HAMPTON, Va. – 17 June 11
"Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" — USRP Intern Researches BNNT Development
By: Heather L. Ogletree
The demand on technology is to be faster, stronger, lighter and more durable. Even at NASA's Langley Research Center (LaRC), engineers like Catharine Fay are researching a way to make these very improvements to future aircraft and spacecraft. What is the key? Boron Nitride Nanotube (BNNT) Development.
Fay said, "BNNT composites are predicted to enhance survivability during long-term exploration flights due to their mechanical strength and toughness, thermal stability up to 1000°C, durability at low temperature in space (-157°C), low coefficient of thermal expansion, and radiation shielding capability."
This spring, Fay added sophomore, Amelia McMullen, to her team as an intern through the Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP). The Rochester Institute of Technology student took 15 weeks off from school and gained 600 hours of NASA experience at LaRC. McMullen commented, "This has been one of the best experiences I have had so far, especially in regard to academics and career development.
While at LaRC, McMullen delved deep into the topic of radiation and got exposure to the On-Line Tool for the Assessment of Radiation in Space, or OLTARIS, with the guidance of radiation shielding and modeling experts Drs. Sheila Thibeault and Chris Sandridge. She used to OLTARIS to develop materials models for BNNT and other potential radiation resistant materials. McMullen explained, “We are exploring if BNNTs are good candidates for radiation shielding materials or not. I’ve never dealt with anything regarding radiation before coming here, so learning more about radiation and trying to apply and further illuminate upon this new knowledge was something very cool to have to chance to do.”
She also indicated that BNNTs have far reaching implications for the future of space exploration. “In the space environment, various forms of radiation pose a hazard to vehicle, crew, and scientific instrument,” said McMullen. “To develop a single material that offers supreme radiation shielding, thermal resistance, mechanical durability, and pressure resistance could potentially lead to more efficient ways to protect spacecraft and crew in free space, making manned short-term missions safer and manned long-term missions more feasible.”
Before coming on as a USRP Intern, McMullen was unsure of her path in STEM, and although her GPA was well above the required 3.0 for USRP, she felt she had not done as well as she could have done in school last semester. Yet, after her exposure to NASA through USRP, McMullen gained a sense of clarity, stating, “This opportunity has really opened my eyes to a lot of things — what I am capable of, that I should perhaps appreciate myself a bit better, of so many opportunities and paths that I’ve never considered before, that I do in fact want to finish with a chemistry degree and continue onto graduate studies, that I should never limit myself without trying first and should always keep an open mind, interpersonal skills, science related topics, and so on and so on. The matrix of people working at NASA is something special, and overall I feel that the chance to work here is definitely something which helped me get a better sense of my career goals and interests.”
This match was beneficial to NASA as well. Fay revealed, “Amelia has done an excellent job, so good that she was selected for a summer internship at LaRC to continue the same research effort with Dr. Sheila Thibeault."