{"427041":{"#nid":"427041","#data":{"type":"news","title":"JPL Summer Fellowship deadline extended to Dec. 15","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech faculty looking for a unique opportunity to connect with NASA\u0027s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are invited to submit proposals for the 2015 JPL Summer Fellowship. The deadline has been extended to December 15 at 5 p.m.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is the second year that Georgia Tech\u0027s Center for Space Technology and Research (C-STAR)\u0026nbsp; has worked with JPL to provide the fellowships, which support collaborative research opportunities between the two institutions. C-STAR\u0026nbsp;anticipates awarding 3-5 fellowships for the summer semester.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELast year, three GT-AE faculty, Brian Gunter, Dave Spencer, and Panagiotis Tsiotras, used the fellowship to launch projects. All three returned with valuable perspective on their current and future research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The intellectual environment at JPL is superb and there are many challenging and stimulating problems to work on.\u0022 said Tsiotras. \u0022I would love to return every year.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApplicants for the 2015 Fellowships should outline a specific research project, including possible research partners. There is no stated stated monetary limit on the fellowships; the awards vary according to the demands of the specific project. Find out more about this opportunity\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/img\/12-3CSTAR%20CALL.pdf\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESubmissions should be sent to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:cindy.pendley@aerospace.gatech.edu?subject=JPL%20Summer%20Fellowship\u0022\u003Ecindy.pendley@aerospace.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECheck out the experience of last year\u0027s JPL\u0026nbsp;Fellows:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ctable width=\u0022200\u0022 border=\u00220\u0022 cellspacing=\u00221\u0022 cellpadding=\u00225\u0022 align=\u0022right\u0022\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\u0022rtecenter\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProf. David Spencer\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EProf. David Spencer\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, Dave Spencer has been immersed in the launch of Prox-1, a Georgia Tech-designed spacecraft, and an attached CubeSat that are part of the multi-satellite payload being launched by the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket project sometime in the next 15 months.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt JPL, Spencer expanded on his research interests, working with Joe Parrish and Tom Komarek in the Mars Exploration Program formulation office\u0026nbsp; to develop two mission concepts for potential small satellite collaborations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The first was a Mars telecommunications relay CubeSat constellation, The second was a low-Earth orbit demonstration of orbiting sample canister search and rendezvous, in support of Mars Sample Return,\u0022 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In addition, Brian Gunter and I spoke with Peter Kahn about developing a deep space CubeSat deployer capability involving JPL, Cal Poly and Georgia Tech. We proposed that Georgia Tech be responsible for system engineering and the electrical subsystem. Cal Poly would be responsible for the mechanical subsystem.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKahn was impressed with the concept and is currently looking for funding sources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EProf. Brian Gunter\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ctable width=\u0022200\u0022 border=\u00220\u0022 cellspacing=\u00221\u0022 cellpadding=\u00225\u0022 align=\u0022right\u0022\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Gunter\u0026nbsp; got a valuable opportunity to dive into a mission concept involving a constellation of nano-satellites to measure the Earth\u0027s time-variable gravity. He worked alongside JPL\u0027s Dr. Mike Watkins and Dr. David Wiese, both of whom are heavily involved with the current GRACE and upcoming GRACE Follow-On missions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The feasibility of the approach had already been developed in previous studies, but these were mostly based on simulations,\u0022\u0026nbsp;he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGunter\u0027s collaborators were able to explore how their work might complement GRACE and the upcoming GRACE Follow-On mission.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We developed a list of high-priority systems to be investigated in the near future, including a compact ranging system, validation of precise positioning from a COTS GNSS receiver, and an assessment of the MEMS IMU. A number of numerical simulation studies were also identified to better quantify the scientific return that the constellations might provide.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe fellowship also sowed seeds for future collaborations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022My time at JPL allowed me to get to know many other people working on related projects, such as planetary mission design and other cubesat missions. These contacts were extremely valuable and should lead to many new efforts going forward. Work on a joint paper is already underway. I hope to make a summer trip to Pasadena an annual event to build on these relationships and to set up internships and research projects for my students.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EProf. Panagiotis Tsiotras\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ctable width=\u0022200\u0022 border=\u00220\u0022 cellspacing=\u00221\u0022 cellpadding=\u00225\u0022 align=\u0022right\u0022\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Tsiotras spent four weeks working with Dr. Marco Quadrelli and others at JPL\u0027s\u0026nbsp; Robotics and Mobility Systems Section (Autonomous Systems Division).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We pursued a problem of common interest -- related to the coordinated path-planning of multiple ground vehicles in a crater and\/or cave while maintaining line-of-sight,\u0022\u0026nbsp;said Tsiotras.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The problem is of immediate interest to the Transformers for Extreme Environments concept, which has been promoted by several JPL\u0026nbsp;researchers, including\u0026nbsp; Adrian Stoica (PI) and Marco Quadrelli.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to this concept, robotic systems can project the resources\/energy needed to induce a favorable microenvironment at the locale where exploration takes place and make exploration in extreme environments (below the surface of the planet or in areas that are permanently dark and cold) possible. The realization of the project depends on the availability of teams of mobile robots capable of (multi-hop) energy projection while maintaining communication with each other and operating far away from their base station.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETsiotras is excited about sustaining and enhancing his collaboration with colleagues at JPL.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I realized that many aspects of my research were of interest to JPL. As a matter of fact,\u0026nbsp;during my stay at JPL I\u0026nbsp; met with several individuals who expressed an interest for possible collaboration. I was invited to give two seminars on my research.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech faculty looking for a unique opportunity to connect with NASA\u0027s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are invited to submit proposals for the 2015 JPL Summer Fellowship. The deadline has been extended to December 15 at 5 p.m."}],"uid":"27456","created_gmt":"2015-07-21 15:17:06","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:12","author":"Britanny Grace","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-12-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-12-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1239","name":"School of Aerospace Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2082","name":"aerospace engineering"},{"id":"116431","name":"CSTAR 2015 Summer Fellows@JPL"},{"id":"6316","name":"JPL"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["communications@ae.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}