Week 4

Hi everyone!

Week 4 at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) was another busy one, with several projects reaching important milestones. After spending the last few weeks working on different parts of the projects, it was exciting to see things beginning to come together.

Engineering Drawing

One of my main focuses this week was finishing the engineering drawings for the metal plates used in the 3D-printed MANTIS model. These drawings tell us where each 0-80 hole needs to be placed and tapped. The threaded holes are needed so the connector pins can be securely screwed into the plates during assembly. Since the holes are so small, we have to be very precise. A couple of days ago, the mostly finished plates arrived from SendCutSend, which was exciting to see after spending so much time designing them. Next week, we’ll begin tapping all of the holes by hand before attaching them to the model.

Spectrometer setup

I also spent part of the week helping set up the spectrometer that will eventually be used to study asteroid samples. Over the past couple of weeks, I had been working on the camera part of the system, and this week, it was exciting to actually work on the spectrometer itself. We were calibrating it to some polycarbonate to make sure it is precise and accurate with its readings.

The highlight of the week came when we traveled to a company in Longmont to perform vibration testing on SPRITE. Before a satellite can be launched, it has to survive the intense shaking and vibrations made during liftoff, so engineers test it under those same conditions here on Earth. It was really cool getting to watch the testing process up close and see how carefully everything was monitored. I also got to spend more time working in the cleanroom while helping prepare the satellite beforehand, which is always one of my favorite parts of the internship.

Boulder Public Bikes

Outside of work, the week was a little more relaxed. I figured out how to use the public transport system, like the bikes, which was super interesting. I also had the opportunity to tour Sierra Space. One of the coolest parts of the tour was getting within just a few feet of Dream Chaser, the next spaceplane scheduled to launch later this year. Today I stopped by Lucky’s Bakehouse for a carrot cake cupcake before spending some time walking around Boulder and enjoying the beautiful weather. It was a nice way to unwind after a busy week.

Week 4 felt like another step forward. Between making progress on my 3D-printed model, helping set up the spectrometer, and getting to watch a satellite go through vibration testing, I had the chance to experience several different parts of the work being done at LASP. I’m looking forward to next week as some projects get even closer to being finished.