Weather permitting, we will be open in the evening of Friday, Sept 19. Check that day for updates!
Friday, September 12
We will be open 9-10:30pm for observing this evening, Friday, Sept 12!
2025 Student Research Symposium

The 2025 MDSGC Student Research Symposium was held on Monday, August 4, beginning at 8 a.m. EDT.
This year’s event showcased presentations by student interns and researchers working at varied institutions across Maryland, including: The Bryn Mawr School, Capitol Technology University, Hagerstown Community College, Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, NASA, Space Telescope Science Institute, Towson University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Maryland College Park, and University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
The venue was the Mt. Washington Conference Center in Baltimore, MD. For GPS navigation, head for “Johns Hopkins At Mt. Washington, Smith Avenue, Baltimore, MD” (link) and park in the nearby visitor parking lot/garage. Below is an image from Google showing the relative locations of parking and the conference venue:

The event schedule and full online program are below.
Symposium Schedule
Oral Presentation Session I, 9:00 – 10:40 a.m.
The Space Flight Operations Training Center at Capitol Technology University recently underwent multiple major additions, including the modern Dell servers, ten new virtual controllers with the latest Galaxy release installed, and ten total virtual spacecraft. This presentation will cover the process of installing those upgrades, reconfiguring the database to work with the new setup, and testing the system to ensure it is ready to be used by students in the upcoming fall semester.
An often overlooked part of every good research project, invention, or product, is the cost. Before the public can benefit from a new invention, they must consider the price tag and weigh it against the other bills demanding of them this month. Within the current economic landscape, the cost of things is often more important than anything else, despite a commodities’ possible overwhelming benefits. For a solution such as the Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment (CMFX), that seeks to provide a pathway for clean energy through nuclear fusion, getting cost estimates that satisfy both investors and everyday consumers alike is essential to reaching this future. Using python and github, a cost modeling algorithm was developed for the machine, assessing certain physical property changes of the fusion reactor against the cost of electricity and overall cost of running a nuclear fusion power plant while supplying energy to customers.
What if I told you that one of the largest temperature gradients in the known universe was right here in Maryland? Well it is true, at the Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment (CMFX) we have supersonically rotating hot plasma inches away from liquid helium superconducting magnets. CMFX expands on the established concept of the magnetic mirror, implementing a radial electric field with a central electrode that causes the confined plasma velocity component to point in the azimuthal direction, thus stabilizing and heating the plasma. Magnetic diagnostics are essential to understanding the interactions between the plasma and the centrifugal mirror. For my summer internship, with input from my mentor and the CMFX team we constructed Bz probes which consisted of an array of three loops. Each loop has 30 turns and a measured cross-sectional area of 6.5 × 10-5 m2. The probes are then mounted on a window exterior to the vacuum vessel. Each probe was shielded and connected to a digitizer/oscilloscope for data acquisition. The signals are then filtered, integrated, and detrended to produce ∆B graphs. FFT and spectral analysis were implemented to identify sources of noise within the ∆B signals. This builds on the previous research from last year’s internship by improving the signal-to-noise ratio using shielding techniques and by employing Python within Jupyter Lab for data analysis. Preliminary results from the Bz probes suggest ∆B signals on the order of 102 G near mid-plane.
This country thrives off the inventions, technical systems, and aid of various STEM careers such as doctors, engineers, and chemists. Due to the reliance on these fields, the STEM Center for Education and Outreach at USNA aims to increase the number of students pursuing STEM related subjects and careers. They make this goal possible through the help of USNA faculty, Midshipmen, and interns providing fun and educational modules, to be taught both directly to students and teachers, fostering their interest in various STEM fields.
We tried to calculate the speed of light by using Roemer’s technique of observing one of Jupiter’s moons’ eclipses at different times of the year. By observing Ganymede’s immersions in May and August, we were able to calculate the difference in time and divide it by the difference in distance between Jupiter and Earth in the spring and fall to find the speed of light.
We present the outcomes of an observing campaign to obtain HI spectra of supernova host galaxies from the Democratic Samples of Supernovae (Stahl et al. 2021) using the L-Band receiver on the Green Bank Telescope. The data was collected as part of a project of the Undergraduate ALFALFA Team to generate a template Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation by combining the GBT sample with an archival sample of 21-cm spectra for a total sample of 160 galaxies with accurate, redshift-independent distance estimates. Here we present our data analysis process and our BTFR result in comparison to the Schombert et al. conclusions.
Driven by a passionate group of students, engineers, and research scientists, the Johns Hopkins University Cube Satellite Club (JHU CubeSat Club) was formed in 2023 with the goal of linking engineers and scientists with undergraduate students who would like to gain hands-on experience in space science and engineering. The JHU CubeSat Club’s inaugural project is focused on the development of an amateur radio ground station that is remote accessible, up-link capable, and designed to support future and current CubeSat missions, including the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) Supernova remnants/Proxies for Reionization/ and Integrated Testbed Experiment (SPRITE) CubeSat projected to launch in late 2025. In the short term, the club will provide mission communication command and control up-link, and science data down-link on behalf of its partner, CU Boulder. The long-term vision is to provide remote support for multiple missions, by allowing the station to be remotely accessed by other Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensed partners/collaborators via the Internet. We foresee an opportunity to foster the development of a global network of up-link capable ground stations. Student involvement is integral to our mission at JHU CubeSat Club. We strive to be a bridge for undergraduate students to apply their theoretical knowledge to real world space missions. JHU CubeSat Club continues to give students the opportunity to delve deeper into areas that they have inclinations towards while also fostering an environment that encourages the exploration of different interests.
Group Photos, 10:40-11:00 a.m.
Oral Presentation Session II, 11:00 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
This project focuses on characterizing the electrical conductivity of various samples of lunar regolith mixed with paraffin wax and CNT/CF (Carbon Nanotubes/Carbon Fibres) by using a combination of 2 and 4 point surface resistivity measurements. These tests take place at room temperature and at simulated lunar conditions in a thermal vacuum chamber.
Hello! My name is Logan Hurney, and I was an Intern at Wallops Flight Facility working with the Ground Operations team at NASA. This Internship was full of fun and exciting things from Rocket Launches, plane rides, and tours to load testing, wiring, and facilities operations. During this internship I was exposed to various valuable experiences, and each day was more exciting than the last!
In this talk I will outline my role, the duties that came with my job, and how NASA Goddard has shaped my career path..
Dr Kielan Hoch will share her journey through academia as a women with a nontraditional background starting from her undergraduate time at Towson University, her graduate studies at UC San Diego, and her time as a Giacconi Fellow at the Space Telescope Science Institute. She will then share her PhD and current research area in Exoplanet studies and how she is pioneering space-based exoplanet science with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and her involvement with the efforts to plan the future space telescope, Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) with which we hope to answer the question: are we alone?
Lunch and small group discussions, 12:10 – 1:00 p.m.
Oral Presentation Session III, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
This summer, I participated in a robotics internship at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) under the auspices of the AIRSPACES (Autonomous Instrumented Robotic Sensory Platforms to Advance Creativity and Engage Students) project, funded by the Maryland Space Grant Consortium. The AIRSPACES project also has synergistic interfaces with the NASA-MSTAR funded DREAM (Developing Robotic Explorations with Agrobots and Moonbots) project ongoing at UMES. My work centered on autonomous navigation and system integration using the Agilex LIMO—a four-wheeled, multi-modal mobile robot equipped with LiDAR, a stereo depth camera, and onboard computing. Leveraging the Robot Operating System (ROS) framework, I explored robot mapping, localization, and navigation, and conducted simulated navigation tasks in the Gazebo environment. The move_base ROS package played a central role in enabling autonomous path planning and obstacle avoidance. In addition, I gained hands-on experience with soft robotics, assisting in mobile and robotic arm applications utilizing soft grippers. Together, the LIMO and soft robotic platforms provided a dynamic and engaging environment that deepened my understanding of robotics and autonomous systems.
NASA’s Artemis mission, a collaboration with commercial and international partners, aims to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and apply the lessons learned to support future crewed missions to Mars. As part of this vision, sustainable food production is a critical research area.
Smart agriculture integrates advanced technologies to enhance crop productivity and quality while reducing manual labor through automation. FarmBot, an open-source robotic farming platform, can autonomously perform tasks such as planting, watering, and weeding. This project investigates FarmBot’s watering capabilities to support the growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) microgreens in Martian regolith simulant amended with varying concentrations of horse manure. The objective was to identify the soil mixture that yielded the greatest edible biomass. The 50% regolith simulant / 50% horse manure treatment produced the highest yield with a mean biomass yield of 18.15g, followed closely by the 70% regolith simulant / 30% manure mixture with a mean biomass yield of 15.13g.
A second experiment explored soil-less cultivation using aeroponics—a method where plant roots are suspended in air and misted with nutrient-rich water. Broccoli microgreens (Brassica oleracea) were grown in a Tower Garden FLEX automated vertical aeroponic system and treated with a kelp-derived foliar biostimulant at varying concentrations to evaluate its effect on edible biomass. Preliminary findings suggest potential benefits but require further trials to determine statistical significance and overall efficacy.
Manual methods for stand count and vigor assessments in agriculture are highly time-consuming and error-prone, particularly in large-scale cornfields. This presentation addresses the integration of robotics, computer vision, and artificial intelligence to develop an autonomous and scalable solution for accurate plant detection, counting, and health assessment. Utilizing an AgileX Scout Mini equipped with an Intel Real sense d435i camera, video segments were systematically collected at predefined intervals corresponding to 1/1000th of an acre. OpenCV and YOLOv8 algorithms were employed to ensure precise detection and tracking of individual plants across video frames, addressing challenges such as variable lighting, occlusions, and growth stage variations. Plant health was quantified using a vigor scoring system assessing morphology, stem strength, and color health. Stand count estimates achieved up to 96.67% accuracy when compared against the known seed application rate. The approach demonstrates good potential for practical agricultural applications including crop emergence assessment, early disease detection, growth rate tracking, and yield estimation. Future enhancements aim to integrate drone and satellite imagery for improved detection capabilities, multi-class identification, and expanded analytical functions such as weed and pest detection, disease classification, and cloud-based data processing.
Understanding the orbits of asteroids is crucial for assessing potential threats to Earth and other celestial bodies. For example, in 2024, an asteroid (2024 YR4) was identified that was initially thought to have a significant chance of impacting Earth. Although further research has shown that it will not hit Earth, there is still uncertainty about its potential to impact the Moon. This project focuses on identifying potential precovery events for such asteroids within archival data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). By developing a Python-based software pipeline, we cross-reference known asteroid orbital data from NASA’s Small-Body Database with TESS sector observations to determine whether asteroids were observed prior to their official discovery. The process involves querying candidate asteroids, retrieving TESS observation windows using the TESSCut API, and comparing these with discovery dates. Successful matches indicate potential for precovery events, which are instances where an asteroid was captured in images before its official discovery. Initial results show that the potential precovery rate with TESS data is approximately 5%, resulting in a total precovery estimate of up to 6500 objects. These precovery detections will provide additional data points to improve the orbit fitting process and confidence level in impact probability, contributing to planetary defense efforts.
During the last few months I have been working with the UMD’s Ballon Payload Program, gathering and processing data for submission to NASA’s science activation, updating and preparing ASIC and NSO, two balloon payloads that were designed to track radiation in the upper atmosphere. For this payload I have designed, printed and integrated a circuit board, integrated the ability to utilize a real time clock, barometer and easily save the data for analysis later. We are currently looking to integrate a scintillator and are preparing to test the payload on the high-altitude ballon flight on the 9th with a back up date of the 10th of August.
At the University of Maryland’s Space Systems Laboratory, I contributed to the development of VERTEX, a modular Mars rover platform designed to support advanced research in robotic mobility and autonomy. My work focused on robotics and control systems, including motion coordination and testing in dynamic environments. The ultimate goal of VERTEX is to serve as a mobile life support system for astronauts during planetary exploration, reducing their workload and enabling safer, more efficient surface operations.
The ~340-meter diameter Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) designated 99942 Apophis 2004 MN4 will make a historic close approach of Earth on April 13th, 2029, passing within ~32,000 km of Earth’s surface, just over 4,000 km closer than the distance of geosynchronous satellites. This is a once in 7500 years event that will be an exceptionally unique opportunity to observe planetary encounter effects on an asteroid. It is also a novel opportunity to collect imagery of a sizeable asteroid via a cubesat in Earth orbit, placing the mission within reach of a university team. Our Terrapin Engineered Rideshare Probe for Rapid-response asteroid Apophis Profiling, Tracking, Observing, and Reconnaissance (TERP RAPTOR) is an Earth-orbiting mission concept in which a 12U CubeSat built by University of Maryland students would perform a flyby of Apophis during the time surrounding its closest approach to Earth and collect visible and near-infrared imagery of the asteroid.
MDSGC offers our sincere congratulations to our student presenters, a huge thanks to our internship mentors, collaborators, and supporting staff, and our hope that all attendees enjoyed and learned from these presentations!
Saturday, April 26 – Physics Fair!
Please visit our department on Saturday, April 26 for the JHU Physics Fair, from 11am-5:30pm! Tentatively the observatory will be open from 3-5pm, looking at sunspots.
Scholarship Applications
The regular application deadline for Academic Year 2025-2026 scholarships was May 14, 2025. Any student may still submit an off-cycle application for consideration if funding becomes available. For information about the program and to apply, visit the MDSGC Scholarships page.
MDSGC Summer Exchange Internship Program
Internship placements for summer 2025 have concluded.
Each year, student interns are placed at participating MDSGC universities for a paid 10-week internship experience. Visit the 2025 Summer Exchange page to view information about this summer’s projects. The priority application deadline was March 5, 2025, with the application remaining open until the placement process concluded.
The MDSGC Summer Exchange program supports qualified students from participating universities to partake in hands-on summer internships at any of the other participating institutions. Interested students should contact the faculty coordinator (see below) at their home institution. Currently, the participating institutions and faculty coordinators are:
Capitol Technology University
Prof. Marcel Mabson
Hagerstown Community College
Prof. Ed Sigler
Morgan State University
Prof. Guangming Chen
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Prof. Carlos Romero-Talamás
University of Maryland, College Park
Prof. Mary Bowden
University of Maryland, Eastern Shore
Prof. Abhijit Nagchaudhuri
Any questions may be addressed to the faculty coordinator at your institution or Matt Collinge at MDSGC.
Wednesday, January 29 (yes, Wednesday!)
We plan to be open from approximately 6:30-8:30 pm to view the “parade of planets”. Hope you can join us!
RockOn Workshop – June 2025!

Update: The RockOn application for 2025 has closed. Congratulations to the Maryland teams who were accepted! This page will be updated when information about the 2026 application becomes available.
RockOn, a workshop at Wallops Flight Facility for sounding rocket payload design, is an exciting chance for faculty and students to kickstart payload projects at their home institutions. Participants in the workshop will build a working scientific payload and then see it launch on a real sounding rocket!
MDSGC intends to sponsor one or more teams for each year’s workshop and encourages Maryland students and/or faculty to submit applications for team sponsorship! For 2025, the RockOn application deadline was February 14, 2025. If you are interested for this year or an upcoming year, please visit NASA’s RockOn page to apply and also contact MDSGC to let us know of your interest.
Here is a summary of important information about RockOn 2025:
- Application deadline is 02/14/25 – but why wait?
- 1 faculty mentor from the applicant institution must be willing to attend.
- 2 students from the applicant institution must be able to commit to attending.
- Attending faculty and students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
- Workshop dates are June 20-27, 2025.
- Location is NASA/Wallops, with hotels nearby in Chincoteague, VA.
- In order for you to participate, NASA must select your application – it’s not automatic.
- MDSGC will pay the workshop registration and travel costs for as many Maryland institutions/participants as possible, subject to the availability of funds.
2024 Student Research Symposium Program

The 2024 MDSGC Student Research Symposium was held on Friday, August 2, beginning at 8 a.m. EDT. The venue was the Mt. Washington Conference Center in Baltimore, MD. For GPS navigation, aim for “Johns Hopkins At Mt. Washington, Smith Avenue, Baltimore, MD” (link) and park in the nearby visitor parking lot/garage. Here is an image from Google showing the relative locations of parking and the conference venue:

This year’s symposium showcased presentations by student interns and researchers working at sites across Maryland. The cohort of presenters represented diverse institutions, including: Capitol Technology University, Hagerstown Community College, Morgan State University, NASA, Towson University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Maryland College Park, and University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
The program follows.
2024 MDSGC Student Research Symposium
Oral Presentation Session 1, 9:00 – 10:20 a.m.
Saimah Siddiqui graduated in May 2024 with bachelor’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her academic journey was notably shaped by her involvement in the Space Grant program, where she served as the Senior Launch Director for the Balloon Payload Program (BPP). This role provided her with invaluable hands-on experience and technical skills in aerospace technology.
Currently, Saimah is preparing to pursue a Master’s degree in Space Systems Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. With a strong foundation built through her recent education and leadership experiences in the Space Grant program, she is eager to advance her expertise and contribute to the field of space exploration and technological innovation.
The objectives of NASA’s Artemis project are to “Go, Land, Live, and Explore,” representing a comprehensive approach to lunar exploration. “Go” is launching missions to the Moon, “Land” is safely landing astronauts, “Live” is establishing sustainable living conditions, and “Explore” is conducting scientific investigations to expand human presence on the Moon. To achieve “Live,” a lunar settlement must sustain itself to support ongoing exploration. Our project addresses the challenges of sustaining astronauts by examining the growth of food crops on lunar regolith simulants using space-saving technologies such as aeroponics (growing plants without soil, in which the roots are suspended in the air and misted with a nutrient-rich water solution) and farmbot (an open-source farming technology that combines robotics, automation, and software to facilitate precision farming in small-scale agricultural settings) for plant cultivation. In addition, we investigated the effects of two types of lunar regolith simulants: Lunar Highland Simulant 1 (LHS-1) and Mexico Lunar Mare 1 (MLM-1) on the growth of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and kale (Brassica oleracea), utilizing various mixtures of regolith simulants infused with horse manure under controlled conditions of light and water. Our findings revealed that higher concentrations of regolith simulants supported better plant growth that could be attributed to the growing layer of yellowish-green lichen, Rhizocarpon geographicum, a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus and an alga. This study highlights the potential of regolith-based substrates and symbiotic organisms to support crop cultivation in the lunar environment.
During the internship at University of Maryland College Park we created an Articulating Rover as a “body” or testbed for the BIG Ideas project and future projects. The BIG Ideas project is a program where students work with NASA to create innovative and groundbreaking projects. They are currently designing wheels for the Lunar and Martian rover(s), using CAD and testing wheels for traction along with an inflatable devicel, with grousers, to help the rover cover more ground. The Articulating Lunar Rover (Luna) consists of two boxes and rotating joints made of aluminum, 3D printed Models of the BIG Ideas inflatable wheel designs, and a circuit to actuate the wheels. The Arduino Uno is the main part of the circuit which is connected to a joystick (which is tethered to the Rover), and four motors for rotating the wheels. The process of building the project is very rewarding, even though there were some time constraints and limited resources, we gained a lot of experience in programming with an Arduino, and circuitry.
Precipitation’s global distribution, anomaly, and extremes are fundamental in nature. There are three sequential questions to determine the precipitation climatology: Is it precipitating? What is the phase of the precipitation? What is the amount of precipitation? The response to these three questions comes with uncertainty. The oceans cover over 70% of Earth’s surface, therefore satellite-based precipitation products are the sole source of global precipitation mapping. NASA’s gauge-adjusted multi-satellite product, IMERG, has been operated and funded by the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission and is the most used precipitation product globally. The poor coverage of ground-based precipitation measurements across the land surface is one of the key reasons for the high demand for external precipitation resources. NOAA’s Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) with high spatial and temporal resolution precipitation mapping using national weather radar and multiple gauge platforms, was adopted by the GPM program as a validation product for satellite-based precipitation estimates from IMERG.
Both IMERG and MRMS have their own precipitation phase algorithms. MRMS’s deterministic algorithm relies on High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) air and wet-bulb temperature forecast, while IMERG’s probabilistic algorithm uses European Reanalysis (ERA5) wet-bulb estimates. This study aims to evaluate these two algorithms utilizing data from a three-winter-long field campaign in Connecticut. The campaign included an All-In-One (AIO) weather station, laser-optical PARSIVEL disdrometer, Precipitation Imaging Package (PIP), and Micro-Rain-Radar (MRR) among other instruments. MRMS and IMERG algorithms utilizing the AIO temperatures are used as references. MRMS and IMERG algorithms utilizing HRRR, ERA5, and NASA’s global modeling and assimilation office (MERRA-2) reanalysis have been evaluated. The phase algorithms of particle size and fall velocity-based PARSIVEL, PIP-derived and MRR-measured Doppler fall speed, and PIP-based bulk and equivalent density provided independent resources for the evaluation of MRMS and IMERG algorithms. The study focused on phase transition events but also included snow events.
-
-
- Exploration of Emergent Technologies In Sustainable Lunar Agricultural Engineering — Alena Zheng (UMCP/UMES)
- Thermal Analysis of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — Francesca Sciarretta (UMCP/NASA)
- NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) — Ismail Shah (Oxon Hill HS)
- Diamagnetic Loop Diagnostics in CMFX — Justin James (HCC/UMCP)
- Articulated/Segmented Body Lunar Rover with Pivoting Joints — Danny Puwo (UMES/UMCP)
- Evaluation of Precipitation Amount Products in Mid-Atlantic and Southern New England — Amalie Rebstock (UMBC/NASA)
- Radiative Cooling Properties in Cellulose Materials — Bryan Yang (UMBC/UMES)
- New Insulators and Mechanical Supports to Prevent Arcing in CMFX — Ismail Aadan (UMCP)
- Design of an Arc Chamber for Plasma Impedance Matching — Makai Martin (UMES/UMBC)
-
Group Photos, 10:20-10:30 a.m.
Poster Session, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Exploration of Emergent Technologies In Sustainable Lunar Agricultural Engineering — Alena Zheng (UMCP/UMES)
Smart agriculture employs advanced technologies to improve the productivity and quality of crops while simultaneously reducing labor with autonomous systems. FarmBot, an open-source robotic farming device, can be programmed to assist with planting, watering, and weeding. This advanced agricultural machinery has applications extending beyond Earth to potential space agricultural settings. Our project involves a focus on utilizing the watering aspect of the FarmBot to sustain our set-up of growing spinach with two lunar regolith simulant soils of varying concentrations. The spinach (Spinacia oleracea) plants exhibited the best growth, as indicated by the largest leaf widths, in the 75% regolith simulant concentrations for both types of simulants. This is determined to be due to the appearance of crustose lichen (Rhizocarpon geographicum) in these containers. Another avenue of space farming exploration includes aeroponics, a soil-less growing technique where roots are suspended in air and misted with nutrient-rich water. We are using a Tower Garden, a vertical aeroponic growing apparatus, to test the benefits of aeroponics. Both the FarmBot and Tower Garden are vital, accessible tools with the potential to revolutionize the future of farming from Earth to the Moon. (Click image for full size.)

Thermal Analysis of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — Francesca Sciarretta (UMCP/NASA)
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (RST) is a NASA observatory that will be stationed in Lagrange Point 2 (L2) orbit, where it will provide us with a panoramic view of the universe, helping to investigate dark matter and exoplanets. During my internship at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), I worked on RST’s High Gain Antenna System (HGAS) and performed a trade study on the effects of the effective emissivity (ε*) of multilayer insulation on the Ground Station Equipment (GSE). My work regarding HGAS will be compiled into a test report, and my trade study findings will lead to the verification of RST’s GSE heater performance, both of which are crucial to the overall mission. (Click image for full size.)

NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) — Ismail Shah, Emmanuel Castillo, Elda Berhaneyessus, Michael Perez, Lareon Brent III, Hannah Magruder (Oxon Hill HS)
This project focussed on designing and optimizing a vehicle capable of traversing the Moon or Mars terrain, allowing the astronauts to travel further distances before running out of oxygen. The aim was to provide a means of transportation for up to 2 passengers to safely get around on the moon without the assistance of electrical power. The vehicle needed to be omitted from the use of electricity in the case of power failure on the base. One critical flaw during a power outage would be a lack of transportation required for the astronauts to get around the base and solve the electrical issue. Therefore our challenge was to develop a rover capable of transporting two astronauts around the slopes and undulating terrain to navigate to the task sites and complete a mission. This entire project was entered into the NASA HERC competition where the project was tested to determine if the vehicle was successful or not. (Click image for full size.)

Diamagnetic Loop Diagnostics in CMFX — Justin James (HCC/UMCP)
The Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment (CMFX) harnesses azimuthal rotation of plasma through an ExB drift caused by an imposed radial electric field to enhance plasma confinement within a magnetic mirror. The centrifugal forces caused by the rotation of the plasma, also change the total magnetic flux of the mirror. Four Diamagnetic Loops (DML) are wound around the outer wall of the vacuum vessel to measure these flux changes caused by the changing magnetic field. The voltage induced in the DMLs from the changing flux is then numerically integrated to obtain the magnetic flux. The magnetic field derived from the measured flux changes is used to estimate plasma density and assess plasma stability. Integration, filtering, and detrending of this data is necessary to obtain useful signals when high amplitude noise is present. Because of this noise, new DMLs were constructed with an increased number of turns. Each DML contains 4 turns and is constructed from 18 AWG copper wire. Cables are then attached to measure the induced voltage in the loops which is then sent to a digitizer for analysis. RF-shielding foil covers the DML windings to reduce the pick-up of electromagnetic noise. Details of the DMLs, processing algorithms, and sample data are presented. (Click image for full size.)

Articulated/Segmented Body Lunar Rover with Pivoting Joints — Danny Puwo (UMES/UMCP)
During the internship at University of Maryland College Park we created an Articulating Rover as a “body” or testbed for the BIG Ideas project and future projects. The BIG Ideas project is a program where students work with NASA to create innovative and groundbreaking projects. They are currently designing wheels for the Lunar and Martian rover(s), using CAD and testing wheels for traction along with an inflatable devicel, with grousers, to help the rover cover more ground. The Articulating Lunar Rover (Luna) consists of two boxes and rotating joints made of aluminum, 3D printed Models of the BIG Ideas inflatable wheel designs, and a circuit to actuate the wheels. The Arduino Uno is the main part of the circuit which is connected to a joystick (which is tethered to the Rover), and four motors for rotating the wheels. The process of building the project is very rewarding, even though there were some time constraints and limited resources, we gained a lot of experience in programming with an Arduino, and circuitry. (Click image for full size.)

Evaluation of Precipitation Amount Products in Mid-Atlantic and Southern New England — Amalie Rebstock (UMBC/NASA)
Precipitation is a driving force for the water cycle and is one of the key sources of weather extremes. The changing global climate and consequent increase in extreme weather causes life to become more reliant on precipitation. The drought in Maryland is evident, as only 48 mm (1.9”) of rainfall fell during the first 50 days of Summer 2024.This information is based on a gauge report at Baltimore Washington International airport. Unfortunately, most of the global land is not equipped with precipitation measuring devices. This is due to topography, land use coverage, cost, and remoteness. With the addition of global ocean coverage (>70%), precipitation climatology relies on spaceborne precipitation retrievals and model outputs. NASA’s multi-satellite product, IMERG, operated and funded by the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, is widely used in scientific research and operational applications. The NOAA’s Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) product has been widely employed to validate satellite and model precipitation estimates among many other applications.
The GPM ground validation program has been deploying Platforms for In situ Estimation Rainfall Systems (PIERS) at granted institutes across the US. This study uses six PIERS+ sites which include a PARSIVEL disdrometer and tipping bucket gauges. The sites are located in the Mid-Atlantic region with an additional site in Connecticut. Some sites have additional instrumentation, including Pluvio weighing bucket gauge, additional tipping buckets, and additional PARSIVEL disdrometers. The study focuses on event rainfall totals for January to May 2024. The PARSIVEL disdrometer was the reference for the event definition and phase identification, while its rainfall totals compared to the gauges to determine the reference instrument. In addition to MRMS, the performance of the NOAA’s HRRR model, European ERA5 reanalysis, NASA’s MERRA-2 reanalysis were evaluated through comparison to the reference instrument. Future study will be conducted once IMERG data is available. (Click image for full size.)

Radiative Cooling Properties in Cellulose Materials — Bryan Yang (UMBC/UMES)
Radiative cooling properties in certain materials have the potential to reduce the urban heat island effect if applied at scale. An ideal passively cooling material should exhibit properties such that they are simultaneously high in solar reflectance whilst being effective at longwave infrared heat transfer through the atmospheric infrared window. Such properties effectively allow the material to cool passively without consuming electricity. Here, we explore the passive cooling capabilities of various cellulose composites by improving upon an existing experimental setup to determine their cooling power more reliably. (Click image for full size.)

New Insulators and Mechanical Supports to Prevent Arcing in CMFX — Ismail Aadan (UMCP)
The Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment (CMFX) vacuum chamber experiences electric arcing when enough deuterium becomes trapped on surfaces behind the insulator. The effects of arcing on the plasma include lowering the insulating voltage and damage to the limiter electrodes. To minimize the migration of gas behind the insulator, a new insulator design is being implemented. Another improvement to CMFX by this design is the use of machinable ceramic (Macor) for the supports which will provide an electrically neutral material that will provide additional insulation and prevent electric shorting to the ends of the chamber. (Click image for full size.)

Design of an Arc Chamber for Plasma Impedance Matching — Makai Martin (UMES/UMBC)
A device for plasma impedance matching is being designed in the Dusty Plasma Laboratory (DPL) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). The design consists of a high voltage tube modified to allow safe arcing between transmission lines. The distance between wires must be variable to millimeter or better accuracy while maintaining the insulating properties of the high voltage tube. Mechanisms are explored as methods to facilitate the required variable impedance. (Click image for full size.)

Oral Presentation Session 2, 11:30 – 12:55 p.m.
This summer internship project was undertaken at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) under the auspices of synergistic projects titled AIRSPACES (Autonomous Instrumented Robotic Sensory Platforms to Advance Creativity and Engage Students) and DREAM (Developing Robotic Exploration with Agrobots and Moonbots) ongoing at the university funded by Maryland Space Grant and NASA-MSTAR program respectively. Autonomous navigation and artificial intelligence integration with the recently acquired Agilex Limo 4-wheeled multi-modal mobile robot equipped with various navigational sensors including LiDAR and stereo depth camera was the primary focus of the project efforts outlined. Limo works with open-source ROS and the Gazebo simulator allowing access to significant reserves of robotic application development capabilities both in virtual and physical domains providing a rich educational and research platform. A specially designed simulation table was also utilized to simplify the process of testing model applications.
Understanding the neural mechanisms associated with cognitive functions such as problem solving and decision making is crucial to the development of a human systems integrative architecture for long-term spaceflight missions. Such neural mechanisms are characterized by unique patterns of communication between brain regions. Therefore, we require robust methods for identifying the level of interaction between the neural activity recorded from different cortical locations (as EEG time series signals). While existing approaches do exist, they may not be enough to provide adequate insight. In this research, we evaluate a new method which is based on computing the similarity between graphs formed from the time series themselves (from a notion of visibility between data points). Initial results suggest that our method is an improvement over some existing approaches, but further investigation is required.
Flight Safety Analysts require tools to accurately carry out analysis for launches out of Wallops Flight Facility. Overtime, these tools become outdated. This summer internship focused on updating the old excel tools to interactive MATLAB Apps. These apps increase efficiency and allow more detailed risk-based assessment by Safety Analysts.
Long-duration space missions can lead to numerous upper airway issues for astronauts, potentially impacting their health and mission performance. Nasal drug sprays offer a promising solution to these problems. This project aims to investigate the suitability of over-the-counter nasal drug sprays for use in space. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), we will model the droplet transportation of drug sprays under zero gravity conditions to evaluate their effectiveness and behavior in a microgravity environment. Additionally, we will investigate the contributing parameters that can assist in increasing the efficacy of these drug sprays in reaching a target location within the nasal passage. This will allow for an individualized nasal spray delivery system for each astronaut..
Consider autonomous agents in an unknown environment with very limited communication. They must leverage what limited information about the environment they can send to aid in an agent’s objectives. In our project, we explore the use of bounding hulls to reduce the necessary data needed for a sampling-based motion planning algorithm to reconstruct a path in minimal time. We consider three different map types (zig-zag, maze, forest) and the number of vertices in each constructed bounding hull. Our findings indicate that a bounding hull of as low as 4 vertices can significantly reduce the time it takes for another agent to reconstruct a path using RRT*.
USNA STEM is an organization that strives to increase the pursuit of STEM-based careers by directly teaching hands-on STEM learning modules to students and teachers alike. I spent my summer observing and helping USNA STEM, learning how hands-on activities can benefit me as a student and an engineer.
Thermal management is crucial for ensuring the dependability and safety of space exploration missions. The extreme temperature fluctuations encountered during rocket launch, reentry, and in the vacuum of space pose significant risks to the lives of astronauts and the proper functioning of onboard equipment. Without proper thermal insulation, with temperatures exceeding 1600°C during atmospheric passage and plummeting to -270°C in space, the structural integrity of spacecraft is severely compromised. This research explores the potential development of an aerogel-based, novel thermally insulated paint designed to offer superior insulation properties. By reducing material weight and volume to effectively mitigate heat transfer, this innovative coating enhances the survivability of spacecraft. Additionally, the potential applications of this technology extend beyond aerospace, presenting a promising solution to global thermal challenges across various industries.
This study, conducted at Morgan State University, aims to analyze various nose cones with different lengths, shapes, and materials to determine which variation meets certain apogee, aerodynamic, and structural conditions. These conditions were calculated, modeled, and simulated to exhibit positive behavior during liftoff. The research was supported by the Base 11 award to build a Liquid Propellant Rocket (LPR) in 2020. Before analyzing the cones, familiarity with the software used throughout the study was essential to accurately interpret the results. The software includes OnShape, OpenRocket, and Autodesk Inventor. Initially, OnShape was used to plan the 3D modeling of the cone after gathering the dimensions from simulations. OpenRocket was then used to determine the necessary length, shape, material, and average apogee value by running various simulations with different nose cone configurations. After modeling and simulating the optimal cone variation, an experiment was conducted using Inventor due to its ability to do pressure analysis. The results from this experiment suggest that analyzing various nose cones with different parameters allows for accurate anticipation of rocket deployment, stability, and the ability to reduce aerodynamic drag and control airflow. This study will demonstrate these findings.
Lunch and small group discussions, 12:55 – 2:00 p.m.
MDSGC offers our sincere congratulations to our student presenters, a huge thanks to our internship mentors, collaborators, and supporting staff, and our hope that all attendees enjoyed and learned from these presentations!
April 8, 2024: Solar Eclipse

On Monday, April 8th, 2024, the Moon crossed in front of the Sun as seen from much of North America, giving millions of Americans another chance to experience a solar eclipse. Like in October 2023 and August 2017, Maryland experienced a partial solar eclipse. During a partial eclipse the Sun is never fully blocked by the Moon. This means that it is never safe to look directly at a partial eclipse without special eye protection — regular sunglasses are not okay! Please see below for more information on safe observing practices.
From Maryland, the beginning of Monday’s eclipse (aka “first contact”) was be at approximately 2:05 p.m. according to timeanddate.com, depending slightly on the viewer’s location. Maximum eclipse depth of approximately 90% coverage occurred at 3:21 p.m. and the show was all over at around 4:30 p.m.
For eclipse watchers in the Baltimore area, a couple of opportunities to come out (or stay in) and see the spectacle were:
-
- On JHU’s Homewood campus – weather permitting – free! Here are some photos from the day.
- At the Maryland Science Center – with paid admission or membership.
- NASA’s online broadcast – free!
Eclipse safety: It is very important not to look at the partial eclipse directly unless you have appropriate eye protection such as special eclipse glasses (NOT regular sunglasses) from a reputable manufacturer. Courtesy of NASA, here is a summary of information about eclipse safety. Key takeaways: either use special eclipse glasses or use an indirect viewing method, such as a projected image from a pinhole camera.
While Maryland experienced only a partial eclipse, a swath of the USA stretching from Texas to New England briefly fell into darkness as the Moon fully covered the Sun, creating the fateful (and amazing) condition known as a total eclipse. The image below shows the approximate locations where this occurred; for more detail see NASA’s Where & When.

To all eclipse watchers, we wish you clear skies!