Aerospace Engineering major David A. Stout embarked on a journey of a lifetime when he was accepted to the NASA Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP) at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. First, he was able to run thermal-Vac testing on many future NASA parts. While there he also was able to fabricate and machine Bombay doors and luggage carriers for NASA’s P-3 aircraft that flies to the arctic on a frequent basis. Next he was able to formulate the logistics for the CREAM 4 balloon launch that will occur at the end of 2008. Afterwards he cultured and helped with the thermal blankets that are going on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Satellite that is scheduled for launch in the beginning of next year. “It was awesome that they [NASA] flew me on their private aircraft to Goddard Space Facility to help and see that endeavor put into practice.”
His greatest achievement and most time-consuming task was to design and help fabricate a Cubesat-class Satellite that will launch in September 2008 on a Montour rocket with the Air Force’s TacSat III Mission. He worked with the Senior Engineer ever day coming up with ideas, making CDR and IDR presentations to the general group, and testing all parts to see that the whole satellite will function properly. “It was totally hard, but very rewarding.” “I was there for the whole process—beginning to end, and they treated me like the project manager.” In September NASA and Hawk Institute for Space Sciences will fly David to Wallops to see his satellite launch off. “I am so stoked and cannot wait.”