NASA space science internship for stellar PhD student

University of Adelaide Physics PhD student Emily Ahern has been selected to take part in a prestigious ten-week SmartSat-led internship program at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, USA.

An aspiring space leader, Emily impressed the selection panel with the work for her SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) PhD scholarship, which focuses on developing a compact optical clock for small satellites.

She will be paired with an expert mentor from JPL for the duration of her internship, providing her with one-on-one access to an expert in her area of study and kickstarting her aerospace career.

“This internship is a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from leading names in the field of atomic clock research. I will be working on fundamental atomic clock research taking place at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory under the mentorship of those with a wealth of experience in both atomic clocks and space-qualified technology.

“The research I undertake while at JPL will inform my own research at the University of Adelaide. I hope this opportunity will allow me to transition into Australia's emerging space industry upon completion of my PhD,” she said.

JPL is a research and development lab federally funded by NASA and managed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).  The centre leads the world in robotic space exploration and science, sending spacecraft across the solar system, rovers such as Perseverance and Curiosity to Mars, a slew of Earth Science missions and providing cameras to the James Webb Space Telescope project.

“This internship is a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from leading names in the field of atomic clock research. "Emily Ahern, PhD student, University of Adelaide.

Professor Andre Luiten, Director, University of Adelaide’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, congratulated Emily on her selection.

“I am delighted that Emily’s talent and dedication have been recognised through this internship, which will give her the valuable opportunity to interact with world-leading space researchers at NASA. It highlights the globally leading nature of Emily’s work with the University of Adelaide’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, which has led to this opportunity from NASA to collaborate.”

PhD candidate Anne Bettens from the University of Sydney was also selected by SmartSat CRC for the internship.

SmartSat CRC Chief Research Officer Dr Carl Seubert, who previously worked at NASA JPL for nearly a decade, said it was challenging to narrow down the two successful applicants from the many high-calibre applications received, demonstrating the incredible potential that exists within the Australian space research ecosystem.

"We had many exceptional PhD students apply for this NASA internship, which is a testament to the skills being developed through SmartSat’s research portfolio for Australia’s fast-growing aerospace industry. Both Anne and Emily have shown great dedication to their research and the innovation of Australian space technology”, said Dr Seubert.

“This program provides our students an invaluable opportunity to learn from some of the greatest aerospace engineers and scientists in the world and forge international collaborations that will last their careers.”

This pilot program with NASA JPL aims to set a blueprint for future internship opportunities with global space organisations.

Emily will embark on her NASA JPL internship journey in June 2023.